General Information

Per the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability is defined as:

1.  Having a physical or mental impairment that  substantially limits one of more major activities;

2. Having a record of such an impairment; or

3. Being regarded as having such as impairment.

Major life activities include, but are not limited to, seeing, hearing, eating, walking, standing, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and caring for oneself.

Who is eligible to receive services in CSD? 
Any Santa Monica College student with a verifiable disability, who needs accommodations to mitigate their disability related educational limitations, should contact the CSD office for eligibility and services. 

What is verification? 
Student must provide documentation of disability from a licensed or qualified professional. However, because each person’s situation is unique, we recommend that any interested student meet with a CSD counselor. The counselor will discuss with the student appropriate documentation during the initial meeting. Documentation requirements vary by situation. No student should delay meeting with us out of concern for not having appropriate paperwork. 

How do I request and receive services? 
To request services, an SMC student shall 

• Complete a CSD application (available at the CSD office). 
• Meet with a CSD counselor to plan classes, discuss disability related needs and if appropriate, refer the student to a Learning Disability (LD) specialist, High Tech Training (HTTC) specialist and/or Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) faculty specialist. 
• Provide verification of disability. 
• Enroll in classes. 
• Complete the Educational Plan. 
• Review and sign the Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP). 
• Consult with instructor(s) to discuss appropriate accommodations, if necessary. 

What is an accommodation? 
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 are federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. This means that all educational institutions are required to ensure that all programs and activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Sometimes making programs and activities accessible requires accommodations. 

An accommodation is a legally mandated modification or service that gives a student with a disability an equal opportunity to benefit from the educational process. It may be useful to think of accommodation as an adjustment to how things are normally done. An accommodation is determined based on the educational limitations directly related to the functional limitations of a disability. An accommodation cannot alter or lower the fundamental requirements of a course, an assignment, a degree, a certificate or a program. 

The law requires that students be provided with effective accommodations which are agreed upon through an interactive process between the student and the agents (eg, counselors, instructors, etc..) of the college. Consideration is given to the student’s preferred choice of adjustment. However, the college reserves the right to reject a student’s choice in lieu of another adjustment provided it is an equally effective alternative. 

• Students with a documented disability who wish to receive an accommodation in a class, program or activity on campus should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) for services. Students who do not wish to register with the CSD office may contact the ADA/504 Compliance Office or designee at (310) 434-8912 or oifer_eric@smc.edu.
• Instructors or officials of the program or activity are strongly encouraged to refer their students to the CSD office since they may not be qualified to evaluate the student’s disability related needs. 
• Accommodations and services are individualized and determined on a case-by-case basis through an interactive process between the student, the CSD faculty and the instructor, if appropriate.
• Students are responsible for requesting services and accommodations every term in a timely manner.  Timely manner is defined as allowing the college officials ( eg, DSPS, instructors etc., ) sufficient time to determine and provide the most effective accommodations on a case by case basis.  More complex accommodation requests may require longer time ( at least two or more weeks ) to determine and provide, thus It is critical to plan ahead of time.  Most auxiliary aids and services should ideally be requested before the term begins or as soon as the schedule is finalized, to afford ample time for scheduling note-takers, scribes, readers, sign language interpreters/real time captioners, and/or alternate media. This will best ensure timely service delivery. 
• Late requests for accommodations may delay delivery of services. 
• Students must officially be enrolled in classes before services or accommodations are provided. 
• Students must notify CSD immediately of any accommodation or service adjustments needed in their classes and/or campus related activities. 
• We generally do not provide retroactive accommodations, or accommodations that are not requested in a timely manner for an immediate need; however, due diligence shall be provided in the evaluation of each individual request. 
• The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student educational records and information. To preserve confidentiality, all counseling meetings are limited to students only. All other attendees such as parents, significant others etc… require prior approval by the CSD faculty and the student’s written consent.  Audio and/or video recording without the CSD faculty and staff’s consent is not permitted and may be subject to disciplinary action. For further information, please contact your CSD counselor. 

Student Rights 

• Participation in Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) shall be entirely voluntary. 
• Receiving support services or instruction authorized through CSD shall not preclude a student from participating in any other course, program, or activity offered by the college. 
• All records maintained by the CSD office pertaining to students with disabilities shall remain confidential. 
• Student has the right to appeal an accommodation with Eric Oifer, the ADA/504 Compliance Officer or designee at 310-434-8912 or oifer_eric@smc.edu. 
• Student has the right to appeal a decision pertaining to issues related to the Student Code of Conduct with Lina Ladyshenskaya, Director of Student Judicial Affair, at 310-434-4655 or Ladyshenskaya_lina@smc.edu

Student Responsibilities 

• Provide documentation of a verified disability 
• Meet with a CSD faculty ( eg., counselors) or the ADA/504 Compliance Officer to request services and accommodations every term in a timely manner 
• Update the Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP) as needed 
• Utilize CSD services in a responsible manner and adhere to the policies and procedures for continuation of services (i.e. sign language interpreting/captioning, note taking, test accommodations) 
• Comply with the SMC Student Conduct Code and all other applicable laws and regulations related to student conduct, as detailed in the college catalogue 
• Make measurable progress toward the goals established in my AAP and Educational Plan or meet academic standards established by the college 
• Notify the appropriate CSD faculty and/or staff member of any changes in service plan. Changes may include but not limited to absence from class, change of time and meeting of class, or when class is cancelled 
• When appropriate, student is responsible for contacting all instructors, in a timely manner, to discuss agreed-upon adjustments 
• Immediately inform the CSD certificated staff, if an agreed- upon accommodation is ineffective 

How to prepare for your appointment with a CSD counselor? 

• Plan ahead! Have a list of questions ready when you meet your counselor.
• Complete the DSPS application online, provide verification of your disability such as medical documentation, IEP, or 504 Plan, and sign the Student rigths and Responsibilities and Voter's Registration forms.  Email all this paperwork to dsps@smc.edu prior to your counseling appointment.
• If you are going to be late, or if you need to cancel and reschedule, call the front desk at 310-434-4265, or email at dsps@smc.edu to let us know right away. 
• If you are more than 10 minutes late you may lose your appointment and will need to reschedule for another time. 
• Make sure that you see a counselor/LD/ABI Specialist every semester for academic planning and accommodations. Accommodations are NOT automatically renewed since class requirements vary.  You must request services for each class, every semester. 
• Be aware of current dates and deadlines. You can find them in the current print catalog or online at  SMC Classes Dates and Deadlines.

What to do before classes begin? 

• Set realistic goals and priorities in planning your schedule 
• Consider taking a reduced load of classes each term
• Balance your course load with easier and more difficult classes each term
• Give yourself extra time between classes to study and to allow for extended test time 
• Be sure to remember to pay for your classes before the deadline to avoid being dropped from your classes 
• Purchase your textbooks in advance, preferably before school begins (textbooks can be purchased online) 
• Meet with a CSD counselor, LD or ABI specialist to set up your accommodations 
• Be sure to apply for financial aid 
• Familiarize yourself with the campus, especially with the buildings where your classes will be held 

1. Apply 
   1. Go to SMC Admissions & Aid 
   2. Click on Apply to SMC
      (under “Got Questions”, scroll down to middle page)
   3. Select Application (New/Returning, Incoming Transfer, Undocumented Student, etc)
   4. Need help? Go to Welcome Center, next to cafeteria 
2. Online Orientation
   Go to SMC Student Orientation
3. Once you have applied, you will get an email informing you if Orientation is required. New students must generally complete the orientation in order to receive an enrollment date and enroll in classes.
4. Success & Engagement (formerly Assessment)
   
   1. Once you have applied, you will get an email informing you how to review your course placement in Corsair Connect. If necessary, you can complete the placement process on the Success & Engagement Center site.
5. Complete MyEdPlan 
   1. Meet with an academic counselor to assist you with your education plan, course selections, transfer questions, and to learn about campus resources.
6. Financial Aid/The California College Promise Grant
   1. SMC school code: 001286 
   2. CA Dream Act: 00128600
   3. Go to www.fafsa.gov
      Applications are available on October 1.
   4. Complete FAFSA by March 2, even if parents haven’t filed income tax returns 
   5. Review Financial Aid Orientation.
   6. SMC Promise (SMCP) Program
7. Meet with a CSD Counselor 
   1. Call 310-434-4265 for an appointment or email at dsps@smc.edu.  Online orientation should be completed prior to appointment. 
   2. Provide documentation with a diagnosis such as a medical report or a high school IEP with test scores to verify your disability. 
   3. Review required courses for transfer, degree or certificate requirements, appropriate unit load, class balance. Review/create “My Ed Plan” 
   4. Discuss need for accommodations 
8. Register 
   1. To find out your registration date/time, go to “Corsair Connect” (located on top right navigation under "Login") 
      • First time on CORSAIR Connect? You will need to change your password. First put in your six digit birth date as your current password (MMDDYY). Then follow instructions to create a new password. 
   2. To add classes 
      • Click on enrollment 
      • Select term (winter, spring, summer or fall) 
      • Click on Add a class and enter 4 digit class section number 
      • Or, click on Wait for a class to be added to the wait pool 
9. Pay
   Be aware of deadlines. If you do not have a $0 balance by the deadline, you may be dropped from all of your classes. 
   1. Click on “Fee assessment” to view/pay online or go to the Bursar’s Office to pay in person 
   2. The California College Promise Grant  fee waiver covers enrollment fees. You are still responsible for student fees (ID, ASB and Health fees) 
10. Buy textbooks
    Find textbook information or buy online, go to SMC Bookstore
11. Request Accommodations 
    1. It is your responsibility to request accommodations, in a timely manner each term, with your CSD counselor/ LD Specialist/ABI Specialist. 
    2. As soon as you finalize your schedule, make an appointment with your CSD counselor/LD Specialist/ ABI Specialist. 

High School Students: If you will still be in high school while attending SMC, you need information regarding your enrollment process. See “SMC High School Concurrent” on Admissions webpage.