Adaptive Educational Services

Information & Resources

Student Information

Steps to getting testing and/or other accommodations

1. Interview with AES
2. Complete filling out AES Application form (PDF) at the interview
3. Provide documentation following AES' standards for documentation
4. AES approval of documentation of disabilities
5. Every semester to get any type of accommodations or services, you need to provide a copy of OneStart showing your classes for the upcoming semester. Hand written copies are not acceptable nor will AES print copies for you. You must request specific accommodations for each and every class in which you believe that you need accommodations.
6. After 2 business days, you will be given a form entitled "Student Responsibility Acknowledgement" (PDF) which should be signed, dated, and the original left with AES. This form lays out the rules and policies that AES expects a student to follow if a student wishes to receive services.
7. Once that form is returned, you will pick up 2 forms for each class that you will receive accommodations in. The first form is "The AES Approved Accommodations Form" (PDF). This form lists for a specific class the accommodations or services that you have been approved for. The form needs to be taken to your faculty member for a signature. The faculty member keeps the copy and returns the original to you. The faculty member keeps the copy and the original is returned to AES. It would wise for students to make a copy of this form for their own records.
8. The second form is "The Testing Transportation Form" (PDF). You and the instructor must sign and date the form. The instructor must indicate any specific instructions regarding the exam. An example is an economics test where a calculator would be permitted to do the figuring. Another might be if the exam was an open book exam. The instructor should indicate the amount of time that the class will have for the exam on this form.
9. If changes in the schedule (date, time, length of the examination) occur, both the student and instructor must initial the change and the student must return the form to AES and the instructor must contact AES to confirm that a change has been made.
10. If the instructor has any questions, the instructor should call (317) 274-3241 or e-mail aes@iupui.edu. Such questions might include what to do about 5 minute in-class quizzes, exams which take up half the class period and have lecture following the exam (one way to resolve this is to flip the order - have the class portion and then the exam so that the student can be in class for the lecture and then go to the examination which will allow additional time). Once the instructor signs the TA form (Testing Accommodations Form), the instructor keeps the copy, and the original is returned to AES as soon as possible. Again making a copy for a student's records is a good idea.
11. When a student brings the forms (for each class or section) back to AES, the student should attach a class syllabus which indicates when examinations are to be held. Once this paperwork is completed, the student may schedule specific examinations and the finals in AES office. NOTE: Exams are scheduled for the same day and time as the rest of the class takes the exam unless specific permission from the instructor is provided. Students should work with the AES staff who will schedule the examination in the Test Schedule Book on the appropriate day and time (the same day and time as class meets or when finals are scheduled). Only if the instructor e-mails permission or comes to the AES office in person, can an examination be scheduled on a different day or time or changes in the length of time allotted to the class and therefore for a student who gets extra time. Neither calls nor campus/US mail notes are acceptable.
12. At least two business days before the examination, the student needs to confirm the scheduled examination with the AES staff. The student should verify the date, time and location of the testing if it is not in the regular classroom. Tests will be proctored in the Lab (UL 3135 H). Confirmation must be repeated for each examination for which testing accommodations are requested.
13. If a student, for any reason misses a test, the student will have to get the instructor to e-mail special permission to reschedule the examination at another date/time. Examinations will automatically be returned to the faculty member after the original scheduled time for the examination, regardless of whether the student takes the exam, so AES cannot proctor the examination at any other time without the faculty member's permission and the return of the examination (or more likely a different version of the examination).
14. AES's rules for proctoring examinations are very specific to ensure that the work done is that of the student and only the student.
    1. The student must sign-in on the sign-in sheet.
    2. No notes, books, electronic devises, book bags, purses are permitted in the testing area without permission from the faculty. Lockers, locks and keys are provided by AES. You will be informed of this when you schedule the examination so you should be aware of these rules.
    3. Assistive technology may be used if approved by the AES professional staff.
    4. Proctors shall be present at all times while the student is taking the exam. Proctors, providing reading services, are not allowed to paraphrase questions or answer any questions.
    5. Students are allowed breaks if warranted and necessary because of the disability or if other students have such breaks. Any time allotted to breaks shall be noted and the amount of time shall be included in the students' over all test-taking time. Students leaving the testing room for a rest break shall be accompanied by an AES student employee.
    6. If a student is caught cheating, the incident shall be reported immediately to the AES professional staff for further instruction. The incident will be written up in the comments section of the test routing sheet.
    7. Lab Etiquette: Students and staff shall be respectful of other students taking exams. Please keep distractions (undue traffic/movements, talking, eating, foot or pencil taps, etc) to a minimum.
    8. Neither staff nor students should place or receive phone calls during the testing period. All cell phones must be turned off during the testing period.

