December 2005

This is the last week of classes so please take care of yourselves in the final weeks of the term as we move into finals beginning on 12/15. Best wishes from all of us in ODS for a wonderful holiday season and a restful and restorative January break. We’ll see you in 2006!

Final Exam Update
If you have not already done so, please contact Frank (212/854-4634) immediately to confirm any test accommodations needed during the final exam period, 12/15-12/22. Remember that we have limited space available and students are expected to take all exams with the rest of the class but in approved instances ODS may serve as proctors. The deadline for all reservations is Friday, 12/9 4:00pm.

Specialized Housing Requests The deadline for disability-related room change requests for SP’06 is this Friday, 12/9 @ 4:00pm in ODS. Students should follow the same procedure which ODS uses during regular room selection, which includes the student’s written statement, a brief appointment with Susan Quinby and a clinician statement. Please call Frank @ 212/854-4634 if you have any questions.

Free Massage Day
As is our ODS pre-finals/stress management tradition, we are offering free 30 minute massages to all registered ODS students on Tuesday, December 13 from 10am-5pm in the Flex Room, Barnard Hall, Tunnel Level. Please stop by ODS in 105 Hewitt to sign up for an available time-slot now!

DARA: Disability Access Recognition Awards Has there been a member of the Barnard/Columbia community – faculty, staff or student – who has been particularly supportive and/or creative in responding to your disability-related needs this semester? If so, please nominate them for a DARA! DARA nomination forms are available now in ODS – or can be found on our website @ http://www.barnard.edu/ods/forms/7_dara_hc.html

CU/BC Merrill Lynch/Enable America Project
We were delighted with the success of our co-sponsored career panel for students with disabilities held at the Columbia Business School on 12/1 – and will be back in touch with all ODS students (whether you were able to attend the event or not) re: next steps in the funded internship program sponsored by Merrill Lynch for summer, 2006.

Welcome to the 27 new transfer students to Barnard - and welcome back to all
of our returning students as well! We hope that you have had a restful and
restorative mid-year break, and we look forward to seeing you and to working
together in the coming weeks.

ODS welcomes Olga (Okie) Hrycak
We are delighted to introduce you to Dr. Olga Hrycak, our new LD
Coordinator. Olga replaces Roberta Lupert, who retired in November after
nine years in ODS - and is now a proud first-time grandmother as of 1/13/06.
A former special education teacher, child study team coordinator, and
principal for fourteen years in Parsippany, NJ - Okie has a B.A. in
psychology from Caldwell College, and an Ed.M. and Ed.D. in special
education from Rutgers University. In addition, Okie has taught courses in
Learning Disabilities and Assessment in the Department of Educational
Psychology at Rutgers - and is energetic, optimistic and creative - three
traits which make her a valued addition to the ODS team! Okie welcomes all
LD and ADD students to meet with her during her regular hours on Wed/Thur
from 10am-3pm. Please stop by and say hello to Okie!

Call for check-in appointments
As we do at the beginning of each new term, we ask that all students
registered with ODS schedule a brief (15-20 minute) check-in meeting with
either Susan or Okie so we can go over your program and discuss any
disability-related needs you may have. We are especially interested in
meeting with all graduating seniors to begin discussing possible
post-Barnard plans.

Test Accommodation Forms (TAFs)
Any student who will be requesting disability-related test accommodations
this semester must complete a TAF for each course in which she'll be using
accommodations. As in the past, students should complete the TAF cover sheet
and then schedule a TAF (or check-in) meeting with either Okie or Susan for
discussion and completion of the disability certification statement and ODS
signature. The deadline for SP'06 TAFs is Friday, February 10 - so please
plan ahead!


PDA wants you!
Peer Disability Advocates (PDA) is a new pilot program designed to establish
a greater sense of community among students with disabilities at Barnard by
connecting first-years (and new transfers) with upperclass students with
disabilities who may share similar interests re: disability, academics,
career concerns, extracurricular activities, etc. Mentors will receive a
small stipend for their involvement and will participate in an
orientation/training to be held in February. Please stop by ODS to complete
the PDA interest form - or if you have any questions. Come join PDA!

Living with Chronic Illness Support Group
The Furman Counseling Center and the Office of Disability Services invite
all students with chronic illnesses to join the "Living with Chronic Illness
Group". Sometimes one of the hardest things about living with a chronic
illness is the sense of isolation it can create. During this group, students
exchange stories, advice and strategies that reduce the feelings of
isolation. It provides a confidential and supportive forum to talk about the
logistics, decisions and emotions that accompany having a chronic illness.
For the purpose of this group, chronic illness is defined as any illness
(both psychiatric and medical) that presents physical and/or emotional
challenges on a daily basis.

The group will begin meeting on a weekly basis in early February, time TBA.
Please call the Counseling Center at 4/2902 or email Group Leader Brooke
Hersey, Psy. D. at bhersey@barnard.edu to set up a meeting for more
information.

