Over the past year, WVU’s Office of Accessibility Services has been working with faculty to streamline the process for implementing disability accommodations in the classroom. Starting Tuesday (Nov.5), OAS’s new database Student Accommodation Management for Mountaineers became available online, providing faculty members with easier access to information about the disability accommodations authorized in their classes.
Instead of receiving accommodation letters at their MIX email address, faculty will now be able to log into SAMM directly with their WVU ID, where they will be able to securely access and review accommodation letters for all of their classes in one convenient location.
Faculty and students will also be able to digitally sign these accommodation letters, confirming that they have discussed the implementation of accommodations, eliminating the need for paper agreement forms. Faculty are encouraged not to digitally sign a student’s accommodation letter until this conversation has taken place.
Accommodation authorization letters have also been rewritten based on faculty input to provide clear descriptions of each accommodation, including information on how accommodations may be applied in the classroom.
These updates are designed to provide faculty and students with better information, better security, and better peace of mind. The Office of Accessibility Services is also in the process of developing additional faculty resources, which will be available in the future at the Accessibility Services webpage.
To access the new Student Accommodation Management for Mountaineers system, faculty should navigate to the Office of Accessibility Services website and click on the blue “SAMM” link in the upper-right corner of the page.
Faculty with questions regarding the accommodation process or the new SAMM database, are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services at 304.293.6700.