Category Archives: General Topics

Take time to seek joy and comfort

Posted on by

Recently, Chelsea (Notetaking Coordinator) made a joke-y confession to me: she had ordered a new outfit, one that was really only appropriate for the office. She felt silly buying clothes that she currently has nowhere to wear. But I totally understood.

When my mom was in palliative care several years ago, my sister, my dad, and I would switch off staying with her. On my time away from the hospital, I would head home to spend time with my dog … and then I would often go to Value Village. I had been a vintage clothing reseller on eBay before my mom got sick. Skimming the racks at Value Village was something that I did weekly. For me, there’s a kind of mindlessness in focussing on the clothing racks in front of me, skimming my hands down the hangers, feeling for unexpected fabric textures. It was both a chance for my brain to unplug and for me to find some comfort in doing something routine, regardless of the chaos and sadness around me. And then, voila! There would be joy in brushing over a bit of crepe de chine or flocked velvet.

There’s comfort in doing things that we used to enjoy doing. It makes us feel less adrift. It makes us feel hopeful that things will return to some kind of normal, where we can do those kinds of things again. And just, really, with all the changes we have to adapt to, if we already know that something holds joy for us, why not just keep turning to it?

You may to adapt a little bit. Tanya (Exam Program Assistant) and I are concert buddies. We’ve gone to dozens of concerts together. We both desperately miss live music. Obviously, going to a 2019-style concert is just not going to happen. But, we’ve been to 4 drive-in concerts together. We sometimes watch the same online concert while texting about the show. And we’ve figured out ways to stay connected with our favourite artists, which is a big part of the concert joy for us.

Living through a pandemic is hard. There’s so much uncertainty and worry. Our movements are restricted. We’ve had to adapt to new ways of doing so many things. Seek joy in the small things, and relish the comfort that comes from experiencing that joy.

Need some ideas? Why not:

  • Play board games with friends over Zoom.
  • Get dressed up one night and get some take out or watch an online concert.
  • Handwrite and mail some letters or cards. Maybe your recipients will pay the favour back and you’ll find some joy in your own mailbox.
  • Revert to your childhood and build yourself a blanket fort where you can curl up with a good book and some snacks for the evening.
  • Make yourself a playlist that will get you up and dancing in the kitchen.

Joy doesn’t have to be 24/7. Just a little bit can give us the comfort we all so desperately need.

Wishing you moments of joy today.

Jacki for AES

Image courtesy of Dar Hosta James, Dar’s 52 Mondays Blog at: 

Monday #31: Mission Possible

November 19th deadline to request exam accommodations for December 3+

Posted on by

If you require accommodations for any exams in December 2020, please request those now. 11:59pm on November 19 is the deadline to request accommodations for any exams on December 3 or later.

HOW TO REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FINAL EXAMS

Log into PAWS –> Go to the AES channel –> Click on “Exam Service” –> Click on the “Final Exam” link –> Fill out the form(s)

If your final exam does not show up when you work through those steps, it is not in the University’s final exam schedule. This commonly happens with lab finals and any exam outside of the final exam period (such as on the last day of classes). If your final exam does not show up when you use the final exam link, use the non-final exam link instead.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

  • Even if your exam is online, fill out an AES request form if you require any accommodations at all.
  • AES only supports date and/or time changes for accommodation-related reasons. We will not change an exam date or time for personal reasons (such as travel, work, or family obligations).
  • If you need to change the date or time of an exam, you must get permission from your instructor BEFORE you submit your request. This includes situations where students have accommodations such as “no morning exams.” Even if you have an accommodation supporting a time change, you still have to talk to your instructor about it.
  • Please make arrangements with your your lab instructor/coordinator if you require accommodations for a lab exam.
  • If you need to change an exam date or time for religious reasons, visit this link: https://students.usask.ca/academics/exams.php#ReschedulingExams
  • AES staff is required to work remotely and cannot set up accommodations for on-campus exams in 2020. If you have an on-campus exam, please speak to your college regarding accommodations.

HOW AES IS SUPPORTING STUDENTS DURING FINAL EXAMS 

While the University is closed due to the pandemic, the AES Exam Program is functioning mainly as a liaison between students and instructors. Our goal is to streamline the process and minimize email communications between instructors and students.