Summer internships and more;

I: Workforce Recruitment Program
ODS and Career Development (OCD) are delighted to invite you to participate
in the U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce Recruitment Program for College
Students with Disabilities. WRP is a recruitment and referral program that
connects public and private sector employers nationwide with highly
motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities. This
innovative program provides students in all fields of study with the
opportunity to market themselves to a variety of potential employers - and
is a great way to gain valuable on-the-job skills, experience and contacts.

On Tuesday, February 7 a WRP recruiter will conduct 30-minute individual
interviews at Barnard and a database will be created by late March.
Interested employers will make direct contact with students and alumnae
about temporary and permanent job offers.

If you would like to participate, please contact Kim Barberich in OCD
(4/7747). Additional info can also be found at
www.dol.gov/odep/brochures/wrpl.html. We hope to see you on February 7!

Summer internships and more;

II:National Business and Disability Council, Emerging Leaders summer internship
program for college students with disabilities
The Emerging Leaders program is now offering paid summer internships for
students with disabilities at a diverse array of leading/national
corporations. Applicants must be a current undergrad or grad student, have
completed at least 45 credits, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. The
application deadline is Tuesday, January 31 and the 2-page application can
be downloaded at www.emerging-leaders.com
<http://www.emerging-leaders.com/> .

For graduating seniors with disabilities who are seeking employment
post-graduation, please post your resume with the NBDC (www.nbdc.com
<http://www.nbdc.com/> ) National Resume Database for Job Seekers with
Disabilities. In addition, students may view current job postings by opening
the *job seekers* link on the nbdc.com website. Please visit the website or
call the toll-free # (800)839-6163) for further info.

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As this newsletter goes to press, the first major snowstorm of the winter is forecast for this weekend. Enjoy – but let’s hope the accumulation isn’t too much!

TAF Deadline extended: 2/17 

Although the original deadline for all Test Accommodations Forms was 2/10, our Valentine gift to all ODS students is to extend the deadline to Friday, February 17^th @ 4pm. This is a firm deadline. Please remember that you must schedule a check-in with either Susan or Okie and complete your TAF cover sheets before seeing your instructors for the required signature on page 2 of the TAF.

Marsteller Internship Program deadline: 2/16 

ODS is once again delighted to invite all students with disabilities to apply for a Marsteller Internship grant for the Spring, 2006 semester. Internships must be 8-10 weeks in duration and can be in any area of interest. Students should pick up the Internship Grant Program application (which includes a statement from your internship sponsor) and return it to Career Development (OCD) in 11 Milbank by 2/16 at 12 noon. For further info, please go to www.barnard.edu/ods and click on the link marked *Marsteller interns*.

Please note: OCD will host an Internships Info Session for all interested students on Wednesday 2/15 @4:30pm in the OCD Annex in 119 McIntosh.

Peer Disability Advocates (PDA) 

We are still looking for students interested in serving as peer mentors for incoming first-years and transfers with disabilities – and invite you to stop by ODS to complete the PDA interest form. PDAs will receive orientation training and a small stipend, and will then be matched with a student with a similar disability for mentoring and information sharing. For more info, please speak to Frank or Susan in ODS.  

In honor of Barnard Student Employment Week (April 3-7), we would like to publicly acknowledge the incredible efforts of our three hard working, creative and tireless assistants: Shae, Amy and Katy. We are forever indebted to these three amazing women - as well as to all of our accommodative aides and volunteer notetakers for this semester. Thanks for your spirit, sense of humor and involvement in making ODS a special place within the Barnard community.

Test Accommodation Forms Last Call

We are beginning to coordinate the proctoring schedule for finals for SP'06 - so if you have not already done so, please give us the dates and time-slots of any finals which ODS will be proctoring. If you are unsure of your final dates, please visit the Projected University Examination Schedule. Please remember that ODS has limited proctoring space - so we'll need to hear from you soon!

Summer Marsteller Internships

Tuesday, April 11 is the deadline for all ODS students interested in applying for a summer '06 funded internship through the Marsteller Internship Program. Internships must be 8-10 weeks in duration and can either be selected from the extensive database in the Office of Career Development (OCD) in 11 Milbank - or self-designed. Please visit the OCD website for further info.

Calling all LD/ADD Students: How do you use your extra time?
An Invitation from Okie Hrycak, LD Coordinator

My first months at Barnard have been stimulating ones. I have enjoyed meeting with students, faculty and staff, and becoming familiar with Barnard culture.

As I've been meeting with students dealing with their LD/ADHD issues to determine needs for the spring semester, we've often used extended time as an accommodation for test-taking. Some students have specific strategies they use such as brainstorming ideas and charting concepts. Others find that extended time is more of a "comfort thing" and decreases stress that builds during an exam.

Sometimes, students are not aware of specific strategies. Research indicates that identification of strategies and their deliberate use allows the student to be more efficient in the process of learning.

Kindly take a few minutes to think through your approach to test-taking during your extended time accommodation. Do you struggle more with multiple choice tests or are essays more of a challenge? E-mail your strategies or drop by ODS to fill out a very brief questionnaire. I'll compile your responses in a "best practices" list and share them with all of you in our next newsletter.

