Request services as soon as possible. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) encourages students to meet with SAS staff once you have chosen to attend the University of Northern Iowa (UNI).
Students must first register with SAS and meet with staff in the office before academic accommodations can be initiated. Interpreters will not be scheduled for academic courses until a student has completed their registration for the given semester. However, it is important to make SAS aware of any potential needs as soon as possible. Students who are approved for interpreting and transcription services will be approved for priority registration in future semesters.
Inform SAS of preference for interpreting and interpreting needs (e.g., oral, ASL or PSE), transcription, or real-time captioning.
SAS provides accommodations and services for UNI students who are registered with the office for only academic activities. If you have interpreting needs for programs/services outside of the classroom, you, the student, are expected to request interpreting services with each individual program or department. SAS staff can assist you with making this connection, but it is your responsibility to give advance notice to all parties of the needed accommodation (preferably at least two weeks). UNI departments or other campus organizations are administratively and financially responsible for arranging interpreting services for cocurricular (non-academic) events which they sponsor. If your requests for services are not satisfied, please contact SAS.
Provide SAS with your course schedule for the upcoming semester as soon as you register for classes. Please report any changes in daily or weekly class schedules as soon as possible.
Inform SAS when interpreting/real-time captioning/transcription services will not be needed or if you will be arriving late to a class or scheduled appointment. An interpreter/transcriber will wait twenty minutes before leaving a class or an appointment.
SAS can not guarantee a particular interpreter, but we will do our best to meet your request. If you develop a good rapport with a particular interpreter or transcriber and would like to continue working together, you should contact SAS with this request.
Interpreters and transcribers will not provide transportation for students.
Students should provide their interpreters with course syllabi and other handouts received in class. Students can have photocopies made at SAS (ITTC 007) if it is not possible to obtain them from instructors. Students are not responsible for providing interpreters with course texts.
If there is a schedule change, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the interpreter and SAS as soon as you learn of the change – preferable 48 hours ahead of time, if possible. Student should attempt to contact their interpreter(s) directly first. When contacting SAS, please specify the class(es) affected by the change, the time, building, room number, and name of the interpreter(s).
NOTE: Scheduled interpreter(s) and SAS do not necessarily know about cancellations announced during class, listed in the syllabus, written on the board, etc.
Students need to communicate attendance plans with interpreter(s) and SAS in order to maintain interpreting services for their courses. As a rule of thumb, cancel interpreters as soon as you know you will not attend class and notify SAS via email.
A "No Show" is defined as a student missing class without any prior notification or any form of communication with the interpreter(s) or SAS. After a cancellation or no show, we assume you will return to the next scheduled class session unless you notify us otherwise. Occasional absences are understandable. However, interpreting services will be temporarily suspended for any course section (e.g., lecture/seminar, discussion, lab) when a student has two consecutive No Shows.
"Early Cancel" is defined as contacting the interpreter(s) or SAS at least 48 hours prior to the start of the interpreting assignment (i.e., class). Less than 48 hours notice is defined as "Late Cancel." Habitual late cancellations may be considered as a No Show. Contact the interpreter(s) or SAS to specify a time you will be at class if you will be late to class. Without notice, interpreters will follow the appropriate wait lengths before leaving the assignment site. If you call ahead of time and still do not show up at the time you indicated, interpreters will then follow the appropriate wait length for a No Show.
Wait Lengths for No Show/Late Arrival: Interpreters shall wait 25% of the total scheduled assignment (i.e., 15 minutes for 50 minute class, 20 minutes for 75 minute class, etc.) up to a maximum of 60 minutes. For late arrivals, observing the wait length begins once the student is not at class at the time of the anticipated arrival time.
Attendance patterns are discussed between SAS and the student.
Both the student and SAS are clear on the student's enrollment status in their courses.
Both the student and SAS are clear on the two consecutive absences and/or established pattern of absences from the same course session without prior notification.
The student and SAS jointly develop a plan for appropriate adjustments in notice for changes in attendance plan.
Students should contact SAS Team immediately should an interpreter miss or arrive late to an assignment.
Efforts will be made to send a substitute or arrange a reasonable accommodation.