The Advocate Fall 2015

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1 Fall 2015 OSSD 223 Lawrence West Chester, PA In This Issue 8 Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle..2 Walking Club..2 Don t Forget! PRIORITY REGISTRATION: Sunday October 11, 2015 Make an appointment to see your advisor before that date! Ask Your Academic Coach 1. Completing the Self-Directed Search can help you discover your likes and dislikes related to specific careers. Involvement Opportunities on Campus..3 Delta Alpha Pi..3 Tips for Effective Studying..4 Resources on Campus..5 Proctoring..6 Marqi s Corner..7 Student Spotlight..8 OSSD Staff Use WinWay Resume as a template for creating resumes. Check out the Career Development on campus! OSSD is Looking for Ambassadors West Chester University s Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) Student Ambassador Program is geared for the transition faced by high school students with disabilities as they move from high school to college. As an Ambassador, you will be asked to share your college experiences with high school juniors and seniors in the form of a panel. It is our job to help these future students, and to give them the best advice to start their journey into college. To be an ambassador please contact Amy Stoltzfus at AS795932@wcupa.edu Once contacted, you will be informed of times that OSSD will be visiting high schools in the area. We will keep you posted on any events to come!

2 2 8 Simple Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle 1) Try to get some light exercise every day, even if it's a 20 minute walk around campus or into town. 2) Eat something green every day. 3) Try drinking tea instead of coffee. It's better for you and has just as much, if not more, caffeine. 4) Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night, but make sure you're getting at least 6. 5) Maintain a balanced diet. Make only one or two days a week cheat days for sugars and junk food. 6) Try to have the hour before you to go sleep no screen time" (TV, cell phone, ipad, etc.); read a book or magazine instead. 7) Drink more water and less soda and other sugary drinks. 8) Always make time for breakfast. By: Amy Stoltzfus Do you like being outside? Taking walks? Then join the OSSD Walking Club! Join the new OSSD Walking club! For one hour a week, we will meet and take a bus to the Gordon Natural Area and explore the woods and trails on our own campus! Light refreshments will be provided (water and a healthy snack). Why? Studies have shown being immersed in nature reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. (Larson & Kreitzer, 2014). Being outside helps us reconnect with nature and gets us away from textbooks and computer screens. What if I don t walk very often? No worries! This is meant to be a relaxing activity and will NOT be very strenuous. We can decide as a group how far we want to go and will be sure to take breaks along the way. So what are you waiting for? Sign up! You ll meet others from OSSD, make new friends, and get in some light exercise. The OSSD Walking Club will meet Mondays at 1 pm in OSSD office (Lawrence 223). We will take a bus to South Campus and return no later than 3 pm. For more questions contact Wes at wg674185@wcupa.edu or stop by the office.

3 3 Involvement Opportunities on Campus There are many different ways to get involved at West Chester University! This fall the university held the semester Involvement Fair where hundreds of the University s finest clubs and organizations advocated their causes at individual tables across the academic quad. At West Chester we have club sports, service organizations, art clubs, cultural clubs, religious clubs, and so many more! Finding involvement that fits your specific interests is key to success in being involved as a college student. Getting involved in a club or organization in college has a variety of benefits, such as making friends with people who have similar interests and passions. Not only are there relationships made in friendship, but also professional connections with the university staff and the community at large. Clubs at the University generally connect with other clubs, connect within the community, as well as connect with professionals and staff of high status within the field of the club or organization s purposes. Lastly, any club or organization that a student is involved with is a rather large resume builder for future education opportunities and future jobs. Being involved means taking time out of your day to contribute to something that is a collaboration with other peers and colleagues and any involvement will shine on a resume for furthering a student s career. It has a variety of benefits and is something that allows students to have fun meeting others and sharing common interests whilst building their resumes! So get involved today! By: Melanie Riland Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society presents an opportunity to change any negative stereotyping associated with disabilities by recognizing students with disabilities for their academic accomplishments. In addition, this Honor Society facilitates development of skills in leadership, advocacy, and education. Delta Alpha Pi is open to both Undergraduate and Graduate Students at West Chester University with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. This application is for those who are seeking membership. If you have a 2.8 or 2.9 GPA, you are eligible to join Delta Alpha Pi through the "Rising Stars" program. Applications are now available in the OSSD. The deadline to submit the applications is Tuesday, October 13, If you are interested in becoming an Honorary Member and wish to assist us with programming and fundraisers -- please contact me directly. By: Michael Diaz If you have any questions, please contact: Michael Diaz (MD727645@wcupa.edu)

4 4 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE STUDYING Daily Tips HOW CAN YOU TAKE GOOD NOTES? Takes notes for a class in the same notebook each week Anything your professor writes on the board should go into your notes Highlight important ideas or vocabulary BE INVOLVED IN CLASS Don t be afraid to speak up if a professor is moving through a lecture too quickly & you miss important information Ask questions if you are confused Participate as fully as you can in group activities. These are done for your benefit! REVIEW YOUR NOTES DAILY Research has shown that reviewing new material within 24 hours of hearing it increases your retention of that material by about 60%! Reviewing material before class allows you to identify points of confusion in your notes, which helps with questions you need to ask before the next lecture. Did you know that the most common barrier to success encountered by college students is a lack of effective techniques for study and exam preparation? If you are someone that says they study by looking over your notes we need to talk about your study skills! Preparing for Exams Don t wait until the night before to study for am exam! Regularly review your notes and understand that preparation takes time Highlight important points in your notes Highlight in another color important terminology in notes The least efficient approach to studying is to attempt to memorize your notes from beginning to end. It's not the words that are important--it's the ideas. Make charts, diagrams, graphs, and/or lists. Make flashcards or a review self-test NEVER, EVER PULL AN ALL NIGHTER...what you may gain from extra study time won't compensate for the loss of alertness and ability to concentrate due to lack of sleep. By: Jillian Moyer