  1. A student submits a request for accommodations using the AES PAWS form.
  2. The AES system creates an automated email for the instructor, asking for details about the exam format.
  3. Once the instructor sends those details, AES inserts them into the student’s exam request record.
  4. The student checks their AES Exam Service channel for the exam details, which will be posted ASAP after being received from the instructor (usually 1-3 days prior to the exam date).

In addition to assisting with information flow, we will set up scribes and/or readers via the WebEx conference app, if required.

Questions? Ask us! Since we’re working remotely, it’s easiest to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca

In a world where you can be anything, be kind

Posted on by

Typeface on a weathered background, with the text: Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

We get it. Trust us. We do.

The world is in an incredible state of flux. There is a lot of uncertainty, anger, sadness, worry, exhaustion.

We’re doing everything differently. We’re taking classes online, we’re working at home, we’re ordering in groceries, we’re facetiming with grandparents, we’re avoiding travel, we haven’t been hugged in daaaayyys, our hair is unkempt, our bread is freshly baked, and we all have a small stockpile of toilet paper. Just. In. Case.

We get it. Change is haaaaard.

If our own financial situation is okay (knock wood), we all have friends who are struggling. The CERB payments only went so far for my single-mom friend. I’ve been sending her a small fresh fruit and veggie order every two weeks.

We get it. Times are tough.

On top of the big things going on in the world (a global pandemic, civil rights protests, political discord, travel restrictions), we’re all dealing with the every day personal things too. In my case, so far this year, my dog died, my car needed extensive repairs, my GAD kicked back in along with panic attacks, I started therapy, my sewer backed up (two separate times), my roof was leaking, my laptop died, I haven’t seen my auntie since March. I live alone and I’m going weeks at a stretch without talking to anyone except the cashiers at the grocery store.

We get it. Coping is hard at the best of times.

The thing is, it’s all hard, for all of us. We just never know what another person has on their plate. Maybe they’re managing better than we are. But maybe they’re not.

Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

~ Jacki for AES

NEADS Accessibility Resilience Program – Emergency Support for Students with Disabilities in Response to COVID-19

Posted on by

Purpose:

COVID-19 has placed an undue burden on post-secondary students with disabilities (undergraduate university, graduate university, college, cégep, and high school students entering a post-secondary institution) who were already facing immense socio-cultural and operational accessibility challenges before the pandemic. Particular challenges include rising tuition fees and a lack of transitional support for online learning such as assistive technologies, devices, and software. To do our part to help address these challenges, the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) has put in place the Accessibility Resilience Program, with generous support from the Government of Canada’s Supports for Student Learning Program through a contribution agreement, to deliver $157,000 in disabled student emergency financial assistance.

There are two key components to this funding program:

Emergency Relief Awards: a minimum of $30,000 to increase the number of awards offered to disabled college and university students through the 2020 NEADS Student Awards Program. All applicants who applied to the 2020 program will be eligible and no further action is required.

Emergency Relief Grants: A maximum of $127,000 to college and university students with disabilities to facilitate recovery and account for any unforeseen costs related to rising tuition fees and the transition to online/remote learning. Application details below.

Emergency Relief Grants

The Emergency Relief Grants will be given to 87 deserving post-secondary students with disabilities to help them recover and account for any unforeseen costs related to the transition to online/remote learning resulting from COVID-19. Grant types include:

77 grants with a maximum claim of $1000.
10 grants with a maximum claim of $5000.

Eligible costs would include, but are not limited to: tuition fees, devices, cables, assistive technology software, internet bills, ergonomic desk equipment, or any other costs related to accessing education online as a result of COVID-19.

For all eligible costs, excluding tuition fees, recipients are responsible for invoicing NEADS with their receipt of purchase and would be reimbursed for costs incurred. Tuition fees would not be reimbursed but instead be applied directly to your student account.

DISCLAIMER: Applicants must wait to receive confirmation from NEADS that they are an Emergency Relief Grant recipient, including the specified value of the grant so that they can purchase their item(s) for reimbursement. If an applicant purchases an item without receiving confirmation that they have been selected as a recipient, NEADS is not liable to cover these costs.

