Fidget/Stress Tools

Beginning Q1 (Spring Term 2025), ANY student is now permitted to bring in a fidget or calming tool such as a stress ball into the exam space.

You are NOT required to provide new documentation for this accommodation.

Please review the guidelines of these items so you are prepared prior to your exam:

1. Limited noise to avoid distracting other students and staff in the same space
2. Must not contain an open seam or zipper
3. Small enough to fit in a hand
4. Limited number of fidgets (invigilator will decide how many are reasonable given the space)
5. May not be battery operated, have technology connectivity, or require charging

These guidelines are subject to change as situations arise that may affect testing integrity. If this occurs, we will update you.

Noise cancelling devices

Students will be permitted to use the following noise reduction devices in an exam: loop style earplugs, foam earplugs, over the ear noise cancelling headphones. These items will not be capable of connectivity or music/media playback. Students will NOT be permitted to use any headphones or earbud devices that connect to Bluetooth or can send/receive media/audio.

*Note that ALL items must be presented to the invigilator prior to the exam start for inspection. Should there be any concerns, an AES staff member will assist.

We hope all your upcoming exams go well. If you requested to write at least one of those exams with AES at the Saskatoon campus, please skim through this email and save it for reference.

AES does follow U of S examination policy, which may be viewed here: https://policies.usask.ca/policies/academic-affairs/academic-courses.php#examinations

Determining your exam location

Your on-campus exam locations are always posted in Accommodate. Please check Accommodate about 24 hours before each exam to confirm the location. Navigate to the “Exam Accommodation Request” link in the menu, and from there go to the ”Approved Exam Accommodation Request” section to view your room information.

If your exam is in 24 hours or less, and you do not see a room assigned, please email aesexams@usask.ca immediately.

Finding your exam location 

Please consult the campus map at this link: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/73558aac156f41858fe4f4be232bbe49

We encourage students to either arrive early or scout out exam locations in advance when unsure where to go.

Most exams will be written in our new AES Exam Centre in the Williams Building, which is located at 221 Cumberland Avenue.

Leave all outside materials with your invigilator

AES invigilators are trained to disallow all outside material/items, except for writing instruments and anything your instructor specifically notes on the instructions they send us. Be prepared to stow your phone, bag, jacket, keys, earphones/buds, and any other extraneous materials. Also be prepared to turn out your pockets and headwear, as appropriate.

Food and drinks are allowed but may be inspected.

Photo ID required

U of S policy requires that photo ID be displayed on your desk while you write exams. That policy stipulates that if ID is not available at the time of writing, a form needs to be filled out and the photo ID still needs to be produced to verify the identity of the exam writer. AES is obligated to follow the same policy. We cannot  return a completed exam for marking until suitable ID is produced.

Acceptable ID includes physical U of S student cards and government photo ID; U of S policy does not permit photos of ID.

Please arrive with your device(s) charged

If you are writing an online exam or any exam where your instructor allows the class to access  personal electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones, please ensure your device(s) is fully charged. All AES exam spaces have a limited number of outlets. Charging is possible when necessary but to ensure that everyone has access to the outlets as needed, please come with your device(s) charged.

Scented products and allergies

Please be considerate of the other students and staff sharing your space and do not wear heavily scented personal care products or any perfume/cologne.

If you experience a reaction to any allergen or trigger in your exam space, please alert your invigilator immediately so that we can assist you.

Evening exams  

When a 7:00 pm exam is regularly scheduled to last three hours, we start students at 5:00 pm at AES. If we know in advance that an evening final is NOT three hours long, we will likely reschedule the start time to 6:30 pm.

If you are writing a timed evening exam remotely, please confirm the start time with your instructor. AES is not involved in setting the timers for timed remote exams.

The University’s 30-minute rule  

The U of S exam policy says that:

• No student may enter an exam room more than 30 minutes after an exam has started;

• No student may hand in their exam and leave until at least 30 minutes have passed.

For morning and afternoon exams, this is straightforward. For example, if your exam is scheduled to begin at 9:00:

• You may start up to 9:30. However, if you come after 9:00, no additional time will be added at the end to make up for your late start.

• You may not leave the exam room before 9:30. Please ensure you use the washroom before reporting for your exam.