Questions that students frequently ask

1. May IUPUI deny my admission because I have a disability? No. If you meet the admission requirements, you cannot be denied admission simply because you have a disability.
2. May a school or department deny my admission to a program because I have a disability? No, if you meet the criteria for the school and are competitive within the pool of other students seeking admission to the program.
3. Do I have to tell IUPUI that I have a disability when I apply for admission? No. The application does not ask about disabilities. If, however, you wish assistance in the application or testing process before admission, you will have to work with AES.
4. Do I need to tell IUPUI and AES about my disability to get accommodations? Yes, if you want to receive accommodations or academic waivers or substitutions, you must identify yourself to AES and provide documentation to support your request for accommodations. AES will evaluate the documentation and determine the type of accommodations required by your functional limitations. AES will work with the school or program to ensure that you receive the appropriate accommodations ranging from rooms, assistive computer programs or technology, to testing accommodations. Disclosing any information is always voluntary, but without disclosure there are no services. In addition, you should remember that the documentation you provide is confidential. It may not be necessary to have services in your first semester at IUPUI, but they may become necessary later on. You can choose to wait until you need services, but the campus suggests that you register with AES as soon as possible.
5. What kind of accommodations or adjustments does a program or a school has to provide? There are no automatic accommodations provided to all students with disabilities. The accommodations are determined by your disability and the resulting functional limitations. Two students who are diabetic have different needs; one student may receive no accommodations while another student may receive a variety of testing accommodations depending on how serious and controlled the diabetes is. No school has to provide accommodations which fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program or activity or results in undue financial or administrative burdens. Finally, no school has to provide personal accommodations which include personal attendants, private tutoring, or readers for materials for personal enjoyment. So while there are lists of services IUPUI provides (interpreters, testing accommodations, waivers, substitutions, assistive computer programs or equipment, etc.), an individual student may not be entitled to some of them.
6. What must I do to obtain an academic adjustment? Unlike high school, IUPUI, as a post secondary educational institution has no responsibility for testing you, developing a plan, or automatically arranging accommodations. You must provide AES documentation and become one of their clients. You must then familiarize yourself with the policies of your school or program regarding the procedures used for obtaining modifications in the academic requirements. A visit to the dean, academic advisor or counselor to discuss your request is often a good second step. You must follow the steps used by your unit and they will determine whether to grant you an academic accommodation such a waiver or substitution.
7. When should I request an academic adjustment? While theoretically you can do this at any time, you should do it sooner because it takes time to arrange and it is not necessarily a certainty. Waivers are especially difficult to obtain and many schools will not grant them for core courses, laboratory, or field courses. AES will, if asked, work with you but AES cannot make a school or program grant any academic adjustment.
8. What can I do if the academic adjustment, say logic for a mathematics requirement, is not working? Discuss the matter with AES and the school/program as soon as possible. The unit may consider a second option but the unit may conclude that you can't succeed in its area of study. If this happens, you will have to change your plan of study, try taking remedial courses at IVY TECH, or transfer to another school.
9. May IUPUI charge me for an academic adjustment or an accommodation? No. IUPUI does not charge more for classes, fees or housing for students with disabilities. Nor does the university charge for accommodations.
10. How and when do I schedule a testing accommodation once I am registered with AES? The entire process is explained in the section on testing accommodations. One part of the answer is that testing accommodations are tentatively scheduled at the beginning of the semester by submitting OneStart schedule and the class syllabus and other forms and having the Testing Accommodations Form signed by the faculty and student and approved by the AES staff.
11. Where are tests proctored? If the instructor agrees to an alternate testing site, tests will be proctored in the Adaptive Educational Learning Center (University Library room 3135 H). Otherwise, the test will be proctored in your regular classroom or a designated area defined by the faculty at the scheduled time of the exam.
12. What are my rights as a college student? IUPUI's Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct spells out students' rights and responsibilities. It also covers the various appeal processes such as what to do if someone discriminates against you, what to do if you wish to appeal a grade as well as spelling out the expected behavior for members of the IUPUI community. There is a current copy on-line at the IUPUI Registrar's site. In cases of grievances, students can contact AES' Faculty Student Liaison or the IUPUI Student Advocate. In disciplinary matters, the appropriate contact is the IUPUI Dean of Students Office; for academic matters such as grades, the dean in charge of student affairs in the school offering the class is the place to start.
    
    If you believe that your grievance involves a violation of state or federal law, you should immediately contact the IUPUI Equal Opportunity Office. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of using IUPUI's procedures or you wish to pursue an alternative approach, you may contact the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). You can learn about the OCR complaint process from the brochure How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights which you can get by contacting the U.S. Department of Education online.

Discrimination

The Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) which state that colleges and universities are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. If students believe that a faculty or staff member or even a fellow student has discriminated against them, they should make a written record of the events, save all related paperwork, e-mails or phone messages, and then discuss the matter with a staff member at AES. The AES staff member will refer them immediately to the IUPUI Office of Equal Opportunity, which deals with discrimination.

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