Decorative Image of Unistructure
Decorative Image of Unistructure

Office of Accessibility Services (OAS)

Office of Accessibility Services Website

About

The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) strives to provide wholistic support for our students with disabilities and educate the campus community about disability through information sharing and purposeful dialogue.

The Office of Accessibility Services staff will review and approve disability-related accommodations, make referrals to other campus resource persons, and provide learning specialist services.

Visit the Accessibility Services website to learn more about the resources and support available to you and your students.

OAS Syllabus Statement

We recommend adding the following statement to your syllabus: 

Professors at Bryant University will provide equal access to the classroom and all course material as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Accommodations will be implemented as approved by the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS). I invite you to see me during office hours to discuss previously approved accommodations and needs that are specific to this course. Students who plan to request accommodations, or simply want to explore OAS services, including the Testing Center, may use this link to learn more: info.bryant.edu/accessibility-services.

OAS FAQs for Faculty

Read and review The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty.

Accessible Emails Guidelines

Create inclusive communication with OAS’s accessible email guidelines.

The Academic Testing Center

Contact the ATC

About

The Academic Testing Center (ATC) is a new facility at Bryant located on the third floor of the Unistructure in suite M34, operated by the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS). We provide a distraction free testing area for students with the goal of maximizing student performance while maintaining test integrity. In addition to our large testing space where we can accommodate up to 30 students, we have two rooms specifically for students who may need assistive technology, low light, scribes and/or readers.  We strongly suggest faculty use the Testing Center for students with testing accommodations. The room is equipped with:

Academic Testing Center
  • Large academic testing room with individual desks and partitions 
  • Spaces monitored by proctor and cameras
  • Two individual testing rooms for students who need special accommodations
  • Staff work room, office, and check-in counter
  • Lockers for student's personal belongings to be stored while taking exams
  • Dedicated restroom facility

Academic Testing Center (ATC) Syllabus Statement

We recommend adding the following statement to your syllabus: 

The Bryant University Testing Center provides a designated space for students to complete exams in a quiet, secure, and equitable environment. It can also be used for make-up exams. Students must inform their professor in advance if they’re going to need to use the testing center. Students must book exams two business days prior to taking the exam.

If the student is allowed the opportunity to make up an exam, the professor will set a reasonable time period in which the student can complete the exam. Failure of the student to follow the policies of the professor can result in losing the opportunity to make up the exam.

Students who anticipate using OAS-approved testing accommodations must notify their professor and book their exam with the Academic Testing Center. In the classroom, once an exam has begun, students with accommodations cannot retroactively ask for them to be implemented.

Using the testing center to get an unfair advantage on a test is a violation of academic honesty. Be aware that the testing center monitors test activity, both on screen and in the center, and verifies the identification of the student. The student who is taking the exam should be the student registered for the course to ensure equity and fairness in all grading situations.

ATC FAQs for Faculty

Read and review the Academic Testing Center (ATC) Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty.

Confirming Tests in Accommodate

The attached guide provides step-by-step instructions for confirming exams in the  Accommodate system.

Acknowledging Letters of Accommodation in Accommodate

The attached guide provides step-by-step instructions for acknowledging accommodation letters in the Accommodate system.

Classroom Recordings: Information and Resources

Glean: Assistive Learning Technology

Glean is an assistive learning technology designed to help students capture and organize information from lectures. It offers features like audio recording, text notes, and task management options to address academic barriers. Glean is the only note taking assistive technology approved and distributed by the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) at Bryant University. Decisions to provide a Glean license as an accommodation are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If approved, the accommodation will appear on the faculty notification letter in the Accommodate portal. 

The OAS staff is available to provide a demonstration of Glean and to discuss the most effective and appropriate use of Glean in your classroom. 

Glean is an assistive learning technology designed to help students capture and organize information from lectures. It offers features like audio recording, text notes, and task management options to address academic barriers. Glean is the only note taking assistive technology approved and distributed by the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) at Bryant University. Decisions to provide a Glean license as an accommodation are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If approved, the accommodation will appear on the faculty notification letter in the Accommodate portal. 

