Winter 2025 Newsletter

Happy New Year, and welcome back for Winter term 2025! We hope you had a great break and are feeling ready for this new term.

This email contains information about the following:

  • Instructors’ Primary Responsibilities Regarding Accommodations
  • Faculty and Staff Support Page & Website Resources
  • New Quizzes Feature in Canvas
  • AEC Connect Reminders
  • Request an AEC Training for your Department!

Instructors’ Primary Responsibilities Regarding Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. Under Title II of the ADA, public colleges and universities are required to provide auxiliary aids and services to qualified students with disabilities. Providing auxiliary aids and services provides students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the services, programs, or activities offered by the institution.

The University collectively has responsibility to remove barriers that impact access to programs, activities, and services for students with disabilities. It is important to understand the roles and responsibilities that instructors, students, and the AEC have in this process. If you have any questions about your responsibilities, please do not hesitate to contact the AEC by phone or email to gain clarification. You can contact AEC at 541-346-1155 or via email at uoaec@uoregon.edu.

Instructors’ Primary responsibilities:

  • Read all notification letters, take appropriate actions, & maintain confidentiality of student information.
  • Complete the testing agreement right away, and provide your exams to the AEC at least two days before a scheduled exam.
  • Refer students who may need disability accommodations to the AEC.
  • If a student requests to use their approved accommodations in your class, you will receive a notification letter via email. You can also log in to the AEC Connect Instructor Portal to access the notification letters requested for your class, as well as see a list of exam requests that students have submitted for your course(s). If you have any questions about AEC Connect or how to utilize the Instructor Portal, please contact uoaec@uoregon.edu.
  • Contact the AEC if you have any questions about a student’s accommodations, or if an approved accommodation might fundamentally alter course objectives. Do not deny any accommodations without consulting with the AEC.
  • Include information related to Access and Accommodations in your syllabus. Please review our recommended syllabus statements.
  • Only implement disability-related accommodations for students who are registered with the AEC.
  • Consider ways to implement universally designed methods into courses to reduce barriers and the need for accommodations.

Faculty and Staff Support Page & Website Resources

There are often misconceptions about what it means to have a disability. Please visit our Faculty and Staff Support page to find information about best practices, instructor responsibilities, Universal Design strategies, and more. You can also find information on our website about what a disability is, and the legal mandates that inform the work of the AEC. 

New Quizzes Feature in Canvas

There is a new feature in Canvas called New Quizzes. New Quizzes is a quiz engine that integrates with Canvas and replaces the classic quizzes functionality currently existing in Canvas. This feature allows instructors to apply a student's extended time to all exams in the class with one setting, rather than having to enter them individually for each exam, for each student. Here is further information about Adding Accommodations for Students in New Quizzes.

AEC Connect Reminders

AEC Connect has a new look following a platform update launched in June 2024. Updated instructions and video tutorials are available on our website. 

Request an AEC Training for your Department!

The AEC offers a variety of different types of trainings to campus partners, from Disability 101 to Disability as Diversity training, to general information about the AEC, disability, and how we can work together to create more accessible environments. We are happy to come join you or your teams for a training. If you would like to request an AEC training, please visit our Request a Training/Outreach page and fill out the request form.  

Go Ducks! 

On behalf of all AEC staff, we are wishing you a smooth Winter 2025 term! Please check out the AEC website for additional information, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance. We look forward to continuing to work with you and support you in ensuring access and inclusion at UO. Go Ducks!