The University’s 30-minute rule and evening exams 

The University’s 30-minute rule gets complicated with evening exams. If we schedule you to start at 5:00pm, technically, you can still begin the exam at any time up to 7:29pm. But, if you arrive after your scheduled start time, your end time will still remain the same (usually 9:30pm).

The flip side of this rule is that you can’t leave the exam room until 7:31. If you finish before 7:31, you cannot leave the room or access electronic devices until 7:31. If you anticipate a short evening exam, please bring something quiet to do that isn’t an electronic device or email us at aesexams@usask.ca and ask that your start time be adjusted. Our alternate sitting for evening exams is 6:30-9:30.

Don’t want to or can’t write your on-campus exam with AES as scheduled?  

Please cancel your accommodation request in Accommodate if the exam is at least 24 hours away. If time is shorter than 24 hours, email us at aesexams@usask.ca to let us know that you aren’t coming.

Questions?  

Please email us at aesexams@usask.ca

If you require accommodations for any exams in APRIL 2025, please request those now.

11:59pm on March 19 is the deadline to request accommodations for any exams on April 2 or later, including all midterms and finals.

We know this post is long! Please skim through and read the sections that are relevant to you.

~~~

SUBMIT A REQUEST WHENEVER YOU NEED ACCOMMODATIONS, INCLUDING REMOTE EXAMS

Always submit a request for accommodations through the Accommodate system, with only three possible exceptions:

• If the exam is for a lab, contact your lab instructor first. Some lab exams require access to materials, specimens, and/or specialized software and must be written in the lab. Your lab instructor will advise you.
• If the class is not based at the Saskatoon campus, contact the student services staff at the class’ home campus to find out how they want you to submit your requests.
• If your program and/or college has advised you to follow different procedures to access accommodations, follow their instructions, not ours.

~~~

USE ACCOMMODATE TO REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOUR EXAMS

• Log into Accommodate by visiting your USask PAWS portal.
• Make sure you’ve requested your Letters to Professors (LTPs). The system will not allow you to request exam accommodations unless you’ve requested your LTPs. Your AES advisor needs to approve your LTP request, which can take a few days. Do not wait until March 19 to request your LTPs.
• If you need help with Accommodate, please view the how-to guide at this URL: https://canvas.usask.ca/enroll/AFB4WF

~~~

PLEASE UNCHECK IRRELEVANT ACCOMMODATIONS

Please take a few seconds to review your listed accommodations and UNCHECK any that you DON’T need. Some examples:

• The accommodations of “text-to-voice software” and “reader” provide the same outcome. Please choose the one accommodation you want to use and uncheck the other one.
• It’s unlikely that a 5-function calculator will be needed for an English exam. Please uncheck it.

~~~

REMOTE vs IN-PERSON ONLINE

Remote exams are those that can be written anywhere.

In-person online exams are written on campus, using your own device.

In-person on paper exams are written on campus, with a paper-based exam.

You must write the exam in the same format as the rest of the class.

Please find out the format before submitting your request. To set up appropriate accommodations, it’s critical that we know how the exam will be delivered.

~~~

CHANGING EXAM TIMES

• If you have an accommodation such as “morning exams only”, “afternoon exams only”, or “no more than one final exam per 24 hour period”, it’s up to you to negotiate a time change with your instructor(s) before the AES deadlines. AES will not arbitrarily change an exam time without knowing that you have discussed the change with your instructor and that the two of you mutually agreed on the indicated date/time.
• AES only supports date and/or time changes for accommodation-related reasons. We will not support a time/date change for personal reasons such as work or travel obligations.
• If you have a remote or online exam that you need to start early, you must negotiate that time directly with your instructor, since your instructor will adjust your timer. AES is not involved in setting the times/timers for remote or online exams. This is especially critical for timed online evening exams.

LAW STUDENTS: Please contact the  Associate Dean Academic (ADA) and Student Services at the College of Law – instead of your instructor – regarding adjustments to your exam schedule.

~~~

WHAT TO TYPE IN THE NOTEBOX

Your notes help us book you into an appropriate space. If there is anything that might impact where you write the exam, please note that here.

We need to know things like: open-book exams, open-note exams where laptops are allowed, and lab exams where specialized equipment/specimens or software is required.

~~~

EVENING EXAMS

We start most in-person evening exams early (usually 5pm for 3-hour finals) so that all students and staff can leave campus at a reasonable hour.

The table below has the most common scenarios for students with time-and-a-half, but if you are having trouble calculating your start time, please email aesexams@usask.ca for help.

~~~

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS

If you need to change an exam date or time for religious reasons, please use the appropriate tab in Accommodate to submit your request.

~~~

CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR EXAM LOCATION?

We try to have all exam locations indicated about a week before the exam date but sometimes we can’t meet that expectation. If your exam is less than 24 hours away and you still don’t see a location indicated, email aesexams@usask.ca to ask. If your exam is more than 24 hours away, please just be patient.

Since remote exams can be written anywhere, we expect that you will not write them at AES. If needed, we can provide advice regarding space for remote exams but we do not have bookable space to share. If you have nowhere to write your remote exam, email aesexams@usask.ca for assistance.

~~~

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?

Ask us! It’s easiest (and usually faster too!) to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca

The federal Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, announced on March 3 that the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations have been made and will come into force on May 15, 2025. This is the final step in the Government of Canada’s legislative work to make the Canada Disability Benefit a reality.

More information on the Canada Disability Benefit, including a summary of the regulations, is available at the following links:

• Statement from the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities on the Canada Disability Benefit
• Canada Disability Benefit

• Summary of the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations

Please note that the final Canada Disability Benefit Regulations and the related Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette in the coming weeks. We will inform you once the regulations have been published.

Please also note that the application process for the Canada Disability Benefit is not yet open. The Government will provide details on the application process in the coming months, including when, where, and how to apply.  As announced in Budget 2024, the Government is committed to begin payment of the Canada Disability Benefit in July 2025.

We are excited to share information about the Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities. These scholarships provide financial support to Canadian youth with disabilities looking to complete a 1- to 5- year post-secondary program. Funding of up to $10,000 per year (up to a maximum of $40,000) is available.

Applications for the 2025-26 school year are now open until May 14, 2025.

Please view the attached media for additional information.

Wednesday, March 19 via Zoom

12:00 – 1:30 pm CST (Saskatchewan time)

More information and to register

The EDI movement has been instrumental in highlighting the challenges faced by equity-seeking individuals within traditional power structures and has garnered significant support for marginalized communities. However, it has also inadvertently alienated those who have benefited from these traditional structures, creating friction as substantial changes begin to take shape.

Join us in this critical conversation as we explore strategies to overcome new challenges and continue advancing EDI initiatives.

If you require accommodations for any exams in DECEMBER 2024, please request those now.

11:59pm on November 19 is the deadline to request accommodations for any exams on December 3 or later, including all midterms and finals.

We know this post is long! Please skim through and read the sections that are relevant to you.

~~~

SUBMIT A REQUEST WHENEVER YOU NEED ACCOMMODATIONS, INCLUDING REMOTE EXAMS

Always submit a request for accommodations through the Accommodate system, with only three possible exceptions:

• If the exam is for a lab, contact your lab instructor first. Some lab exams require access to materials, specimens, and/or specialized software and must be written in the lab. Your lab instructor will advise you.
• If the class is not based at the Saskatoon campus, contact the student services staff at the class’ home campus to find out how they want you to submit your requests.
• If your program and/or college has advised you to follow different procedures to access accommodations, follow their instructions, not ours.

~~~

USE ACCOMMODATE TO REQUEST ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOUR EXAMS

• Log into Accommodate by navigating to this URL https://paws5.usask.ca/#aes.
• Make sure you’ve requested your Letters to Professors (LTPs). The system will not allow you to request exam accommodations unless you’ve requested your LTPs. Your AES advisor needs to approve your LTP request, which can take a few days. Do not wait until November 19 to request your LTPs.
• If you need help with Accommodate, please view the how-to guide at this URL: https://canvas.usask.ca/enroll/AFB4WF

~~~

PLEASE UNCHECK IRRELEVANT ACCOMMODATIONS

Please take a few seconds to review your listed accommodations and UNCHECK any that you DON’T need. Some examples:

• The accommodations of “text-to-voice software” and “reader” provide the same outcome. Please choose the one accommodation you want to use and uncheck the other one.
• It’s unlikely that a 5-function calculator will be needed for an English exam. Please uncheck it.

~~~

REMOTE vs IN-PERSON ONLINE

Remote exams are those that can be written anywhere.