Eligibility

Applicant must be a Canadian citizen
Applicant must have a permanent disability
Currently enrolled in or accepted into a post-secondary institution
Applicants must demonstrate COVID-19 impacts on their education
Applicant must demonstrate they have not had their needs met by other funding     available from federal or provincial sources

Selection Process

Once your application has been submitted, it will be reviewed for completeness and adherence to the above guidelines. Assuming all guidelines are met, selection committees will review applications based on the selection criteria described above. Due to the volume of applications received, only those selected to receive an award will be contacted. Recipients will be contacted by mid-January 2021.

For any inquiries pertaining to the application process please contact Lauren Gravis, Director of NEADS Student Awards at: etes@neads.ca or our National Office.

Deadline: December 1, 2020.

Apply now here: https://www.neads.ca/asas/arp-en/

 

 

NEADS Community Engagement Meeting – Innovative Designs for Accessibilty (IDeA) student competition

Posted on by

November 4, 2020 – 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 EDT (12:00noon to 1:00pm in SK)

The Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) student competition challenges university students across Canada to develop innovative, cost-effective, and practical solutions to accessibility barriers for people with disabilities. Students enrolled at Canadian universities, in all programs and at all levels, are encouraged to submit projects for a chance to win up to $5,000. Monique Racine, program officer, Universities Canada, will share more information on the competition and answer any questions you may have about IDeA.

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpc-iqqzktE9Zp5YTLCTAPpzMX_eafvZNB

https://www.univcan.ca/programs-and-scholarships/innovative-designs-accessibility-competition/

Do you need accommodations for two final exams on the same day?

Posted on by

The University of Saskatchewan has decided to close for the Christmas break beginning on Monday, December 21. This means that the final exam period is shorter than usual. To fit all the exams into a shorter timeframe, many students have two or more finals scheduled for the same day.

AES cannot arbitarily change final exam dates or times–all changes need to be negotiated directly between a student and their class instructors.

Do YOU have have an accommodation of extra time PLUS two or more finals scheduled for the same day?

Even if you are thinking that you CAN write two finals on the same day, it is extremely important to start a conversation with your instructors.  Having two finals on the same day, particularly in this online environment, can be complicated for students who have the accommodation of additional time.

When you talk to your instructor ask about things like:

  1. Will the exam begin at the same time indicated on the University’s final exam schedule or will the start time be adjusted at all?
  2. Will there be a timer set for the final exam? If so, will additional time for AES students be added at the BEGINNING or at the END of the exam?
  3. Will there be a bigger “window” (timeframe) to complete the exam within? e.g., Will extra time be added to download/upload exam documents? Or will the class receive a large amout of time to complete a 3-hour exam, such as 12 hours or 24 hours?

This hypothetical situation shows why a conversation with your instructors is essential

Let’s say that the student Blue Smith has the accommodation of time and a half. Blue has two finals on December 15, one at 2pm and one at 7pm.

In scenario #1, Blue thinks that they will be okay to write both finals at the scheduled times. What Blue doesn’t know is that the instructor for the 7pm exam wants AES students to use their additional time early, so that the instructor doesn’t have stay in their WebEx room until 11:30pm. This means that the instructors are thinking that Blue will write their finals from 2:00-6:30 and 5:00-9:30–which is impossible.

In scenario #2, Blue is stressed about writing two finals back-to-back and is desperate to change one time. What Blue doesn’t know is that one instructor is planning to give out the questions on the last day of classes and require the answers to be submitted by December 15.

There are a lot of variables to consider, especially in an online learning environment. Please talk to your instructors if you have two or more finals currently scheduled for the same day.

Negotiating date/time changes for your final(s) with your instructor(s)

If it is necessary to change a final exam date or time in order for you to receive the accommodations you are entitled to, you must negotiate with your instructor(s). If a final is to be rescheduled, instructors need to have a say in the new date and time. If one instructor refuses to change their exam time, approach the other instructor.

Notifying AES of the new date/time of your final

If you might need to negotiate a new date/time for a final exam, please do that BEFORE you submit your online request for accommodations to AES. When you do submit your request, make a note in the notebox, letting us know which date/time you and the instructor agreed on.

As always, all information must be submitted through the AES online form by our deadline. For December finals, that deadline is 11:59pm on November 19.