The OAS staff is available to provide a demonstration of Glean and to discuss the most effective and appropriate use of Glean in your classroom. 

Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) Recording Agreement

The following is Bryant University’s OAS Recording Agreement that students with accommodations must sign for recording purposes.

Recording Agreement

I understand that I have been granted permission by the University, based on my request for an accommodation for a qualified disability, to audio record lectures and discussions in [Class Name]. 

Student Name:

Semester:

In accordance with Bryant University policy, any recordings of class lectures are for my own personal use only and as an alternative to note taking. The class lectures as presented are the intellectual property of the professor, and comments made by my classmates are their own intellectual property, and/or may be subject to privacy protections under federal law. In some instances, in which personal discussion or student disclosure may take place, I understand that my professor may object to the use of an audio recorder to ensure freedom of expression and to protect privacy.

I understand that once I have no further need for these recordings for academic use, I must delete them. I further agree that I will not share or transfer these recordings by any method currently available or any method that may become available in the future. I will not give the recordings to others, upload them to file-sharing sites, post them to the internet, provide them to journalists, or share them in any other way.

I further understand that if I violate this agreement, the University will be entitled to take appropriate remedial action.

Student Signature

 

The following is Bryant University’s OAS Recording Agreement that students with accommodations must sign for recording purposes.

Recording Agreement

I understand that I have been granted permission by the University, based on my request for an accommodation for a qualified disability, to audio record lectures and discussions in [Class Name]. 

Student Name:

Semester:

In accordance with Bryant University policy, any recordings of class lectures are for my own personal use only and as an alternative to note taking. The class lectures as presented are the intellectual property of the professor, and comments made by my classmates are their own intellectual property, and/or may be subject to privacy protections under federal law. In some instances, in which personal discussion or student disclosure may take place, I understand that my professor may object to the use of an audio recorder to ensure freedom of expression and to protect privacy.

I understand that once I have no further need for these recordings for academic use, I must delete them. I further agree that I will not share or transfer these recordings by any method currently available or any method that may become available in the future. I will not give the recordings to others, upload them to file-sharing sites, post them to the internet, provide them to journalists, or share them in any other way.

I further understand that if I violate this agreement, the University will be entitled to take appropriate remedial action.

Student Signature

 

Class Recordings: Syllabus Statement

In your syllabus, please include a clear statement regarding the recording of class sessions and the distribution of those recordings. Specify whether students are permitted to take audio or video recordings of your classes, as well as whether you will be recording the sessions and making those recordings available to students. 

Include the following note:

Except in cases of approved accommodation from the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS)

Note: Student concerns about recordings are secondary to OAS-approved accommodations or your judgement regarding the overall academic success of the class. 

If you do choose to record or allow students to record with your permission, please announce to all participants that the course may be recorded for academic purposes (without identifying individual recorders). Inform students that if they do not wish to appear in the recording, they should discuss this with you during office hours or before/after class. 

Sample Syllabus Statement on Recordings

Any recordings made in this class are strictly for personal educational use. Students are prohibited from copying, publishing, or redistributing any portion of the class recordings to individuals not enrolled in the course or academic program without explicit permission from both the faculty member and any recorded students. Unauthorized distribution may violate educational privacy laws (FERPA) and copyright laws. Recordings are understood to be the intellectual property of the instructor.

The Office of Accessibility Services

Monday - Thursday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Friday 8:30 am - 2:30 pm

Main floor of Admissions Hall (Unistructure), across from the Admissions Atrium
(401) 232-6880
Accessibilitysvcs@bryant.edu

Accommodate Resources

Accommodate is the new data management system for the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) and the Academic Testing Center (ATC). Accommodate will let you view and acknowledge accommodation letters and confirm tests requests in the ATC.

Decorative Image Acknowledging Accommodations

How to Acknowledge Letters of Accommodation Using Accommodate (Bryant Login Required)

Decorative Image Representing Confirming Tests

How to Confirm Tests in the ATC Using Accommodate (Bryant Login Required)