Hello,
Since some
of you are new to your positions since the accessible instructional materials
policy was adopted I thought you might want a brief description.
The key
points are:
–
Make
all new instructional material accessible,
–
Make
all instructional material accessible by Fall 2012,
–
Develop
a schedule for converting all existing material,
–
Report
on what was converted,
–
Inform
faculty of the informational resources available,
–
Make
resources available,
–
Include
accessibility provisions in forms used for new-course-proposals.
For the
scheduling requirement I’m suggesting an approach focusing on one task per
semester: Dean Steele agreed that this was a sensible approach:
F 08
Websites
S 09
Convert printed material to digital format
F 09
Syllabi
S 10 Word
F 10 PDF
S 11
PowerPoint
F 11
Audio/Visual material
S12 Any remaining issues.
For the
reporting requirement, I’m suggesting building an online database where faculty
can self-report.
The
resources include a university website, a faculty member at each college and a
student assistant at each college. I am the faculty member for the
Here are
the resolved sections:
RESOLVED
that beginning Fall 2008, faculty teaching new courses shall , to the extent
possible, create accessible versions of green sheets, handouts, electronic presentations,
course web sites, and other (non-textbook) print-based instructional materials,
which shall be made available to students with disabilities at the same time
they are made available to other students in the course; and that during Fall
2008, department/program curriculum committees, in consultation with department
chairs/program directors, shall develop a schedule for the period Fall
2008 to Fall 2012 identifying by when each of a department’s existing courses
will need to have instructional materials converted to accessible form; and
RESOLVED
that
at the end of the first semester during which materials were converted, faculty
teaching the course (or an appointed course coordinator for multi-section
courses) shall report to the department curriculum committee and department
chair on their efforts to make course materials accessible (the report may
include a list of those types of materials which were made accessible, the time
spent converting materials or participating in training activities, as well as
instances when time, resources or existing technology did not allow for the
creation of accessible versions of particular content); and
RESOLVED
that
faculty shall be informed of the resources available from the Center for
Faculty Development and the Disabilities Resource Center, including accessible
document templates, in-person and on-line training sessions, document
conversion services, student assistants, and consultations with
Faculty-in-Residence trained in accessibility; and
RESOLVED
that
the University recognize that the success of the efforts covered by this
resolution can only be assured if substantial financial resources are provided
by the University. Chairs, Deans and University
administration shall support faculty during the semester in which a course is
being made accessible by providing resources in the form of student assistants,
assigned time, and/or realignment of the faculty member’s service
responsibilities; and
RESOLVED
that
the forms for new course proposals be modified so that the signatories
acknowledge the importance of incorporating accessibility in the course design;
and that program planning reviews include a report from the department/program
under review on progress towards compliance with accessibility requirements
throughout the curriculum; and
RESOLVED
that the need for accessibility should not infringe on the faculty's
responsibility to provide the best instruction possible, including modification
of instructional materials during a semester.
The full
text can be found here. http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S08-3.htm