Auxiliary Aids and Services

 

Assistive Listening Devices

The Academic Success and Accessibility office will provide an Assistive Listening Device (ALD) for students with hearing impairments to have better auditory access to class lectures. Please see the Director to check out an ALD.


Captioning

Remote Captioning is a speech to text transcription system that provides real-time communication access to students who need alternative or additional support. Remote captioning is a word-for-word transcription that produces a transcript. The instructor uses a wireless microphone (provided by the office of Academic Success and Accessibility and I. T), and the student uses a laptop (either his own or one on loan from I. T), and wireless internet connection to access a real-time captioning transcription website.

You must request Remote Captioning accommodations prior to the start of each semester. Captioning will not be provided for classes you do not attend. The Director coordinates with the captioning company and the Information Technology Department. The captioning company arranges for a captionist for each class. Since this is a time consuming process, the Director encourages you to request this accommodation at least six weeks before classes begin. If you change your schedule before or after the semester, notify the Director immediately to ensure continuation of services.

When a student receives Remote Captioning accommodations, the office of Academic Success and Accessibility expects the student to attend all classes throughout the semester. If you must miss a class please give the Director 24 hour notice if possible. Any prior notification of class cancellations, exam dates, or other times when a captioner will not be needed, please inform the Director as soon as possible (preferably 24 hours in advance).

Responsibilities:

  • Contact the Director if remote captioning or other accommodation is needed as early as possible. Scheduling and registration must be completed at least six weeks before the beginning of the semester. Please consult with the Director to discuss your schedule.
  • On the first day of class or in any new situation, please identify yourself to the captioner.
  • Be on time for all classes, labs, and meetings.
  • Ask the speaker to repeat any questions from the audience.
  • Personal conversations with the captioner should not occur during the class, but before or after the class.
  • If you experience technical difficulties, please contact the Director immediately.
  • Let the Director and captioner know 24 hours in advance if:
    • You plan to be absent or miss a class.
    • You will be late.
    • Your class is canceled.
    • You will not need captioning services (i.e. exam day)
    • There will be a video shown in class.
    • You will be making a presentation.
  • Remote captioning transcripts are considered intellectual property of the professor, and may not be distributed to other students under any circumstances.

Sign Language Interpreter Services

Depending on the individual student, a range of accommodations that provides equal access to education may be appropriate for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Deaf and hard of hearing students should follow the procedures outlined above for applying for services, providing documentation and requesting accommodations. Additional services specific to Deaf and hard of hearing students are discussed in this section. Contact the Director in advance for sign language interpreter or captioning services.

The office of Academic Success and Accessibility at Great Falls College MSU offers support services to any qualified student with a disability who requests such services. It is each student’s responsibility to make use of these services. Each student is reminded that he is ultimately responsible for his academic success and/or failure. Each student must take the initiative to use time, facilities, and support services in a productive manner. Each student is responsible for his own work and grade in each course.

It is the responsibility of each student to know and abide by all Great Falls College MSU’s policies, rules, and regulations. Each student must take the initiative to familiarize himself with these policies, rules, and regulations. Failure to do so will not exclude the student from reprimand or any other consequence of violating any Great Falls College MSU’s policy, rule, or regulation. To read more about the policies, click here: Policies and Procedures Student Affairs

Class attendance is crucial for successful academic completion. When a student who uses an interpreter will be absent from class, notifying the Director is expected. This is crucial when interpreters are being paid for their time in class. The interpreter can be notified ahead of time when any change is expected. When at all possible, prior notification is expected by calling or emailing the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility. The interpreter is there as a supplement to the classroom experience, not as a substitute. If a student misses class, he needs to meet with the instructor for follow-up. Interpreters are not responsible for the student’s absence nor their academic responsibilities. Click here to read more about the Attendance and No Show Policy: Attendance and No Show Policy

Basic Expectations of Student

Role: Students need to take full responsibility for his/her education and communicate directly with people in their academic environment. When students have questions or miss information from classes, they must take the initiative to get that information from the instructor or classmates.

