Comparison:
As a student with a learning disability, parent, counselor, or other professional, you have choices for accommodation which are unique to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale! Individual departments provide study tables, tutors, and help sessions. Some professors will tape record their lectures, while others will put course notes or supplemental material on the internet. The most abundant support, however, comes in the form of two separate programs at the University: The Achieve Program and Disability Support Services (DSS).
In some ways, these two programs are similar, but in many ways, these programs are different, and serve the needs of different populations. Before we begin to look at those differences, let's give a brief description of each program and its services.
DSS coordinates physical and academic support services for SIUC students with disabilities. DSS operates under the philosophy of an integrated service delivery while assuming the role of centralized coordinating office. DSS is a government-mandated, compliance program that guarantees equal accessibility of education under the law to all students. DSS coordinates the service delivery of many different accommodations to many students with many different disabilities. The DSS staff of 4 professionals and 1 office supervisor, assisted by 2 graduate students and 100 student workers, serves a population of about 500 students each year. Some of those students have learning disabilities, some are blind or visually impaired, some are deaf or hard of hearing, some have mobility impairments, and some have brain injuries, chronic health conditions, or psychological disabilities. DSS services specifically for students with learning disabilities include tutor referrals, test proctoring, notetakers, access to adaptive technology, campus familiarization, adapted texts and course materials, equipment loans (tape recorders, listening devices, etc.), consultation with instructors, and general guidance and counseling.
Achieve is a comprehensive, fee for service academic support program for college students with learning disabilities. Achieve's mission is to provide the appropriate accommodation to a student, or if the accommodation cannot be immediately implemented, to provide one or more alternatives until the accommodation can be provided. The Program serves the needs of about 150 students every year. Achieve employs 5 full-time specialists, 8 to 12 graduate assistants to serve as student supervisors, and about 300 student workers. The Program itself is located in a 25-room on-campus facility, with a private computer lab and student services lab. There are no limits placed on a student's use of any of the services offered, unlike some fee for service programs. Services provided to students include tutors for classes, notetakers, test proctoring, private rooms for tutoring or studying, access to adaptive technology, a computer lab, adapted texts, academic, career, and personal counseling, a section of University 101 for Achieve students, remedial classes, campus familiarization, and intervention for any campus-related issues. With a student's permission, we welcome parental involvement.
The services offered by Achieve are tailored for students with learning disabilities, and exceed in many ways what services are mandated by law. DSS provides an array of services, not only for students with learning disabilities, but also for all students with disabilities on campus, so that SIUC is compliant with federal law protecting the rights of people with disabilities. From the general purpose and goals of each program, they are different. They have different missions, serve different populations, provide different services and intensities of service, have different budgets, and employ different service professionals.
What follows is a side by side comparison of the services the two programs provide for students with learning disabilities, which might help a person determine what service is right for him or her. Both programs serve the needs of students with learning disabilities in a caring and professional way. SIUC is a leader in providing education to students with disabilities.
| Achieve Program | DSS |
|---|---|
| Special Admission if Necessary
(students admitted through regular process; students not meeting admission criteria are reviewed by committee with our recommendation to the Admissions office to admit as regular admissions students) |
Admission through Regular Process
(students not meeting admission criteria are reviewed by Center for Basic Skills with input from DSS) |
| Determination of Eligibility
(existing documentation reviewed; battery of tests administered to assess current functioning levels) |
Determination of Eligibility
(existing documentation reviewed or referral to low cost in-house evaluators) |
| Fee for Service (pay for program services) |
Free (no charge to SlU students) |
| Comprehensive (support beyond mandated law) |
Compliant (services are consistent with mandated requirements) |
| Tutors (tutors supplied for all classes, unlimited use; also, general tutors staffed at Achieve extended hours for on call use; about 100 tutors on payroll) |
Tutor Referral (students referred to tutors; students or ORS pay for use, DSS maintains a current list of the free tutor services on campus, and a list of tutors) |
| Notetakers (provided in all classes; about 140 notetakers on payroll) |
Notetakers (supplied for all classes if documentation supports the need) |
| Test Proctoring (extended time, readers, scribes, private rooms computers and software at Achieve) |
Test Proctoring (extended time, readers, scribes, quiet rooms, computers and software at DSS) |
| Staff Supervision (staff available as advocates, for guidance, and support; with student consent, will check grades, communicate issues to parents, help resolve issues with professors, and intervene in academic as well as more personal issues) |
Limited Staff Involvement
(instructor consultation and advocacy, general guidance/counseling, referral to clinical psychologists, medical services, etc.) |
| Computer Lab (15 Mac and IBM compatibles in lab, open extended hours M-F, 8am-9pm, Sunday 12-5; Arkenstone Open Book Reading System, Dragon Dictate, Mac and IBM support, direct internet access; staffed by Computer Lab Supervisor and a writing assistant.) |
Assistive Technology (available by appointment for student use, M-F 8:00-4:30; Arkenstone Open Book Reading System, Dragon Dictate, CCTV, JAWS for Windows, and more) |
| Books On Tape (uses Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic, hires readers for taped texts, or uses computer synthesized speech to create books on tape or disk; text exchange agreement with University of Texas; maintains a library of hundreds of SIU-C specific texts, with copies immediately available for students) |
Books On Tape (either uses Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic, or computer synthesized speech to create books on tape or disk in appropriate format, i.e., Braille, enlarged, e-text, etc.) |
| Remediation (Reading, Writing, Spelling, Arithmetic, Vocabulary, Organization, Time management, Social Skills) |
None offered |
| Skills Workshops | Offered on Request |
| University 101 Class (Achieve students take University 101 together. Achieve instructors can discuss issues which ffect LD students without violating rules of confidentiality) |
University 101 Class (students take University 101 with integrated groups of other new non-disabled students) |
| Developmental Writing Class | None offered |
| Five Full Time Staff (Coordinator, Tutor Supervisor, Notetaking Supervisor, Test Proctoring Supervisor, Computer Lab/Books On Tape Supervisor; plus a 1/2 time Accountant, 8-12 graduate assistants, and nearly 300 student workers) |
Five Professional Staff (Director, Assistant Program Director, Coordinator, Senior Interpreter, Office Supervisor, 2 graduate assistants, and 100+ student workers) |
| Parental Involvement (Parent orientation, regular progress reports documenting student use of services) |
Parental Involvement (with student consent-limited involvement) |
Contact Information
For more information, you can contact Disability Support Services (DSS) by phone at (618) 453-5738, by fax at (618) 453-5700, email to DSSsiu@siu.edu, or visit DSS on the web at www.siu.edu/~dss/.
You can contact the Achieve Program by phone at (618) 453-2595, by fax at (618) 453-3711, email Achieve at achieve@siu.edu, or visit the Achieve Program on the web at www.siu.edu/~achieve.
Mailing Addresses
Disability Support Services
Mailcode 4705
Southern Illinois University
at Carbondale
Carbondale, IL 62901-4705
The Achieve Program
Mailcode 6832
Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale
Carbondale, IL 62901-6832
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