How Students Can Stay Connected with DSS
Is the DSS office open during this time?
- The DSS office is closed for in-person appointments and all staff are working remotely.
- Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Office closed to walk-in business.
- Meet with students via Zoom or by phone
- Testing will be conducted by faculty using the campus’ LMS
How do I connect with my DSS Advisor or DSS Accessibility Coordinator during this time?
- Appointments will be held remotely via Zoom or phone.
- Please call the DSS office at 707-664-2677 and leave a message.
- A staff member will return your call from a blocked or private number to assist you with scheduling an appointment.
- Students will receive information in their Sonoma State email on how to access Zoom or phone appointments once an appointment date and time is confirmed.
Accommodations
Extra time for test-taking
Your exams will most likely be administered by your faculty through Canvas, which is the campus’ Learning Management System (LMS). Be sure to check for updates regarding exams and quizzes in Canvas and via email correspondence from your faculty.
How does extra time for exams or quizzes work in Canvas?
Faculty will make an adjustment in Canvas to provide additional time.
Reduced-distraction testing
Students will have the ability to determine the testing environment to best meet their needs at a remote location
Sign language - ASL
DSS will contact instructors in classes where students are receiving sign language interpreting services to determine the format that on-line classes will be held. Interpreters will be added to Zoom classes for live or recorded classes in order for students to continue to receive sign language interpreting services.
Captioning
DSS will contact instructors in classes where students are receiving sign language services or real-time captioning services to determine the format that on-line classes will be held. DSS staff will collaborate with the Faculty Center for classes where instructors will be using Yuja, which is a cloud-based video creation and management software, to ensure that auto generated captions are sent to the predetermined vendor for accessibility validation (to meet accessibility standards) for accuracy. Managing Accessibility Options | YuJa Enterprise Video Platform
Note-taking Assistance
Students will continue to receive notes from their pre-established note-takers who have been set up in classes prior to the conversion to an on-line format.
Other available note-taking resources:
Otter.ai - - App that records audio and provides digital transcript (Available on iOS and Android Phones)
Scannable by Evernote - Scanning app available on iOS
Genius Scan - Scanning app available in Google Play
Captioned Media
DSS advisors will contact all instructors for students who have an accommodation to receive captioned media to determine if instructional materials have changed since moving to an online format. Captions will be added to the media “in-house” or sent to CaptionSync to caption media.
What should I do if I have video captioning as an accommodation and I am finding the media is not captioned?
Contact your DSS Advisor at 707 664 2677.
Alternate Media
Staff will continue to work on converting instructional materials into accessible formats remotely. Students will also be provided with self-service resources, so last minute conversions can be made by students.
What do I do if I need assistance?
You can email your documents(s) to alt.media@sonoma.edu
How can I make my documents accessible if I need to do this on my own?
You can make your documents accessible by using the OCR feature with Read&Write.
Flexibility with attendance and due dates
Students will follow the protocol established in the Exacerbation of Symptoms Accommodation Guidelines.
Adaptive furniture
Students have the ability to determine the testing and learning environment to best meet their needs at a remote location.
Use of recorder
Students will follow the Recording and Transcription Agreement if this is an approved DSS accommodation.
Assistive Technology Resources
What is Read&Write?
Read and Write is a free literacy support software including text to speech technology, speech recognition dictation, spell checker and other useful tools
Sonoma State offers a text-to-speech program called Read&Write for all faculty, staff, and students. Read&Write can access Microsoft documents, PDFs, and internet browsers (Chrome/Firefox/Edge/Safari) to read text out loud.
Read&Write supports students in education
How can students, faculty, or staff download Read&Write?
How-To: Read & Write
Read & Write Reference Guide for PC
Read & Write for Windows - Quick Reference Card
Read & Write Reference Guide for Mac
Read & Write for Google Chrome
How do I access Dragon Naturally Speaking or other voice-to-text software?
Dragon is available in the AsTech Lab on the first floor of Schulz Information Technology and can be accessed from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm unless you have key-card access through DSS.
Dragon is also available on the third floor of the library during normal business hours.
A student’s Dragon profile is placed on the SSU server, so this program cannot be accessed If the campus is shut down.
