Instructors' Frequently Asked Questions

Accommodations

What do I do if I think a student in my course may have a disability? Please ask the student to visit our website (for a list of available services), and/or contact us.

Do I have to change my course expectations (e.g. shorter reading list)? No, a student with a disability is expected to meet the same requirements as other students. They may, however, need to meet these expectations with the use of accommodations such as text in alternative formats.

The accommodation letter indicates that this student needs 100% additional time. I think this is unfair to the other students. How do I know this student really needs extra time on the exam? Students must provide our office with documentation from a professional (e.g. physician, psychologist, audiologist, etc) to obtain accommodations. The amount of time needed for examinations is based on assessment results and professional opinion.

The accommodation letter states the student requires copies of my notes. I don't have written notes for each lecture; do I need to create them? No, this request assumes that lecture notes are already available. You are not expected to create a set of notes for this student. However, if you are using transparencies or a Powerpoint presentation, providing copies of these at the beginning of the lecture may be helpful.

I have a student with a disability in my class. He makes one excuse after another as to why his assignments are not handed in on time. How can I help him? Students with disabilities must meet the same academic requirements as other students. It may be helpful to meet with the student to determined why he is unable to complete his assignments on time. If the problem is directly related to his disability, please direct him to our office so that he is able to discuss this with his DRC advisor. If the problem appears to be due to poor time management, it may (also) be beneficial for him to meet with his DRC advisor (who can offer various tips and strategies). If the problem is not disability-related or the student is unwilling to do what is necessary to remedy the issue, then he should be treated like any other student.

EXAMS

How do I get my exam to you? Exams can be e-mailed to drcexams@ucalgary.ca (preferred), or walked over to our office.

When will the completed exam(s) be returned to my department/faculty? Completed exams are returned (walked over) to your department/faculty no later than two business days after the exam date. 

May I pick up the completed exams once the students have finished writing? Yes, please confirm the writing end time(s) and exam location with the Exam Coordinator prior to the exam date. 

Are you able to scan and e-mail the completed exam to me? Yes, please discuss this option with the Exam Coordinator prior to the exam date. 

Do you have scantrons and blue booklets in your office? Yes.

My student requires his exam in an alternative format (e.g. Kurzweil, TextHelp etc). Will you convert this for him/her? Yes, please forward the exam to us in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) format at least one business day prior to the exam date so we have time to convert it.

Are students allowed to bring their cell-phone, personal computer or iPod into the exam room with them? No, students are asked to leave ALL belongings (save their writing utensils) in the lockers provided prior to entering the examination room. Other resources may be allowed when confirmed in writing by the instructor.

Are students escorted to the washroom? Yes.

Why is my student writing before the scheduled start-time? Because (most of) our students have additional time, they may begin writing early to end at the same time as the rest of the class. This enables them to make it back to your class (if you resume lecture immediately following an exam), or to their next class in time. Sometimes students will start early in order to finish by our closing time.

I noticed that my student is writing before the scheduled start-time. How can I ensure that he/she does not disclose the contents of the exam to the rest of the class? If writing early, our students are required to remain in our office (without use of a phone, computer, iPod, etc.) until one half hour past the class start time has elapsed. For example, if your class is writing at 7:00pm, we will not allow the student to leave until at least 7:30pm.

How can I check on my students during the exam to see if they have any questions? You may do so by either phoning or visiting our exam location. Please confirm the exam writing location of the student(s) ahead of time with the Exam Coordinator as we do have two different writing locations. Some students write their exams in the main DRC office.