In-person online exams are written on campus, using your own device.

In-person on paper exams are written on campus, with a paper-based exam.

You are required to write the exam in the same format as the rest of the class.

Please find out the format before submitting your request. It is absolutely critical that we understand how the exam will be delivered in order to set up appropriate accommodations.

~~~

CHANGING EXAM TIMES

• If you have an accommodation such as “morning exams only”, “afternoon exams only”, or “no more than one final exam per 24 hour period”, it’s up to you to negotiate a time change with your instructor(s) before the AES deadlines. AES will not arbitrarily change an exam time without knowing that you have discussed the change with your instructor and picked a date/time that the instructor is okay with.
• AES only supports date and/or time changes for accommodation-related reasons. We will not support a time/date change for personal reasons such as work, family, or travel obligations.
• If you have a remote or online exam that you need to start early, you must negotiate that time directly with your instructor, since your instructor will adjust your timer. AES is not involved in setting the times/timers for remote or online exams. This is especially critical for timed online evening exams. 

~~~

WHAT TO TYPE IN THE NOTEBOX

Your notes help us book you into an appropriate space. If there is anything that might impact where you write the exam, please note that here.

We need to know things like: open-book exams, open-note exams where laptops are allowed, and lab exams where specialized equipment/specimens or software is required.

~~~

EVENING EXAMS

We start most in-person evening exams early (usually 5pm for 3-hour finals) so that all students and staff can leave campus at a reasonable hour.

The table below has the most common scenarios for students with time-and-a-half, but if you are having trouble calculating your start time, please email aesexams@usask.ca for help.

~~~

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS

If you need to change an exam date or time for religious reasons, please use the appropriate tab in Accommodate to submit your request.

~~~

CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR EXAM LOCATION?

We try to have all exam locations indicated about a week before the exam date but sometimes we can’t meet that expectation. If your exam is less than 24 hours away and you still don’t see a location indicated, email aesexams@usask.ca to ask. If your exam is more than 24 hours away, please just be patient.

Since remote exams can be written anywhere, we expect that you will not write them at AES. If needed, we can provide advice regarding space for remote exams but we do not have bookable space to share. If you have nowhere to write your remote exam, email aesexams@usask.ca for assistance.

~~~

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?

Ask us! It’s easiest (and usually faster too!) to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca

A few years ago, March of Dimes Canada (MODC) created the Disability Advocacy Network (DAN).

The DAN is open to anyone who self-identifies as having a disability, family members or caregivers of people with disabilities, as well as advocates, paid care providers, or healthcare professionals working with people with disabilities. We are hoping to ask for your help to spread the word to anyone who may be interested in being part of DAN. To register, follow this link.

Careers Day offers students a chance to connect with future employers and community partners.

September 24, 10am to 3pm at the PAC

All students are welcome.

The first hour, from 10-11am, will be a dedicated low-sensory hour. The event coordinators will also have a Student Prep Lounge where students can take a break and connect with a Career Peer Educator. There will also be therapy dogs in the lounge for part of the event.

Beginning Fall 2024, the Access and Equity Services (AES) Exam Program will be located in our new Access and Equity Services Exam Centre, located in a large dedicated and accessible space in the Williams Building. The main office will be located at Room 344, next to a roomy and comfortable lounge area that AES students are welcome to use as a gathering and/or study space. Exams will be written on the third and fourth floors of the building.

The Williams Building is located on Cumberland Avenue, has an elevator and is accessible with transportation drop-offs and pick-ups at the rear, accessible entrance. There are also hourly pay parking spots and a city bus stop in front of the building. Please note that AES has retained a small number of exam locations on the main campus for students with restricted mobility who are unable to arrange transportation to Williams.

The AES Exam Program no longer has a sustainable way of securing sufficient and suitable space for accommodated exams in other campus buildings. The Program has grown exponentially since its inception in 1996. During the 2023-24 academic year, the Program arranged accommodations for over 15,000 exams; 4,070 of those exams were written in April 2024 alone. We are very excited about the potential of the Williams Building as a home for the AES Exam Program and we look forward to seeing you in the new space and invigilating any accommodated exams that you may have.

An open house for the USask community will take place on Thursday, Sept 19 from 11 am –2 pm in the Williams building. Please join us for a come and go tour of our new space and meet with our exams team. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, please email aes@usask.ca.