Other Accommodations

• SDAC can provide accommodations related to helping students’ success in the classroom environment. SDAC offers furniture alternatives as an accommodation. Contact SDAC immediately after course registration if you may need different furniture; it can take 2-3 weeks for alternative furniture to be delivered.

  Alternate Furniture options include:

  • Adjustable Height Tables
  • Adjustable, Ergonomic Chairs
  • Separated Tables and Chairs

SDAC offers many software and hardware options for assistive technology.  Please consult with your SDAC Advisor to determine what may work best for you. Examples include:

Assistive listening devices amplify sound by using a small microphone to transmit audio to a receiver.

The Reading Machine, located in the AT lab of the campus library, scans pages of text, converts them to computer (ASCII) files, and then reads the text aloud. The user can listen to the text via headphones and read along in the text, or plug in a recording device to record the text.

Zoomtext Extra is another AT software program, found on the PC computer in the Assistive Technology Lab in the library and various campus locations, which can enlarge and also ‘read aloud’ text. ZoomText can be used with the Reading Machine when a student requires enlarged text and text-to-speech assistance when using a textbook or printed handout.

The CSUMB Accessible Technology Initiative meets regularly to review policy, new information, and campus needs.

Screen reading software JAWS (Job Access with Speech) for Windows, a screen reading program for users with low vision and/or blindness, is available in the Library and elsewhere on referral from SDAC.

Speech recognition programs, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, are available in the library, SDAC, as well as on several SDAC laptop computers.

Demonstrations of assistive software are available for students with disabilities registered with SDAC in order to complete in-class writing assignments, take notes, etc. SDAC may refer students for introductory training offered in small group and one-on-one formats.

Read&Write is available to ALL members of the campus community with a CSUMB email address as a Chrome add-on.   Read&Write offers help with everyday tasks such as reading text aloud, understanding unfamiliar words, researching assignments, and proofreading written work.

Additional assistive technology is available for anyone with a CSUMB.edu login. For more information, please visit the CSUMB Center for Academic Technology's (CAT) website. 

Students who need attendant care in their academic settings are encouraged to plan and take appropriate action several months in advance.

Please contact SDAC to clarify procedures for allowing personal attendants in the classroom and reasonable accommodations, such as a classroom lab assistant, notetaker, or scribe, in contrast to a personal care attendant.

Some students with disabilities may be eligible for course substitutions on the basis of disability.  Course substitutions are evaluated on an individual basis and may be possible for students with verified disabilities. Course substitutions are only granted for those students who have already demonstrated good-faith effort in completing college-level coursework in the subject, with accommodations.

Prospective and enrolled CSUMB students are urged to fulfill the Math GE requirement through community college remediation courses and supportive services and/or extended time to complete CSUMB MATHCOM courses (such as STAT 200 and MATH 100). Students are also urged to use the tutors available through the Cooperative Learning Center rather than petitioning for course substitution.

To petition for course substitution, please schedule an appointment with a Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) Advisor.

Petitions process

The petition process will follow these steps:

• Review your eligibility for course substitution
• Consult the CSUMB academic requirements for your proposed degree in the CSUMB Catalog year for your specific entry to CSUMB 
• To confirm information or if you have questions, consult your Academic Advisor 
• Prepare documents for your SDAC appointment, including:
• Establish the specific type of academic work for which you seek an alternate pathway
• Write your petition describing your exceptional circumstances, history of academic difficulties experienced in a particular subject or area of learning, and your history of using disability accommodations while attempting to learn that academic subject. You do not need to disclose a diagnosis. Rather, specify the barriers to your learning, &/or demonstration of your learning, and your functional limitations. 
• Unofficial copies of your non-CSUMB transcripts
• Meet by appointment with an SDAC Advisor to:
• Review the petition. 
• SDAC will consider writing a letter of support on your behalf to the administrators in the course substitution approval process.  
• If SDAC recommends course substitution, you may be referred to the following academic departments to help you consider which course(s) might be good to propose as substitutes. 
• For foreign language substitution: School of World Languages and Cultures Chair, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. (Bldg. 504), Rm 2420.
• For math substitution: University College and Graduate Studies, Administration Building (Bldg 1), Rm 105
• You will be notified by the academic department about the outcome of your petition - typically within 6 weeks. If your petition is denied, please contact your SDAC Advisor to discuss possible alternatives.

Students who are pregnant or experiencing related childbirth health concerns have certain rights under Title IX.

