EIU Student Disability Services

In conjunction with the overall mission of EIU, Student Disability Services (SDS) is committed to facilitating the provision of equal access and opportunity to all campus programs and services for students with disabilities.

Scholar Week: Quality of Life Disparities for the Rural Economically Disadvantaged by Dr. April Jackson

TESTING ACCOMMODATION CENTER

The Testing Accommodation Center (TAC) housed in Student Disability Services is now accepting faculty requests for students with test accommodations. If a student in your class has talked to you about a testing accommodation and given you a letter from our office, you may want to ask us to proctor exams and provide testing accommodations. You may continue to do this yourself as well. Please realize this is a brand new system and we ask that you be patient with us as we work through any glitches that may arise. Faculty requests can be submitted from the Testing Accommodation Center page. Questions may be directed to our office at 581-6583.

Student Interviews: transitioning from K-12 to secondary education

Liz Carswell

Katelyn Olsem with parent, Lisa Olsem

FOCUS Program

** Openings for FOCUS now available! Email or call us at (217)581-6583 to inquire about receiving this free service. **

The FOCUS program is a free, one-to-one mentoring program in which students with disabilities meet individually with a student mentor from Student Disability Services. The purpose of this program is to provide the participants with the skills and supports they need to achieve academic success at the college level.

What Participants are saying about FOCUS:

• FOCUS has helped me realize my full potential.

• The Focus Program is truly helpful. It provides someone to help me learn the strategies which help improve my studying strategies through understanding my learning style.

• FOCUS has helped me develop a comfortable mode of communication with my professors on campus when I need to talk to them about my accommodations and extra assistance.

• My mentor has been extremely helpful this semester. She helped me to improve my time management and organization skills. She helped me to understand how to better hold myself accountable.

• FOCUS helped me realize that I always had the "tools" necessary to be successful in college. I just needed to know how to use them best.

• FOCUS is a great program to learn tips and strategies for study skills and note taking. I felt comfortable talking with my mentor about my disability. There was never any judgment involved.

• The Focus Program helped me to be more successful in my classes. For example, my mentor helped me to make sure I was "on top of" my assignments and that I turned them in on time. Also, my mentor helped me with organizational skills and study tips.

To learn more about FOCUS:

Contact Student Disability Services at 217-581-6583 or studentdisability@eiu.edu

Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society

Delta Alpha Pi

International Honor Society

Gamma Psi Chapter-Eastern Illinois University

Founded at Eastern Illinois University on December 2nd, 2014

Honor Society History: founded in 2004 at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and is open to undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities.

Purpose of Organization: presents an opportunity to change the perception of students with disabilities by recognizing their academic accomplishments. In addition, this honor society facilitates development of skills in leadership, advocacy, and education for participating students.

Membership Criteria:

All students must:

• Present with a documented disability and work with one of the faculty or staff members in Student Disability Services

• Demonstrate an interest in disability issues

• Undergraduate students must have:

• Completed a minimum of 24 credit hours

• Earned an overall GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale

Graduate students must have:

• Completed a minimum of 18 credit hours

• Earned an overall GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale