Once you are admitted to Grinnell we would like to plan with you for any reasonable accommodations you may need in order to enjoy a successful academic experience at Grinnell.

Please contact Joyce Stern, Dean for Student Academic Support and Advising (641-269-3702), about your needs before you arrive on campus for your first semester. Remember, for planning purposes sooner is always better. If you are already a student here it's not too late to be accommodated. Just call or email Joyce Stern and set up an appointment to get the process going.

In your first appointment Joyce will want to talk to you about your disability, discuss your needs, and review your documentation. The documentation should include a diagnosis or description of your disability(ies), list results of tests (if appropriate) and include the recommendations of a specialist regarding appropriate academic accommodations. Click on these links for specific guidelines in .PDF format (viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader):
General Documentation Guidelines
Documentation Guidelines for Learning Disabilities
Documentation Guidelines for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

At this point we will schedule another meeting to include your faculty adviser. Together the three of us, in consultation with your documentation, will determine accommodations you can receive on our campus, and we will complete official campus forms.

Common accommodations include extra time on exams, notetakers, readers/books in alternative format, and reduced course loads. We can also provide information about books on tape, adaptive equipment for physical disabilities, specialized software, tutoring for just about any class, and free visits to the Poweshiek County Mental Health Center for personal counseling. Of course, we will work together to determine what is appropriate for you.

You will then be responsible for delivering the information to your professors at least one week prior to any accommodation you are entitled to. Joyce will work with you on how to approach them, if that is a concern.

One student recently wrote to academic advising:
Dear Joyce Stern,
I thought I should tell you what a tremendous effect the Kurzweil program has had for me. I have only been able to use it for a few assignments because I haven't gotten all my CDs yet, but for the articles I have used it for it has been a absolutely different experience then before I had it. I am comprehending the overall point of the articles much more clearly, plus it is helping me do the reading more carefully and in less time. I have more to say and discuss in class (as if i did not already talk enough!). I actively look forward to the readings that let me use the program. I am able to print out notes for the first time, and this makes it much easier to compose a coherent comment in class. Basically, it really has made a huge difference!
- Fiona Martin, '08

Read on to learn:
How Do I Receive Other Accommodations?