Author: David Tylicki

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Academic Center for Excellence Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Offices & Programs SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

Update to Student Academic Success Programs websites

Two SMU students working at a laptop

Student Academic Success Programs websites will move to new website addresses on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. These include the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center, Tutoring, the Writing Center, Academic Skills Development, and Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies. Student Academic Engagement and Success webmasters will work to ensure uninterrupted access to the information you need from our sites. If you find any problems, please email Lydia Allen at lrallen@smu.edu. Note that the University will be closed Monday, December 23, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

Categories
Academic Center for Excellence Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Offices & Programs Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center services offered remotely on Friday, September 6

Due to the Friday, September 6th football game in Ford Stadium, the Loyd Center will require early security checks and lockdown. Therefore, all services offered in the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) will be offered as virtual options only. All staff will be remote that day. Tutoring is canceled for the day, but all other services will operate as scheduled. Please check with the individual staff member for the specific modality (ZOOM or TEAMS). Services include the Writing Center, DASS services, and academic counseling. Pony Up and beat BYU!

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Academic Center for Excellence Academic Devleopment of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Offices & Programs SMU in Four Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs Student Success & Retention Tutoring University Advising Center University Foundations University Testing Center Writing Center

You’re invited to DASSapalooza on Thursday, August 29

The Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) Office is inviting all DASS students, new and returning, to visit our office on the first Thursday afternoon of classes.

We’ll have great food, presentations on different topics like the benefits of coaching, a student’s perspective from our Graduate Assistant, answers to questions about how to share accommodation letters with faculty, and a demonstration for returning students on how to submit their Semester Requests.

Faculty and staff are also invited to see our physical space, ask questions about implementing accommodations, and just grab a bite to eat. All DASS staff will be available.

In addition, we need help naming our new DASS mascot. Add your suggestion on the voting board for the otter on our new “Accessibility For All” stickers.

Come see us and say hello!

Location: Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (A-LEC) Room 202R, which is located on the 2nd floor of the Loyd All-Sports Center

Call us with any questions: 214-768-1470Cartoon otter, the mascot of DASS

Categories
Academic Center for Excellence Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs

Assistive technology helps all students – Part 2

Student sitting at a table working on a laptop in SMU's A-LEC Tutoring Center.

Assistive technology can enhance the academic life of neurodivergent and neurotypical students alike. In part 1, we touched on text-to-speech software and browser extensions that make Canvas easier to use. If you missed it, check it out! Here in part 2, we’ll take a look at mindfulness software and AI.

Recent, long-term scientific studies suggest that mindfulness leads to academic success not just for students with ADHD, but all students. Just 20 minutes of daily meditation or meditative prayer can decrease rumination, emotional volatility, and anxiety, and increase memory, focus, and cognitive flexibility. For more information, check out apps like Headspace, Smiling Mind, and the Apple Mindfulness App.

Researchers are also identifying how ChatGPT and other AI tools can assist students with disabilities, such as exploring research topics, brainstorming self-advocacy conversation starters, and providing activity ideas for self-care. Some uses of AI are not useful for learning, however: having AI write even part an assignment is plagiarism; overreliance on AI leads to decreased comprehension due to a lack of engagement with course material; and information provided by AI may not be factually based or able to be sourced. Regardless, students should always consult with their instructors before using AI in a class.

Assistive technology helps to create an inclusive environment where students of all kinds, not just those with disabilities, can participate and engage. For more information, contact Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) at dass@smu.edu or 214-768-1470.

Categories
Academic Center for Excellence Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs

2024 Extra Mile Award winners

Every spring for the Hilltop Excellence Awards, Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies‘ student organization, Students for New Learning (SNL), presents two or three instructors with the Extra Mile Award. This award recognizes teaching excellence and sensitivity when working with neurodivergent students.

This year, SNL has recognized: Pamela Corley, Department of Political Science; C.J. Enloe, World Languages and Literature – Spanish; and Shon Phillips, English. Watch the official presentation video here.

Congratulations to our winners! Thank you for helping to make SMU a welcoming place for neurodivergent students and “going the extra mile” to help them succeed.

Categories
Academic Center for Excellence Academic Skill Development Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies First-Generation Initiative Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Academic Success Programs

Assistive technology helps all students – part 1

Student sitting at a table working on a laptop in SMU's A-LEC Tutoring Center.

We at Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) see how invaluable assistive technology is in the life of a student with a disability, but we want to share how this tech can help anyone. In the first of a two-part post, we’ll look at the text-to-speech software Kurzweil, and browser extensions that make Canvas more user-friendly. 

Kurzweil reads electronic text aloud, and so students who are blind, have low vision, and many who are dyslexic rely heavily on it or similar apps. Students with ADHD, ESL students, students with a preference for auditory learning, and even those just struggling to focus find it easier to follow along as the text is read to them. Kurzweil is available for download to all SMU students through DASS, Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA), and Fondren Library.

Academic counselors here at DASS and in Academic Skill Development (ASD), see students struggle to find posted assignments, rubrics, and important dates on Canvas. Two Chrome browser extensions available for download at the Chrome Web Store might help: Tasks for Canvas and Better Canvas.

Tasks for Canvas presents many ways to organize and bring important things front and center, including class announcements. It “gamifies” assignments with a progress wheel and helps the student break a task into smaller parts, then tracks their progress.

The second extension, Better Canvas, is more for cosmetic changes to the layout making it easier to see and get to the most important parts of each Canvas page. It is like Tasks but allows more creativity in its use of colors, dark/light modes, and themes.

Stay tuned for part two next week when we’ll consider mindfulness apps and AI!