We know this is complicated! If you have questions, ask us! Since you need to negotiate your new date/time by November 19, ask us soon. And, since we’re working remotely, it’s easiest to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca

Accessing AES Exam Accommodations Online in Fall 2020

Posted on by

In Fall 2020, most students will be writing their exams remotely.

At the AES Exam Program, we’ve shifted our focus from providing accommodations on campus to supporting both students and instructors during this transition to online learning. We are here to help.

During the summer months, we learned that many students are not comfortable advocating for their own accommodations. We also learned that many instructors still want AES to identify which students need accommodations for each exam. We’ve adjusted our processes with these things in mind.

How to Request Exam Accommodations in Fall 2020

For the Fall 2020 term, students should continue to request their AES exam accommodations the same way they always have:

  • Request your Letters to Professors and deliver them to your instructors early in the term. Be prepared to have a conversation with your instructors about your disability-related needs.
  • Use the AES online request form in your AES Exam Service channel to request exam accommodations whenever they are needed.
  • Return to the AES Exam Service channel to check for updates on your accommodation requests. (Each exam request is a link; click on it to open the dialogue box.)
  • AES will put any relevant information about your exam accommodations into the exam note box approximately 5-7 days prior to your exam date.

AES Accommodation Request Deadlines Apply

As in any term, accommodations must be requested inside of AES deadlines, which are:

Non-finals: 14 full days prior to the exam date

Finals (and any exam written after December 3, 2020): November 19, 2020

Tips for Accessing Your Accommodations Remotely

If your exam is:

  1. A take-home or open-book exam:
    • Submit your request for accommodations using the Exam Service channel in your AES PAWS tab.
    • When the form asks for the start and end time of the exam, what AES really needs to know is the expected duration. If the class is expected to finish the exam in 60 minutes or in 3 hours, just choose start and end times that reflect that duration.
    • Give us as much additional information as you have in exam note box. (e.g., If the class has 24 hours to complete the exam within.)
    • Extra time accommodations typically do NOT apply to these types of exams. Students are usually given a longer timeframe in which to complete a shorter exam. (e.g., You may be given 24 hours to complete an exam that is designed to take three hours. In which case, you can certainly take extra time if you require.)
    • Reader/scribe accommodations typically do NOT apply to these types of exams either. This is essentially an assignment or paper and should be tackled as such. However, if you feel you do need a reader and/or scribe, email us at aesexams@usask.ca.
    • All other accommodations should be manageable in your own home, such as lighting, access to a sofa, etc.
  2. Timed online exam:
    • Submit your request for accommodations using the Exam Service channel in your AES PAWS tab.
    • AES will let your instructor know that you need the timer adjusted for your exam.
    • We encourage you to try using Read&Write software in place of a human reader and/or scribe, if that is one of your accommodations. More information about Read&Write.
      • If you will be using the software, please do NOT check off the accommodation of reader and/or scribe on your request form.
      • If you need a live reader and/or scribe to work with you, check that off on the request form and AES will schedule staff to work with you over WebEx.
    • All other accommodations should be manageable in your own home, such as lighting, access to a sofa, etc.

Learn more about the exam changes for all students.

NOTES:

A few classes will be held on campus (primarily in professional colleges). However, AES staff is required to work remotely and cannot set up accommodations on campus this fall. If you require accommodations for an on-campus exam, your college will set those up for you. Please reach out to your college or to aesexams@usask.ca for assistance.

The professional Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, arrange exam accommodations for their students. If you are in one of these colleges please contact your college for accommodations as needed.

As always, please check with your lab instructor/coordinator before submitting an accommodation request to AES. Many lab exams will continue to be accommodated by the instructional staff for the lab.

Questions? Ask us! Since we’re working remotely, it’s easiest to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca

QUARTER 1 FINALS – Requests for Accommodations Are Due!

Posted on by

If you require accommodations for any Quarter 1 final exams, please submit your requests NOW.

The University has not published the final exam schedule on PAWS yet. For that reason, it is not linked to our system. If you click on the final exam link, it will tell you that you don’t have any final exams this term.

Use the non-final exam form to request accommodations for  your finals

First, visit this URL to find out the date and time of your Q1 final exam: https://sesd.usask.ca/exams/schedule/

Then, go to the AES PAWS tab and follow these steps:

Open the Exam Service Channel –> Click on the non-final exam link –> manually input the date and time of your final exam

For final exams on May 28, the deadline to submit your request is 11:59pm on May 14.