5 5 Remarkable Resources Whether you are a first year student or a fifth year super senior, campus life can bring a whole host of problems. From academic help to health services, West Chester University offers a plethora of resources in order to help you succeed in college. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is located in 223 Lawrence. The OSSD offers services for students with physical, psychological, and learning disabilities and is designed to assist students in making a successful transition to college life and provides advocacy with faculty for classroom accommodations. Right across the hall from the OSSD is one of the most utilized resources on campus: the Learning Assistance and Resource (LARC). Located in 224 Lawrence, the LARC employs over 100 tutors who hold over 915 tutoring sessions every week, completely free of charge to all students! Another great resource is the Counseling located in the lower level of Commonwealth Hall. Here students can sign up for individual counseling, group counseling, psychiatric services, and much more! Triage hours are from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Monday Friday. Along with the Counseling, the Student Health is located in the lower level of Commonwealth Hall. No insurance is needed to make an appointment with the registered nurses at the Health, and there is only a fee of $12 for services, which include immunizations, allergy shots, and many other health services. Career Development 225 Lawrence Monday Friday: 8 am - 4:30 pm Counseling 060 Commonwealth Monday-Friday: 1:00pm-3:00 Health and Wellness Ground Floor Commonwealth M-F: 8am-6pm; Saturday: 10am- 6pm Learning Assistance and Resource (LARC) 224 Lawrence By appointment LGBTQA Services 233 Sykes 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Service Learning and Volunteer Programs Multicultural Affairs Services Off-Campus and Commuter Services Writing Women s 241 Lawrence M-F: 8am - 4:30 pm 003 Sykes 8 am - 4:30 pm 116 Sykes M-F: 8am-4:30 pm 214 Lawrence & FHG Library 3 rd Floor : Check website 220 Lawrence : M-F: 9am - 5pm By: Michael Clemons

6 Proctoring 6 Contact Information Proctoring : OSSD@wcupa.edu Web: ossd/proctoring.aspx A student request is required for EVERY EXAM! For instance, if you have 3 exams for a Biology class, you will need to complete 3 separate Proctoring request forms. Student requests must be submitted one week before the scheduled exam. Purpose of Proctoring It is preferable that faculty provide testing accommodations; however, this is not always possible due to scheduling conflicts and other issues. The purpose of the OSSD Proctoring is to support faculty with providing testing accommodations for students with disabilities. Scheduling Protocol 1. A student will complete the online form at (or visit OSSD webpage, Proctoring tab, Student Login) Students will login using their WCU and complete all 3 sections of the online form. Section 1: Course Information Please select the correct course and section number; then correctly enter your professor s WCU . Section 2: Exam Date and Time Please review the Proctoring hours of operation (located to the right in this section) before scheduling. Your professor CANNOT schedule an exam for you when the Proctoring is not open. Please pick at least 2 different dates when scheduling Section 3: Accommodations Please select your TESTING accommodations and click submit. Please let your professor and Proctoring staff know one week in advance of the exam if you need any assistive services and/or technology to complete the exam. *The student's completed request will be forwarded to his/her professor via The professor will then schedule your exam at the Proctoring. 3. Once your professor schedules your exam, you will receive a confirmation that will contain the exam information. *If you do not receive a confirmation that your exam has been scheduled, please follow up with your professor before contacting OSSD Proctoring staff.*

7 7 Marqi s Corner Marqi Barks. It is no secret that college can be a very stressful time. Between balancing school work, friends, clubs, jobs, sports, sleep, studying, and other activities it can be difficult to set aside time just to relax! Here are some quick tips to help you unwind and refresh after a busy week of classes: Make sure to get plenty of sleep! Sleep is essential for many things such as productivity, memorization, and overall quality of health. If you are more of a nap person, then keep naps to around 30 minutes to avoid feeling drowsy afterwards. Make an effort to do things that make you happy! Listen to your favorite band, go for a run, do a craft, take a drive somewhere, watch Netflix (in moderation!), go to a concert, or read your favorite book. With a busy schedule, it is all too easy to forget to treat ourselves every once in a while. Spend time with friends! Nothing helps to take your mind off of tests/ projects quite like going out to eat, watching a movie, or playing a game with people you love being around. Even talking about your busy week or venting to a close friend or family member can be extremely therapeutic By: Chris Canfield

8 8 The Advocate Student Spotlight Congrats to OSSD student Colin O Malley for singing to Pope Francis! Dr. Martin Patwell Director Sharon Watson Assistant Director Linda Laskaris Administrative Assistant Susan Durkovic CART Captioner Christina Lee Proctoring Coordinator Bryan Jones Technical Assistant Weston Garton Amy Stoltzfus Academic Coaches/ Exam Proctors Chris Canfield Michael Diaz Bethany Lang Jillian Moyer Melanie Riland Academic Coaches Michael Clemons Martin Hopson Tutors