Description of Services

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at South Georgia College coordinates all services for students with disabilities.  These services include, but are not limited to, the following: 

1.      Interview:   If a student has never been tested for a learning disorder, and is experiencing academic difficulty, the student may schedule an interview with an ODS staff member. 

2.      Information on Documentation Guidelines: The ODS assists students in gaining accommodations for their disability by providing them with Board of Regents standards for documentation.  When testing and further assessment are required, they are conducted by the Regents Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD) at Georgia Southern University.  Packets of the necessary materials to access these services at Georgia Southern University are available in the ODS. 

3.      Needs Assessment: Documentation is used to determine a student's eligibility for services as well as to identify other needs that should be addressed.  The ODS may also refer the student to other resources. 

4.      Career Exploration: Career Exploration is provided by the Office of Student Affairs to students who are unaware of the impact a disability has on their ability to work. 

5.      Tutoring: Tutoring is available from several sources on campus.  The ODS can assist students with disabilities in identifying the appropriate sources. 

6.      Pre-Registration: Pre-registration is available to all students served by ODS.  Each academic term, students are notified of pre-registration procedures and dates and are responsible for making appointments for pre-registration. 

7.      Adaptive Technology: A variety of equipment designed to accommodate students with disabilities is available to students through the ODS.  Services such as note takers and books on tape are also available for qualified students. 

I.       LEVELS OF SERVICE 

Services for students with disabilities are provided on the following levels: 

Active—Includes students who have completed all documentation requirements and are currently receiving appropriate academic accommodations. 

Incomplete—Includes students who are in the process of gathering documentation, having their documentation reviewed for compliance with Board of Regents standards, or being scheduled for new assessment. 

Inactive—Includes students who are not currently attending South Georgia College, or are no longer seeking ODS assistance. 

II.  STUDENT FILES—STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY 

Student files are confidential and are kept in a secured location in the ODS.  All records kept by the ODS shall remain confidential information and will be disclosed to a third party only with the student's written permission.  A record of disclosure will be kept on file. 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 protects the privacy of educational records, establishes the rights of students to inspect and review their educational records, and provides guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data.  The ODS complies with this act as outlined in the SGC catalog. 

III. EVALUATION BY THE REGENTS CENTER FOR LEARNING DISORDERS 

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has established three centers for the provision of assessment, resources, and research related to students within the University System who have learning disorders.  The Regents Centers for Learning Disorders (RCLD) are located at Georgia Southern University, The University of Georgia, and Georgia State University.  Each RCLD is responsible for serving designated colleges and universities within a geographic region. 

Students who do not have current evaluations that meet state guidelines may be referred to the Center for evaluation but must meet certain requirements. Students who are referred for testing or an evaluation review must be enrolled in the referring institution. Exceptions to the rule are considered when students who are applying for admission to an institution and require verification of a disability for the institution CPC foreign language requirement. Referral for testing or evaluation review in these cases should come from the institution at which admission is pending. No exceptions will be made to the University System admissions requirements. (Academic Affairs Handbook, Section 2.22 [2/2009]). 

Students who wish to be tested by the RCLD should contact the ODS on their campus.  An ODS staff member will schedule an appointment with the student to go over the pre-testing packet.  When a student returns this packet, an ODS staff member will check for completeness and forward the packet to the RCLD at Georgia Southern.  The RCLD schedules the evaluation and notifies the student of the time, date, and place for the evaluation. The Georgia Southern RCLD is located in the Cone Hall Basement. The student is responsible for the evaluation fee of $500.00. This fee is to be mailed to the RCLD along with the pre-testing packet.