The Office of Accessibility Services exists to serve, empower, and provide accommodations for students.
LOCATION & CONTACT
Tower Hall, N320 – ACE Center
P: 815-740-3204 | F: 815-740-3726
oas@stfrancis.edu
HOURS
Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
APPOINTMENTS
Click here to schedule an appointment with Dominique Dusek.
Our office is dedicated to serving and empowering students who self-identify as having diagnosed disabilities. Individuals who may qualify for accommodations include, but are not limited to, learners who have:
OAS is overseen by Dominique Dusek, who is a two-time Lewis University alumna with a bachelor’s degree in writing and a master’s degree in secondary education. Over the past 10 years, Dominique has worked in academic support and public relations at Joliet Junior College, Triton College and Lewis University. For the past five years, she applied her passion for serving students with diverse needs in the co-taught classroom environment. In spring of 2023, she returned to higher education, joining the USF team as an academic advisor before transitioning into her current role. Dominique loves collaborating individually with students to help make higher ed spaces more student-centered and accessibility-friendly.
The application process involves four steps:
1) Providing current documentation of your diagnosis from a qualified medical professional.
2) Completing an intake interview with the assistant director to discuss your previous learning experiences and the services you may qualify for.
3) Completing the intake form containing consent to contact and confidentiality information.
4) Receiving your letters of accommodation via USF email along with your professors.
Click here to watch a helpful video about how to get started!
Your IEP or 504 plan from high school can be an informative form of supplemental documentation. However, documentation from a qualified medical professional in a relevant field is still required. If you have trouble accessing this information or are unsure of whether the documents you can provide would qualify as appropriate documentation, please contact oas@stfrancis.edu.
If you are unsure as to what kind of documentation or information to ask your doctor for, consider providing your doctor with the following templates. More generally, the doctor’s report should…
1) be on official letterhead, 2) identify the diagnosis,
3) provide testing information or data as to how the diagnosis was determined,
4) describe limitations or challenges related to the diagnosis,
5) identify possible accommodations to support the success of the student.
RESOURCES
Each of your instructors will receive a personal letter of accommodations via email. The letter–which you will be copied on–documents any appropriate accommodations the instructors should provide. However, this letter will not contain any personal, private medical information. You are always encouraged to approach your instructors discreetly to collaborate on how accommodations will be implemented within each specific course.
To ensure that you continue to receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, you must complete the accommodation renewal form each semester and meet with the Assistant Director for a brief check-in. Accommodations will not roll over from semester-to-semester.
For a more comprehensive understanding of housing accommodation policies, click here! Individuals seeking housing accommodations are required to complete the following forms and return them to OAS: Housing Accommodation Request and Housing Accommodation Provider Form.
Yes! USF recognizes the value of emotional support animals and support animals in light of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act; However–similar to seeking academic accommodations– there is an application process and documentation process required. Explore the following links for more information concerning our policies for service animals and emotional support animals!
The University and the Office of Accessibility Services supports your right to file a grievance when you believe you have been denied equal access as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)of 1990. For more information on how to file a grievance, please see pages 19-20 in the OAS Handbook.
Dominique Dusek
Assistant Director of the Accessibility
ddusek@stfrancis.edu
815-740-3204
Jennifer Ethridge
Director of Academic Center for Excellence
jethridge@stfrancis.edu
815-740-2286
