10.6.1 Admissions policy which is non-discriminatory
10.6.2 Tracking applications & admissions of underrepresented groups
10.6.3 Programmes to recruit students/staff/faculty from under-represented groups
10.6.4 Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies
10.6.5 Diversity and equality committee, office and/or officer
10.6.6 Mentoring/counselling programmes to support students, staff, faculty from underrepresented groups
10.6.7 Accessible facilities for people with disabilities
10.6.8 Support services for people with disabilities
10.6.9 Access schemes for people with disabilities
10.6.10 Reasonable accommodation policy/strategy implemented for persons with disabilities
The One Stop Students Services Center, GUST
The One Stop Students Services Center is home to variety of programs and services designed to help students meet with their educational and life goals. This center at the Gulf University for Science and Technology includes Admissions, Academic Advising, Learning Support Services, Personal Counseling, Disability Services and Retention Services.
The disability services team
The disability services team assists with the Disability program as per identified by the director. The disability team will also be part of other OSC responsibilities as per allocated by the OSC Head.
The Role of the Area
A disability program has been developed to provide accommodations to students with documented disabilities.
Policies & Procedures: Area of Disabilities Services
Disability Services
Disability Accommodation Guidelines
GUST empowers students with disabilities to realize their academic and personal potential by facilitating equal access to university programs. Services include coordinating reasonable accommodations and other support services for eligible students.
Reasonable accommodations are adjustments for students with disabilities which will provide equal access to GUST programs. Examples include someone taking notes for the student during lectures, extended time during testing, and use of tape recorder during classes. Accommodation plans and services are customized to match the disability-related needs of each student and are determined according to documentation and the student’s program requirements.
Registration for these accommodations includes submitting appropriate disability documentation. Students need to complete the Disability Accommodation Request Form for use in the One Stop Students Services Center, which is attached below for reference.
Disability Documentation Should Be:
1- Recent enough in order to assess the current impact on learning. Please note that students requesting reasonable accommodations must submit documentation dated within 5 years.
2- Issued by a medical or other qualified, licensed professional.
3- Printed on official letterhead, dated, and signed by the licensed professional.
Please note that GUST reserves the right to require that a certified copy of the report be transmitted directly from the licensed professional to the university.
4- Comprehensive which includes a psycho educational evaluation, diagnostic interview, and clinical summary.
Document Should Also Include:
1- The student’s history of receiving reasonable accommodations and academic adjustments, if such history exists.
2- Specific recommendations for accommodations as well as an explanation as to why each is recommended as necessary
3- Use of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho educational Battery III-Tests of Cognitive Ability (Standard Battery-subtests 1-10) or subtests from the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III) are preferred.
Students are responsible for requesting reasonable accommodations through the One Stop Students Services Center before the semester begins since GUST will not be liable for meeting accommodation requests after the term has begun. After review of a student’s documentation and application, the Disability Services team at the One Stop Students Services Center will meet with the student to go over what services the student is eligible for. Once accommodations are verified, the team will send the student an email so they know what services they will be receiving while at GUST and then will coordinate with faculty and other GUST staff in order to provide stated services.
Special Needs Student Acceptance:
After receiving and going through the above mentioned documents, the students will be screened by The Disability Services team or the Dean of student affairs. A decision of acceptance or rejection will be made based on the screening sessions findings.
Forms of Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
1. Proctoring exams
OSC proctoring working hours are from 8:30am – 2:30pm. If proctoring services are after stated working hours, please seek assistance from other colleagues.
When proctoring services are required, allow sufficient time 2 working days before required proctoring date so that OSC can best meet students’ requests.
2. Proctoring exams outside the classroom
This is usually arranged by faculty and done in the student Success center. The exam/quiz is proctored at the OSC with one of the Disability service team memberpresence.
3. Extended time during Exams and/or Quizzes
This is usually arranged by faculty and done at the Student Success Center. An alternative is to have the student take the exam/quiz in the faculty member’s office.
4. Orally Administered Exams
The student has the option of hearing the questions spoken and to orally provide his responses or to record their answers via a tape recorder. If the student would like to use a tape recorder should confirm the accommodation and provide a tape recorder for test use.
5. Note Taking Services
If this is requested by the student, the Director of the OSC will request from the faculty to recommend a good note taker in class to the disabled student, who will ask that recommended student to share notes for that course. It may be a good idea to have an alternate in mind in case of student illness or other absence.
6. Use of a Tape Recorder during Class
The student should confirm the accommodation and provide a tape recorder for class use.
Physical Disabilities
1. Parking
Handicapped parking access is available to qualified students by the student life office.