Other resources for speech to text:
Speech to text for Mac Users
Read&Write Speech to Text
Read&Write for Google Chrome™ - Speech Input Overview
Speech to Text in Google Docs
Technology-related resources
How do I use Zoom?
Zoom is a free online meeting and learning tool available for faculty to choose to use to stream real time academic classes. DSS and other campus services may also use zoom for real-time appointments. It is already available as one of the tiles in your mySSU.
For more information please explore these Zoom Tutorials.
How can I get assistance using Canvas?
Students can login to Canvas via their personal login and click the Canvas tile.
Get Started with Canvas
How can I get assistance from IT?
At present, the IT helpdesk remains open and can be reached via phone or email at 707-664-4357 and helpdesk@sonoma.edu
What is web etiquette?
Video Meeting Etiquette via Zoom
Email Etiquette
What is Yuja?
YuJa is a cloud-hosted video creation and management software. YuJa is capable of interactive lecture recording with desktop video capture, video quizzes and more. Please visit this website for more information.
Resources from the Sonoma State Library
What should I do if I do not have a computer with a high speed internet connection?
The SSU 24-hour lab will be available to students.
In case we move to online instruction, students may need a laptop or web camera at home, for this reason the SSU library loans Macbook Laptops.
How do I access online library support?
The library offers many online and electronic resources (books, articles, and images, and video) that the SSU Community can access remotely.
Even in the case of a library closure, students have access to 24/7 Research Help via our virtual reference service where they can get help navigating our online resources or completing their research assignments.
The librarian responding might be from one of our partner libraries around the world, so if the student has questions about particular SSU Library resources or more in-depth research inquiries, please encourage them to contact me. I am more than willing to set up a one-on-one research consultation with individual students via Zoom.
Library Spaces and Technology
At present, the library remains open through the scheduled suspension of classes. We will post on our website and social media outlets if this should change in the coming days.
Students are still welcome to use our study spaces, computers, wifi, and printers at this time. We do encourage students to continue to practice social distancing in our spaces by sitting—at the very least—at every other computer or seat.
Internet Resources in the Community
How do I get access to computers and high speed internet access?
For those without a reliable Internet connection, check the regional public libraries, which often lend out wifi hotspots. Our own public library system checks out wifi hotspots on a first-come, first-served basis through its SonomaFi program.
Another option is Comcast's Internet Essential Program. To help low-income families stay connected to updates about the COVID-19 pandemic, Comcast is giving away two months of free internet services for eligible households that sign up starting Monday, March 16.
Staying Connected with SSU
How do I obtain campus updates?
Check your Sonoma State email every day, multiple times a day.
Check Canvas multiple times a day.
Check the Sonoma State Homepage.
What is happening with the DSS Senior Send-off and other events on campus?
If the directive from the Governor to keep gatherings to less than 50 people is maintained for an extended period of time it is likely these events will be cancelled. More information to follow.
Other Campus Resources
How do I contact CAPS?
CAPS is still open during class suspension. Please visit their website for more information.
How do I contact the Health Center?
To schedule an appointment with the Health Center please call 707-664-2921. Please visit their website for more information.
If you are out of the area and in need of medical advice please call your local health care provider.
Practice Self-Care
How can I organize my time?
In challenging circumstances such as these, it is best to keep as much of your normal routine as possible. Consider some of the following ideas to help keep yourself organized:
Keep your planner, scheduling app, calendar updated.
Plan working on class material and accessing lessons similarly to your in-person class schedule (for example: work on HIST 251 T/TH from 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm at the same time as the class is held.)
Keep a Regular Routine: continue to wake-up, eat, and go to bed at similar times.
Regularly check your email to find out more about your classes.
Create some goals for each day.
Take 5-10 minute non-technology breaks every 1-1.5 hours.
What resources are available for housing and food?
Housing will continue to be open at this time
Contact Residential Education and Campus Housing (REACH)
On-campus dining resources may transition to grab-and-go. For a community food resource please go to www.getfood.refb.org
How can I care for myself during this time?
Utilize self-care strategies you have already implemented during other stressful situations:
- Physical outlets: Stretching, Yoga, going for a short walk/getting fresh air.
- Mental outlets: Games, Puzzles, Meditation.
- Creative outlets: Coloring, making videos, knit/crochet, organizing.
- Eat healthy meals and drink plenty of water.