Some Services SDAC provides are:

• Auxiliary aids and academic adjustments (i.e., "reasonable accommodations") in the classroom
• Modifications to policies and procedures
• Accommodations for extracurricular activities (e.g., debate club, athletics)
• Pregnancy (or other temporary disability) accommodations
• Informal voluntary process for review of approved accommodations

Assistance from the Title IX Office includes:

• Supportive measures (e.g., extension of time, connection to counseling, etc.) with or without filing a Formal Complaint
• Pregnancy (and related conditions) and parenting accommodations
• Report concerns/file a Formal Complaint about failure to accommodate or other discrimination/harassment/retaliation related to a protected characteristic (e.g., sex, disability, etc.)
• Learn about your rights

To learn about the services that are available from SDAC and the Title IX Office. Please contact SDAC as soon as possible to schedule an appointment with an Advisor to discuss your needs. SDAC Reception can be reached by phone at (831) 582-3672 or email at sdac@csumb.edu. 

Additional Resources:

Office of Civil Rights Resource for Pregnancy

U.S. Department of Education Resource for Pregnant and Parenting Students

CSUMB Student Parents: on-campus resources 

Campus Health Center: medical services

Care Team: additional assistance or resources

An accommodation for priority registration is available to students with disabilities who may need early registration to better manage aspects of their disability.  An SDAC advisor must make a priority registration recommendation for it to be authorized.

Priority Registration allows current students to register during the first hour of course registration for their respective class level.  For example, if you are a sophomore, you will still register the same day as all other sophomore students; however, you will receive an earlier timeslot than you would have had otherwise.  Newly admitted CSUMB students will not receive priority registration for their first semester.

Overview

California State University Monterey Bay is an in-person institution. Under specific circumstances, remote attendance may be a reasonable disability accommodation if a student’s disability prevents in-person attendance. Students eligible for remote attendance are approved for a temporary period. Approval is contingent upon determining the feasibility of the student’s courses in collaboration with faculty. This accommodation is not intended to be used for multiple semesters in a row, nor to convert an in-person program into a remote experience. Students who are approved to attend classes remotely should not expect the same classroom experience as if they were attending in person. There are elements of classroom interactions and dynamics that contribute to student learning, but cannot be replicated in a remote environment.

Definition of Remote Attendance

Remote attendance means participating in classes synchronously. This means that, if approved for this accommodation, students must be logged in to class simultaneously with the in-person session to be counted present. Accessing recordings after the fact will not constitute remote attendance, and students may be counted absent.

Request Process and Procedure

If you are interested in requesting temporary remote attendance, please carefully review the following:

• If you are not registered with the Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC), you must first register to request remote attendance as a disability-related accommodation.
• Remote attendance, if approved, is temporary. Previously eligible students are not automatically eligible for future semesters. Requests will require a letter of support from your healthcare provider every semester.
• The priority deadline for remote attendance requests is two months prior to the start of the semester. 
• Requests received later than two months prior to the semester will still be considered, but review before the semester begins is not guaranteed, and options may be limited.
• The provider’s letter of support must include the following:
  • A description of how your disability creates a significant barrier to your full and meaningful participation in an on-campus experience. The description should include an explanation of how your disability will affect you, such that remote attendance is a recommended accommodation for you. This impact must go beyond the typical stress or nervousness most people feel when readjusting to an in-person experience.
  • An estimated end date for when you can return to in-person classes

How to Request:

1. Register with the Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) and schedule an appointment with an advisor
2. Gather documentation to support your request (the documentation must be from a qualified provider and address all items listed above).
3. Meet with an SDAC Advisor to begin the interactive process related to your request.
4. SDAC Advisor will discuss your request with the instructor to determine feasibility and implementation steps.
5. If approved, you and the instructor will receive written confirmation from SDAC.

CSUMB welcomes qualified applicants with disabilities. Applicants who do not meet CSUMB admissions criteria may appeal or request consideration of special circumstances such as disability.

How to apply

Follow the Admissions Appeals Process. 

Explain why you think you should be admitted to CSUMB, and how you think you will be successful in completing CSUMB requirements (tools and strategies you have learned to use in compensation for the functional effects of your disability, how you will stay motivated as the workload and complexity of assignments are substantially greater than in high school, etc.)

In your letter, authorize Admissions to consult with Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) about your application. Keep a copy of your letter.

Allow Admissions 6-12 weeks after receipt of all documents to process Special Admissions applications.