WFIR Wants You!

As a part of Project OWL: Options in Writing and Learning, ODS and the Writing Center have launched a pilot program in which three dedicated Writing Fellows are available each week in ODS.
The schedule for WFIR (Writing Fellows In Residence) is:

Pamela Leibowitz '07: Tuesdays 1-2pm

Emily Gerstell '06: Wednesdays 11am-12pm

Sydney Carlock '07: Thursdays 12:00pm-1:00pm

Students have the option of working with the fellows on a drop-in basis-or can be matched with a particular fellow who they can work with throughout the semester. Although there are the regular drop-in time-slots, hours can be arranged on an individual basis as needed. Please contact Okie, Susan or Frank in ODS @ 212/854-4634 if you have any questions.

Calling all Disability Access Recognition Awards Nominations

ODS invites all registered students to nominate any faculty and staff who have been especially supportive or creative in responding to your disability-related needs this semester. Please stop by ODS to complete the brief DARA form - or submit online.

Specialized Housing Requests for Summer 2006

If you have any disability-related needs and plan to be living in Barnard student housing this summer, the deadline for specialized housing requests is Friday, April 28. As with the regular procedure, students should complete a brief statement about their disability and related needs, schedule an appointment with Susan Quinby, and obtain a clinician statement re: their particular request. For more info, please visit the ODS website

Jackson-Stricks Scholarship Program

All ODS students (including graduating seniors) who are residents of the New York Metropolitan area (NY, NJ, CT) are encouraged to apply for a supplemental scholarship of up to $3000, provided by the National Council of Jewish Women, New York Section. The Jackson-Stricks Scholarship is awarded on an annual basis to students with disabilities, in recognition of the importance of earning a degree and developing an independent living. The brief one-page application is available in ODS and requires three references (faculty, clinician, personal) and a short essay. Applications are due by Friday, April 14 at the NCJW headquarters in NYC.

May 2006

Congratulations to all members of the graduating Class of 2006 - and to our new first-years and transfers on the successful completion of your first year at Barnard! All of us in ODS hope that you will have exciting, productive and relaxing summers - and please remember that we will be here all summer if you have any disability-related questions or concerns for the coming academic year.

Final T.A.F. Alert!

This is the last call for any test accommodations needed for this semester's final exams. By now, you should have been in contact with Frank Ammirata about any finals test-taking needs - even if you won't be needing an ODS proctor. (As our own "insurance policy", we like to have confirmation that your needs are being met in the regular classroom - just in case there are any unanticipated problems and/or last-minute changes). The deadline for any test accommodations is this Friday, April 28th at 4pm in ODS. Thank you!

Specialized Housing Requests for Summer 2006

If you have any disability-related needs and plan to be living in Barnard student housing this summer, the deadline for specialized housing requests is Friday, April 28. As with the regular procedure, students should complete a brief statement about their disability and related needs, schedule an appointment with Susan Quinby, and obtain a clinician statement re: their particular request. For more info, please visit the ODS website.

DARA: Disability Access Recognition Awards

Calling all nominations for those members of our community (faculty/students/staff) who have been particularly creative and/or responsive in assisting you with your disability-related needs during the past year - either fall or spring semesters. The DARA nomination form is now available in hard copy in ODS in 105 Hewitt, or online here. Think about who has been of great help and support to you and please consider nominating them for a DARA this spring. This is a terrific way to honor and recognize those individuals who have made a difference to you, and to the issue of diversity at Barnard and Columbia.

Senior Exit Interviews and End-of Year Check-Outs

We invite all graduating seniors to schedule a final senior exit interview during the next two weeks either with Okie (all LD and ADD students) or Susan (all others). This 15-20 minute brief appointment will enable us to evaluate our services, plan for future services and assist you with any post-Barnard disability-related needs you may have re: graduate school and the workplace. All non-graduating ODS students are also encouraged to set up an end-of-year check-out meeting (especially first-years) so that we can review the past year's needs and plan for the coming academic year. We look forward to meeting with everyone.

Equipment Reminder

If you have borrowed any ODS equipment during the semester, please remember to bring it back as soon as you are able to do so. All equipment must be returned by the last day of finals (12/21 at 4:00pm) or you will be billed for any outstanding items.

Summer Pre-PDA (Peer Disability Advocates)

Calling all ODS mentors - including graduating seniors! Would you be willing to be contacted by a newly admitted disabled student who will be coming to Barnard this fall? ODS is looking for current students who could serve as disability resources for new incoming first-years and/or transfers with
disabilities. This would be a minimal time commitment - and could be very helpful for students who may have specific questions about the issue of disability and accommodations at Barnard. Please email us @ ods@barnard.edu - or stop by ODS and sign up now if interested. We hope you'll want to participate!

Free Massage Day

As is our ODS pre-finals/stress management tradition, we are offering free 30-minute massages to all registered ODS students on a day TBA during the reading period. Please check your email for a date and location!