For final exams on May 29, the deadline to submit your request is 11:59pm on May 15.

Accessing your accommodations in the Spring and Summer terms

From May through August, 2020, the AES Exam Team will be acting as liaison between instructors and students, to help ensure that exam accommodations can be accessed at home.

Once we receive your request, we will email your instructor to ask for details about the exam format. Once we have the information we need, we will email you, to make sure you understand how your accommodations can be accessed at home.

Please continue to submit requests through the AES Exam Service channel for all exams you need accommodations for.

For a detailed overview of AES Exam processes during the summer, visit our blog at this link: https://words.usask.ca/dss/2020/05/14/important-information-about-exam-accommodations-in-spring-summer-terms/

Got Questions?

We can help you at this email address: aesexams@usask.ca. The AES phone lines are not regularly monitored.

Exam Accommodations for Spring and Summer Classes

Posted on by

Let’s figure this out together.

We know that adapting to online classes and exams has been a bit of a struggle for many. When the University announced that it was closing and all T2 exams were moving online, we didn’t have enough time to figure things out for the thousands of exams that were requested for April 2020. And so we asked you to work with your instructors regarding your accommodations for April finals.

For Spring and Summer session, we’d like to work with you and your instructors to get your accommodations into place.

Beginning April 30, you will be able to use the online request form in your AES PAWS channel to request accommodations for Spring and Summer exams.

As always, the deadlines for requesting accommodations in the Spring and Summer sessions are:

1 full week (7 days) prior to midterms

2 full weeks (14 days) prior to finals

When we receive your request, we will change the status to “Pending.” We will then reach out to your instructor to ask for more information about the exam format. Once we know more about the exam, we will understand how to best provide your accommodations and we will email you to discuss them.

This is a learning curve for ALL of us. None of us – AES, you, your instructors – have been in this kind of learning environment before. We will ALL be figuring things out as we go. We all need to be patient with each other and try new things. But, together we can do this.

Let us know if you have questions or concerns. We can be reached by email at aesexams@usask.ca

Final Exam Accommodations & COVID-19 Protocols

Posted on by

The University announced on March 18 that all T2 final exams will be handled remotely. To view that announcement in full, visit this URL: https://updates.usask.ca/all.php

As a result, AES will not be providing any in-person accommodations on campus. You need to arrange most accommodations on your own. 

Final exams have been changed to:

  1. Cancelled all together.
    • If your exam has been cancelled completely, there is nothing you need to do. You do not need to cancel your request with AES. We will not charge the $35 fee for missed exams.
  2. Take-home assignments or open-book exams.
    • Extra time accommodations typically do NOT apply to these types of exams. Students are usually given a larger timeframe in which to complete a shorter exam. (e.g., You may be given 24 hours to complete an exam that is designed to take three hours. In which case, you can certainly take extra time if you require.)
    • Reader/scribe accommodations typically do NOT apply to these types of exams either. This is essentially an assignment or paper and should be tackled as such. However, if you feel you do need a reader and/or scribe, email us at aesexams@usask.ca.
    • All other accommodations should be manageable in your own home, such as lighting, access to a sofa, etc.
  3. Online exams.
    • If you need extra time for an online exam, you MUST contact your instructor.
      • Your instructor will need to contact their college’s ICT team and ask for the timer to be “broken” on the exam, so that you can get your extra time. This is a simple phone call or email on their part and should not be difficult for them to do.
    • We strongly encourage you to use Read&Write software in place of a human reader and/or scribe. More information about Read&Write is available at this link: https://students.usask.ca/health/aes/assistive-technology.php#ReadWriteSoftware
      • If you strongly feel that you need a live person to work with you, email us at aesexams@usask.ca.
    • All other accommodations should be manageable in your own home, such as lighting, access to a sofa, etc.

For tips on how to create an optimal exam space at home, visit our blog at this URL: https://words.usask.ca/dss/2020/03/16/creating-a-optimal-space-at-home-for-online-exams/

Keep abreast of the latest COVID-19 updates by visiting the University’s dedicated webpage at this URL: https://updates.usask.ca/ as well as the AES Blog at this URL: https://words.usask.ca/dss/