Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity

SAEO will work with students to consider requests for accommodations and alternative arrangements that may be necessary due to the unique impact of COVID-19 related to an individual's disability or medical condition. To submit a request for COVID-specific accommodations, please complete a copy of our Intake Form and provide the appropriate documentation. If you are currently registered with SAEO, you should complete a Supplemental Request Form. 

Important note: VCU will primarily offer in-person course instruction in the 2021-2022 academic year. Additionally, many of the university’s academic programs have essential in-person components. Approval for COVID-specific accommodations and determining reasonable arrangements will be made in collaboration with the student, faculty and academic departments. 

The SAEO office is officially open. We will still be offering the same range of services and support for students, faculty, and staff as always. We will be following all VCU-recommended protocols for health and safety while upholding our commitment to the highest level of community and student support. If you would like to schedule a meeting with a member of the SAEO team, you can contact them directly or email saeo@vcu.edu.

The SAEO offices are now open and students, families, faculty, and staff are welcomed to stop by, anytime. We will be holding meetings in whichever modality you prefer, whether in-person, Zoom, or phone. Please contact any member of our team directly or SAEO@vcu.edu to request a meeting.

TAC will resume in-person operations for the Spring 2022 semester to assist with proctoring accommodated exams. We will only be proctoring exams for classes that are taught in person. If you are in an online course, you should contact your instructor to inquire about how your testing accommodations (such as extended time) will be factored in. In certain situations where your class is taking an exam remotely, we may be able to assist with virtual proctoring. For any questions about scheduling with TAC or your testing accommodations, contact saeotestadmin@vcu.edu.

Yes! If you have been approved for accommodations, that has not changed. Accommodations you used in your in-person classes might look different or, in some cases, not be necessary for an online course. In many cases, they will work the same as they always have. The best thing you can do at this time is to request a copy of your accommodation letter, send it to your instructors, and ask, "How will my accommodations work in your class?" As always, SAEO is here to help make these arrangements.

As you know, during the 2021/2022 academic year, VCU will be offering many of its courses in an online, blended, or hybrid format. Your instructors are doing all they can to ensure that this will be as positive, rich, and accessible an experience as possible. If you have concerns about accessibility in an online environment, I encourage you to contact your instructors immediately to share those concerns or ask any questions. The sooner they hear from you, the better able to address your concerns they will be. You can also contact your case manager or the SAEO office (saeo@vcu.edu) with any questions or concerns.

We are happy to discuss any changes or updates to your accommodations that you feel may be necessary. You should contact your case manager to discuss these possible changes. To formally submit a request for an updated accommodation (academic, course substitution, housing, etc.), log into the Student Accommodate Portal. On the left side of the page, click on "Accommodation" and then "Supplemental". Under "Add New", you will be able to submit a formal request for updated accommodations. 

1. Together at VCUThis will be your best "one-stop-shop" for all information and updates about changes and updates to VCU operations, policies, and expectations. 
2. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
   With all of the confusion and misinformation circulating about COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it is good to know where to turn for sound, factual information. The CDC webpage is your best resource for factual, up-to-date information.
3. VCU Student FAQsThis website will be updated continuously with new responses to the questions we are commonly receiving from you, our students.
4. Keep on Learning
   VCU has created and will update the Keep on Learning website for students. This website will provide an overview of important information and tips to remain engaged with your classes as we move towards remote/online teaching. 
5. Keep on Being Well at VCU
   VCU has always focused on wellness within our community. During times like these, it becomes even more of a priority. For tips and tools on how to focus on your well-being, take a look at our Keep on Being Well website.

First of all, congratulations and welcome to the VCU family! We are looking forward to working together. The intake process has not changed and you can learn more about it on our Registration page. We will begin reviewing intake materials for students entering in the fall sometime in mid-May. In the meantime, you can contact us at saeo@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2253 to speak with a member of our team.

Absolutely! While we will not be able to hold in-person meetings for the foreseeable future, we are happy to set up a virtual meeting or phone call. You can contact us at  saeo@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2253 to speak with a member of our team.

If a student informs you that they have or suspect they may have contracted COVID-19, direct them to contact University Student Health Services at (804) 828-8828 if they have not already done so. Please also share this information with our colleagues in the Dean of Students office (vcudean@vcu.edu). This will help us respond to the student and implement steps to help protect our community. Many students who need to isolate, quarantine, or even contract COVID-19 may still be able to continue with their coursework, particularly if they are already in an online section. If the class meets in-person, you may consider options for allowing temporary remote/virtual attendance until they are cleared to return. If the student is requesting formal accommodations, please have them contact SAEO@vcu.edu to facilitate a conversation about what may be deemed reasonable.

Many students who register with our office receive testing accommodations. The Testing Access Center (TAC) has resumed proctoring exams that are scheduled to take place on campus. In some cases, we may be able to assist with virtual proctoring for any exams that your class will be taken remotely. Please contact us at saeotestadmin@vcu.edu to discuss any testing concerns or arrangements that we may be able to assist with. Students who are requesting to schedule an appointment with our office should do so no later than 1 week in advance.

If you are proctoring your exams virtually and need to extend exam time for individual students, Canvas and most other virtual proctoring platforms will allow you to make exceptions to your time limits on a student-by-student basis. Visit the links below for step-by-step instructions or get in touch with us. As always, if you have specific questions about implementing testing accommodations, you can contact us at saeotestadmin@vcu.edu to discuss. 

How to extend the time allotted on an exam in CANVAS- Classic Quizzes

How to extend the time allotted on an exam in CANVAS- New Quizzes

If a student in your class has been approved for a peer notetaker, this will appear on their accommodation letter. You would verify with the student that they are interested in receiving notes for your specific course (as some students do not want notes for all of their courses). If they would like the notes, we would ask you to make an announcement to and/or email the class indicating that a peer-notetaker is needed for the class. We generally pitch this as a volunteer opportunity, which can be included in a resume, and the notetaker will receive a formal commendation for their services from our office. If anyone is interested, please connect them with our team at saeonotes@vcu.edu.