A message from the Office of the Provost on behalf of Dr. Leticia I. Romo, Provost’s Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion.
In an effort to address issues concerning disabilities and special supports that impact our students and courses, the office of Disability Support Services at Towson University has made available a series of short articles to the community. Its most recent newsletter of September 2016 covers how to handle the memos that students registered with DSS should present to faculty when requesting special accommodations. Also useful in this bi-annual Faculty/DSS newsletter is the syllabus statement that encourages students to register with DSS in order to receive the accommodations that will help them succeed in the classroom, and a thoughtful interview with Karen Eskow, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. As Towson University continues to grow more diverse, we all can participate in the process of making our community more inclusive by becoming acquainted with the services available to our students, and by encouraging and supporting their use. The assistance provided by DSS allows our students to have an equal opportunity to achieve the academic goals that we have set in our courses.
Keeping in mind that some disabilities can be complicated, not only by their own nature but also by the legal ramifications that they could bring, the DSS specialists are available to meet with the entire faculty and staff of a department or on an individual basis in order to discuss the types of services offered and how to better recognize and manage the specific needs of our students, faculty and staff. Please visit the DSS website http://www.towson.edu/dss/, and their faculty page at http://www.towson.edu/dss/faculty.html. The most recent newsletter can be found at http://www.towson.edu/dss/dss_newsletter_fall_2016.pdf.