2. Special Materials for Classroom
Tables for students in wheel chairs are available upon request with the coordination of Campus Services and the request of students.
Disability Accommodation Request Form:
Disability Documentations
• Students requesting reasonable accommodations must submit documentation no older than 5 years.
• Documentation must be issued by a medical or other qualified, licensed professional.
• Documents must be printed on official letterhead, dated, and signed by the licensed professional. GUST reserves the right to require that a certified copy of the report be transmitted directly from the licensed professional to the university.
• Comprehensive documentations include a psycho-educational evaluation, diagnostic interview, and clinical summary.
Note Takers Duties and Responsibilities
A Note Taker is a person who is pursuing their studies but who also utilize their spare time by working as a Note Taker. The OSC keeps in mind that the academic schedule of the student is more lenient than full time jobs. The student’s academics is the main priority overall. While working as a Note Taker you will be helping students with Vision, Hearing, and writing impairments. It is important being punctual and detail oriented. The experience as Note Taker may also be mentioned by the student in their resume.
1. Attending classes on time.
2. Clearly communicate with the student and decide on the type of notes they prefer (typed or handwritten).
3. Taking good set of notes with details for the lectures attended.
4. Organizing notes according to dates and chapters.
5. Assisting students in any written in-class activities.
6. Disability team should be notified 24 hours earlier if the note taker cannot attend next lecture.
7. Keeping all information of disability students confidential.
8. The Note Taker should not attend students’ exams and quizzes nor assist in writing essays or written projects.
List of Note Takers
This is the list of hired note takers provided by One Stop Students Services Center OSC:
GUST & AFAQ hold 3rd lecture in ‘Gad’ha W’Gdoud’ Series
Under the patronage of the Public Authority of the Disabled, the Gulf University for Science and Technology and AFAQ Educational Company launched the third lecture in its ‘Gadha W’Gdoud’ series in collaboration with the Kuwaiti Association for Learning Differences. The lecture was led by Dr. Hoda Shaaban, Educational Consultant specializing in educational and pedagogicalmatters, and covered educational merging as a solution to those who require a special needs education, how to harness the positives of its outputs, and how to face its challenges.
Dr. Hoda Shaaban explained that the first step of any decision begins with a diagnosis brought by a specialist, followed by registering students at local merging programs suitable for their needs, and that provides a comprehensive educational style to build students’ skills, enhances their capabilities, and turns fosters their strengths and creativity.
Educational Director, Amani Al-Amad, said: “Inclusion is an "inclusive" method not only for the integration of students and their teachers, but a comprehensive educational, administrative and societal integration approach to ensure a smooth transition from the beginning of their educational journey until they graduate.”
This was the third lecture in the “Gad’ha W’Gdoud” series, the first was with Dr. Suad Al-Thuwaikh, CEO of That Center for Social and Education Consultations, and focused on solving the different obstacles that come with ADHD. And the second,led by renowned Psychologist and Educational Counselor, Dr. Mustafa Abo Saad, who discussed how to strengthen relationships between parents and their special needs children.
Since its establishment in 2002, GUST has supported all its students with special needs by providing customized and free educational services and tools through the One Stop Student Services Center. All of which contribute to smooth educational experience for them, and ensuring that they receive the same well-rounded, quality education as their peers.
GUST & AFAQ Launch Talk Show Series Focusing on Special Needs Students
Under the patronage of Dr. Shafiqa Al-Awadhi, Director General of the Public Authority of the Disabled, GUST organized in collaboration with AFAQ Educational Co. a lecture in the newly launched series “Gad’ha W’Gdoud” (More than Capable) on its Mishref campus this week. The lecture, led by renowned Psychologist and Educational Counselor, Dr. Mustafa Abo Saad, who discussed how to strengthen relationships between parents and their special needs children. The series, targeted especially for parents and educators, is due to host more lectures under the same umbrella in the next year.
The series aims to spread the ideal of community service, to align with Kuwait’s Vision for 2035, strengthen the bonds between different groups of society, establish common value, and develop skills that help to encourage & support people with special needs.
The lecture touched on a variety of topics including how to understand the psychological and educational needs of our children with differences, how we interpret these needs as only a reflection of the caregivers’ characteristics and competencies, the different obstacles both the children and caregivers face, and how we can use them to develop capabilities, how to motivate them to learn & enrich their skills, as well as how to prepare those responsible to deal with them and accept them as productive and effective members of society.
AFAQ Educational Director, Amani Al-Amad, said “The development of any society begins with our understanding of the individuals’ needs within it. We have to invest our time and energy and care into everyone that is a part of our society. At the end, we all have roles to play in its growth.”
