Communication to Students During COVID-19
TO ALL DSPS STUDENTS: As the spread of COVID-19 continues to be a growing concern across the country, Citrus College is taking extra precautions to protect students, employees and the surrounding community. All classes moved to remote/online instruction, effective March 18, 2020, and are subject to reassessment based on circumstances as they develop. The Student Services division including the employees in disabled student programs and services (DSPS) are working remotely/off-campus in order to provide continued services to students. Updates provided below regarding the transition to remote services.
- Students may reach DSPS by calling the office at (626) 914-8675. Your call will be forwarded to a staff member to answer the call. If unanswered, please leave a voice mail with your full name, student ID number and phone number. Our staff will return your call within 24 hours.
- Students may also contact the department at
dsps@citruscollege.edu. Be sure to include your full name and ID number. Your questions will be filtered out to the appropriate person who can assist you.
- Appointments to meet with a DSPS counselor or alternate media specialist may be scheduled by contacting DSPS at (626) 914-8675.
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For New Students
Before scheduling an appointment, please apply to the college and after you have a Student ID number, submit your disability documentation to
dsps@citruscollege.edu. Examples of acceptable documentation may include copies of High School Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), psychoeducational reports, or a doctor's note. Students may also download and have a licensed practitioner complete the DSPS Verification of Disability (VOD) form located on our website. Intake appointments are typically one hour long.
Click here for the DSPS forms.
- We are in the process of setting up a landing page on this DSPS website whereby students may schedule appointments online. Check back for updates.
Prepare yourself for remote/online appointments by completing the following steps:
- Set-up and check your Citrus College student email account
A counselor will be sending students an invitation (with instructions) at the time of the scheduled appointment to conduct a web/video conference call via Zoom.
- Keep your cell phone close by at the time of your appointment
If the counselor cannot reach you via Zoom, they will call you at the phone number listed on record. If you do not recognize the number and it is your scheduled appointment time, it is probably the counselor calling you. Two attempts to call you will be made.
Be Prepared! All course content will be delivered temporarily through remote instructional methods.
At a minimum:
- Instructors may contact students via
Citrus College email.
- Instructors may also include announcements, messages, and post course content via
Canvas.
It is very important to check your student email account frequently and to access your canvas to complete your coursework online.
Please refer to the Student Resources section below for links on how to access your email and canvas account.
DSPS students requesting accommodations are responsible for providing their DSPS Services Agreement to their instructors via email. The Services Agreement outlines each student's approved accommodations. This form along with three additional copies was provided to all students at intake. DSPS advised each student to keep their Services Agreement in the orange folder provided at intake and to keep the folder in a safe place.
Please note: DSPS does not have access to student files at this time. As a result, we cannot generate additional copies of Services Agreements to students.
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Update File/Priority Registration – Our current process for students to update their file and secure priority registration is temporarily changing due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19.
The 2019/2020 DSPS Services Agreement along with any former DSPS Services Agreement will be active through Fall 2020. However, moving forward, the
Services Agreement form will now be called the Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP).
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Adapted Testing - In the event that instructors need to deliver exams online, students are responsible to contact the instructor via email to request extended time along with presenting the Services Agreement (now called the Academic Accommodation Plan). Reasonable notice must be given to the professor when making such request. Instructors have been provided information with how to make adjustments to the timer on Canvas.
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Reader/Scribe – Because all instruction and exams are moving temporarily online where students can complete their coursework independently from home or other safe location, service delivery of reader/scribes will be temporarily suspended until further notice. We encourage students who have reader/scribe as an approved accommodation to reach out to their local Regional Center or Department of Rehabilitation to explore the resources available for securing a Personal Service Attendant (PSA) who may assist with one-on-one support. Information on how to contact these agencies are provided below in the Student Resources section.
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Notetaker/Shared Notes – If you have an approved accommodation for shared notes or notetaker, notify your instructor via email along with presenting your Services Agreement (now called the Academic Accommodation Plan) to request access to any PowerPoint, lecture notes or recordings of lecture.
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Interpreters – The ASL interpreter specialist will be in contact with students who have an interpreter as an accommodation and their instructors to coordinate service delivery.
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Alternate Media and Assistive Technology – The alternate media specialist has contacted all who have checked out a smart pen or audio recorder via their Citrus College email account. Check your email for updates. Students who have alternate media requests pending will also be contacted via email.
Students who need additional e-text or smart pen training may schedule appointments with Laks Floriano at
lfloriano@citruscollege.edu.
Students with questions about online accessibility may also reach the alternate media specialist at
lfloriano@citruscollege.edu or may schedule an appointment for additional support.
Given these unprecedented circumstances, students are encouraged to make an appointment with a DSPS counselor if guidance regarding academic progress in current classes is needed. Students may also contact DSPS with questions regarding the provision of approved accommodations. The DSPS team is committed to working with our students to problem-solve through different accommodation situations during this challenging and uncertain time. We are learning from these situations to help us evaluate and possibly implement additional measures as they emerge.
DSPS Contact Information
dsps@citruscollege.edu
(626) 914-8675
If you prefer, feel free to contact your counselor directly with any questions. Counselors are available during regular business hours on the following days below. Please note, counselors respond to emails only during their scheduled work days.
- Conferences
2020 APIDC Youth Leadership Institute: October 25, November 1, 8 and 15, 2020
Applications due by October 9, 2020
- Financial Assistance
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CARES Emergency Financial Aid Grants
The Coronavirus Aide Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Higher Education Relief Fund (HEERF) provides funding to institutions to distribut emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted and are facing financial challenges. Learn more about the student eligibility requirements for CARES and HEERF.
- Programs and Services Assistance
- Technology On-Campus
- Withdrawals
- Off-Site Web-Based Resources: Assistive Learning Technologies
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Ally Quick Start for Students and
Alternative Formats
Available to all students using Canvas, this program allows students to select a file in their course to be made in a different format, such as ePub, Audio, or BeeLine Reader. -
Freedom Scientific: JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion
These programs assist blind and low vision individuals with access to reading information on the internet or any digital documents in Microsoft Word or PDFs. Free license through June 30 with any email address, or free for a full year with a qualified school email. -
Kurzweil 3000
Online software with text to speech reading capability and a variety of study tools to assist with writing and reading comprehension. Free 90-day trial to all during the COVID-19 crisis. -
Otter Voice Meeting Notes
A free app that can help students with note taking by recording class lectures and presentations and converting that information into text. The free basic version allows up to 600 minutes per month. The premium version is $8.33 per month is for 6,000 minutes. Students may receive 50% off the regular subscription price by using their school email address upon sign-up.
- Off-Site Web-Based Resources: Coping Strategies and Your Mental Health during COVID-19
- Off-Site Web-Based Resources: Learning Online/Remotely
- Off-Site Web-Based Resources: Los Angeles County and California State
At Citrus College, we are committed to providing students with disabilities an accessible educational environment that allows each student the opportunity to reach his/her academic goals and participate in a full range of campus programs and activities.
Once we receive verification of a student's disability, we provide support services to compensate for disability-related educational limitations. Such support services are essential components of the educational program as they help disabled students realize their educational potential in the mainstreamed academic programs.
Don't delay, book an appointment with a DSPS counselor. Please call our office at (626) 914-8675 to inquire about appointments for each semester.
Follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/CitrusDSPS and on Instagram at
www.instagram.com/citrusdsps
