Faculty Info: Online Accommodations Portal

New Accommodations System

Fall 2021 marks the first semester SAS shifted to the use of a new online accommodation portal. This new system will help you manage student accommodations and testing requests for your classes.

Viewing and Searching Accommodations

The new online portal consolidates accommodation information in one location and makes it easier to find and search student accommodations. This information is still confidential, however, and should not be shared with others.

As in previous semesters, student accommodation letters will still be emailed to faculty. In the new online portal, however, it is possible to see the most current accommodation letter for each student. Student accommodation requests are listed at the bottom of the Overview page. Click on the “View” link to see the accommodation letter. Click on the students’ name to email the student directly.

Submit Acknowledgement of Student Accommodations

When viewing an accommodation letter for a student, it is possible to acknowledge receipt of the letter by clicking the “Submit Acknowledgement Electronically” button available right above the letter.

To search for student eligibilities, use the “Search Students’ Eligibilities” link at the upper right corner of the Overview page. Click the “Click to Expand Advanced Search Panel” button to view the advanced search options. Make your selections then click the “Search” button. The table at the bottom of the page will show all students that meet your search criteria. Use the “Export Student Lists” button to export the search results as a CSV file.

In the new online portal, there is a distinction between “eligibilities” and “accommodations.” Eligibilities are what students are approved to receive based on documentation and conversations with SAS staff. Accommodations are a collection of eligibilities students request for a given class for a given semester.

Faculty can upload course syllabi to assist SAS staff with student accommodations. To upload your syllabi, select “Course Syllabus” under the “Views and Tools” header in the left menu. Select the class from the dropdown menu, provide a title for the file, and choose a file using the “Choose File” button. Once you’ve selected the correct file, click the “Upload Syllabus” button. The syllabi you upload will be viewable by SAS staff.

Alternative Testing

The new online accommodation portal allows SAS to work with faculty to administer tests, quizzes, and exams taken through the SAS Testing Center. Questions about testing can be sent to the SAS Testing Coordinator at tests@ithaca.edu

Any professor who has students testing with SAS must complete an Alternative Testing Agreement. A link to complete the agreement is available in each accommodation letter. You can also complete an Alternative Testing agreement by logging in to the online accommodation portal. Students will not be able to request a test until there is a completed agreement for the class or if faculty have confirmed that they will proctor their own exams. Alternative Testing Agreements must be specified for each class at the start of the semester.

Create a new Alternative Testing Agreement

To specify an alternative testing agreement:

Click the “Alternative Testing” link in the left menu.
In the “Specify Alternative Testing Agreement” box, select the appropriate class and click the “Continue to Specify Alternative Testing Agreement” button.
Answer the questions on the following page using the instructions provided.
When you are done, click the “Submit Alternative Testing Agreement” at the bottom of the page.

Note: Do not leave any fields blank. If the question does not apply, type “N/A”. Students can see the answers to questions 1-11 so do not include any information you do not wish students to see.

Copy an existing Alternative Testing Agreement to another class

In the Alternative Testing area, there is a box labeled “List Alternative Testing Agreement.” Here it is possible to copy an existing Alternative Testing Agreement to another class.

In the top dropdown field, select the class with the Alternative Testing Agreement.
In the “Copy to” dropdown field, select the class you would like to copy the Alternative Testing Agreement to.
Click the “View” button to see the Alternative Testing Agreement for the selected class.
When you have made your selections, click the “Copy” button to copy the Alternative Testing Agreement.

Exam requests are submitted by students through the online portal. SAS staff review the requests to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Testing Center and match the Testing Agreement and requested accommodations. Once SAS staff have reviewed and approved an exam request faculty will receive an email with the request details. Review the request to make sure the test is scheduled for an appropriate day and time.

There are two ways to upload exams. The first is to use the link provided in the exam request email. The second method is to log in to the online portal to view each requested exam. Uploading exams through the online portal is the preferred method for submitting exams.

Note: The exam will only be made available to SAS Testing Center staff. Students will not see the exam before the scheduled exam time.

When a student has completed an exam, the file is uploaded back to the online portal. To view completed exams, use the “Completed Exams Files” link in the upper right area of the page. Completed exams are uploaded daily directly to the online portal and can be viewed and downloaded for grading. Exams may also be returned to your Dean's office or held for pickup.