Responsibilities:

  1. Contact the Director if an interpreter or other accommodation is needed as early as possible. Scheduling and registration should be completed at least six weeks before the beginning of the semester. Please consult with the Director to discuss your schedule.
  2. On the first day of class or in any new situation, please identify yourself to the interpreter.
  3. Be on time for all classes, labs, and meetings.
  4. Sit in a place that provides the best distance, lighting, background, and angle for seeing the interpreter.
  5. If you have any questions relating to class materials, ask the instructor.
  6. Personal conversations with the interpreter should not occur during the class, but before or after the class.
  7. Notify the Director to set up note-taking services.
  8. If you have difficulty understanding the interpreter discuss it with the provider of the service. If this does not solve the problem, then go to the Director of Disability Services.
  9. If you have problems with your note taker, contact the Director.
  10. If your interpreter does not come to class, notify the Director that he or she has failed to show up.
  11. Let the Director and your interpreter,  know if:
    1. You plan to be absent or miss a class.
    2. If you will be late.
    3. Your class is canceled.
    4. There will be a video shown in class.
    5. You will be making a presentation. When presentations are being made, a copy of the speech and/or paper is to be given to the interpreter at least 24 hours in advance in order to prepare for voicing your presentations.
  12. Please contact the Director if you will need an interpreter for tutoring, advising, meeting with faculty, or other campus events.

No-Show Policy

If interpreter services have been requested, and you know that you will be unable to attend class, you should provide the Director with at least 24 hours advanced notice so that interpreters can be informed. Failure to provide any advanced notice is considered a “No-Show." To give advance notice, a student may:

  1. Contact the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility (406-771-4311) and speak either in person or leave a message by voice or relay or TTY or Video Phone (406) 205-1079. If you prefer, you may leave a message at her email address: katherine.meier@gfcmsu.edu

  2. Failure to provide notice will result in the following actions:
  • First “No-Show”: Interpreter will wait for 10 minutes and then contact the Director.
  • Second “No-Show”: A letter will be sent to the student informing the student that they have two “No-Shows”: In addition, the letter will remind the student of the policy and appropriate procedures.
  • Third “No-Show”: Services will automatically be temporarily suspended and a letter will sent to the student informing the student of the policy and the appropriate procedure. Services will remain suspended until the student makes an appointment and meets with the Director to reinstate services.

For each subsequent “No-Show”: Services will automatically be suspended and a letter will be sent to the student informing the student of the policy and the appropriate procedures. The services will remain suspended until the student makes an appointment and meets with the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility.

Exception to the “No-Show Policy”: If three (3) or more “No-Shows” occur within the same two week period, services will automatically be temporarily suspended and a letter will be sent to the student informing the student of the policy and the appropriate procedures. The services will remain suspended until the student makes an appointment with the Director.

Excessive absences: Even with advance notice, excessive absences are a problem for the student. Attendance in class is directly correlated to student success. If the student misses three classes in a given week, then he or she may find services suspended by the Director and a conference will be required to reinstate them.


Note-takers

Students whose disability interferes with his or her note taking abilities should discuss note taking alternatives with the Director. 

  • If you want the office of Academic Success and Accessibility to help you to locate a note taker, please give us a copy of your class schedule and underline the classes for which you need notes. Disability Services needs to receive the schedule at least two weeks before the beginning of the semester. A note taker request letter will be available for each underlined class.  Be sure to pick it up before school begins so that you can ask your instructor to read it the first day of class. (The letter is designed to be confidential.) 
  • If no one volunteers to be a note taker, be sure to ask the instructor to read the letter again. The letter instructs the volunteer note taker to contact the Director. They sign a confidentiality agreement and receive a handout on how to take notes. 
  • Note takers can bring their notes to the Director and copy them free of charge. NCR paper is available if the note taker prefers to make your notes available to you at class. Discuss the options with your note taker in order to determine what will work best for him or her. 
  • Copies of notes and NCR paper are only available for students with a documented disability who have been qualified for note-taking services by the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility. 
  • If you have any problems with the note-taking process, please notify the Director as soon as possible. 
  • You must attend class to receive notes. Notify the Director immediately if you have an emergency or if you withdraw from class.
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Contact Information

Kathy Meier

Katherine Meier, M. Ed.
Director of Academic Success and Accessibility

Phone: (406) 771-4311
FAX: (406) 771-4342
email: katherine.meier@gfcmsu.edu

Great Falls College MSU
2100 16th Avenue South
Great Falls, MT 59405

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday through Sunday - Closed 

Grievance Procedure

Student Conduct and Grievance Policy

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