The lecture was attended by AFAQ’s executive leadership, including Mr. Anas Al-Asousi, Dean of Student Affairs at GUST, Dr. Raghad Al-Kazemi, leaders and educators from the Public Authority of the Disabled, representatives from the Department of Special Education of the Ministry of Education, local educators, parents, and students.
This was the second lecture in the “Gad’ha W’Gdoud” series, the first was held last month, led by Dr. Suad Al-Thuwaikh, CEO of That Center for Social and Education Consultations, and focused on solving the different obstacles that come with ADHD. The lecture was geared towards parents and educators with children dealing from learning mental or learning disabilities.
Since its establishment in 2002, GUST has supported all its students with special needs by providing customized and free educational services and tools through the One Stop Student Services Center. All of which contribute to smooth educational experience for them, and ensuring that they receive the same well-rounded, quality education as their peers.
DISABILITY SERVICES
The Disability Services Program is conducted by the Disability Services Coordinator with the cooperation of GUST faculty.
The Disability Services Program has been developed to provide accommodations to students with documented medical reports. The goal of providing accommodation to students is to encourage their continued growth, progress, and academic performance at GUST.
Accommodations for students with disabilities include, but are not limited to: note-taking assistance, tutoring, extra time for exams, as well as the possibility to receive proctoring services at the One Stop Student Services Center.
Students are responsible for requesting the needed accommodations through the OSC during the admissions process.
OSC LOGISTIC MANUAL 2019/2020 DISABILITY SERVICES AREA:
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION GUIDELINES
GUST empowers students with disabilities to realize their academic and personal potential through offering equal access to university programs. Services include coordinating reasonable accommodations and other support services for eligible students.
Reasonable accommodations are adjusted for students with disabilities which will provide equal access to GUST programs. Accommodation plans and services are customized to match the disability-related needs of each student and are determined according to documentation and the student’s program requirements.
Registration for these accommodations includes submission of the Disclosure Form, which should be given with their application to the university, as well as appropriate disability documentation. Also, students need to complete the Disability Accommodation Request Form for use in the One Stop Student Services Center.
DISABILITY DOCUMENTATION
1. Students requesting reasonable accommodations must submit documentation no older than 5 years.
2. Documentation must be issued by a medical or other qualified, licensed professional.
3. Documents must be printed on official letterhead, dated, and signed by the licensed professional. GUST reserves the right to require that a certified copy of the report be transmitted directly from the licensed professional to the university.
4. Comprehensive documentations include a psycho-educational evaluation, diagnostic interview, and clinical summary.
ACCOMMODATIONS
1. Proctoring exams: This is usually arranged by faculty and done at the One Stop Student Services Center. The exam/quiz is proctored at the OSC in the presence of one of the Disability Service Coordinators.
2. Extended time during exams and/or quizzes: This is usually arranged by faculty and done at the One Stop Student Services Center. An alternative is to have the student take the exam/quiz in the faculty member’s office.
3. Orally administered exams: The student has the option of hearing the questions spoken and to orally provide his responses or to record their answers via a tape recorder. If the student would like to use a tape recorder, this specific accommodation needs to be confirmed, and the student must provide the tape recorder to use during the test.
4. Note-taking services: If this is requested by the student, a note taker will be hired to assist student in class.
5. Use of a tape recorder during class:The student should confirm this specific accommodation, and provide a tape recorder for class use.
Handicaps Facilities
Wide elevators are distributed around the campus buildings and near all entrances and exits. All elevators are wide enough for all standard types of wheelchairs, walker rollators and folding walkers. Elevators access buttons are all within reach from sitting/standing positions.
The campus buildings have escalators located near entrances that reach collages and departments with ease. All escalators have sensors allowing them to stop when no one is near for energy saving. Elevators are accessible near all campus stairways.
The campus buildings have spacious and air-conditioned waiting rooms near all exists and within the campus as well.
Every toilet has a disability compartment equipped with all accessories and an emergency calling phone.
Emergency phones are accessible all-around campus. All phones are within sitting positions.
Campus hallways, corridors and classrooms are spacious and are suitable for all types of wheelchairs and other needed aids.
Parking areas for special needs are located nearest to the campus entrances. All disables parking areas are wide and have extra area for convenience and ramps for all types of wheeled aids.
The campus main entrances have loading areas with ramps for those driving the disabled person. Security personnel are always ready for aiding services.
Ramps appear everywhere in the campus buildings and their facilities whenever there are steps (theaters, halls, meeting rooms…)
