Priority Registration Accommodation

Student Accessibility Services engages in an interactive process with each student to review requests for accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case basis. Depending on the nature and functional limitations of a student’s documented disability, students with certain disability-related needs may be eligible to receive priority registration. The purpose of priority registration is to make sure students with disabilities have equal access to academic courses.

Priority registration lets a student register early for classes.  In-class priority registration allows students to register 30 minutes before their class cohort. First day priority registration allows students to register on the first day of the registration week.

Examples of reasonably accommodated Priority Registration include:

• Individuals with a mobility disorder which prevents them from getting from class to class promptly.
• Students with a chronic health condition who need to carefully   schedule classes around medication schedules.
• Students undergoing periodic medical treatments (ex:  chemotherapy, dialysis) which prevent class attendance at certain times or certain days.
• Class scheduling for students who receive testing accommodations.
• Early identification of classes for students who use alternative text, sign language interpreters, and/or real time remote captioning (TypeWell or CART)

Student Responsibilities

• Register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) by following SAS procedures.
• Meet with your academic advisor for academic advisement before the priority registration date.
• Tell SAS promptly before registration if seeking disability-related registration assistance.

SAS Responsibilities

• Retrieve date of priority registration from the Registrar’s office.
• Inform students of priority registration date at least one week before the actual date, explaining how to check their status.
• Help student in registering for classes if they need assistance due to their disability.

Important

The accommodation of priority registration overrides no institutional or departmental policy such as the need for academic advisement or the removal of holds.

Personal conflicts, work conflicts, or preference without diagnosis impact are NOT acceptable criteria for applying for Priority Registration and will not be considered by SAS when establishing a student’s eligibility for this accommodation.

Note:  Priority Registration may be limited or not available for certain programs. Please check with your specialist or SAS for additional information.

Defining Excellence Award

The criteria for this Award are:

• Demonstrated academic excellence by maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Service to Community.
• Demonstrated an ability to work with others as a leader.

The recipient of this award understands the honor and the privilege of giving to others.

Applying for the Defining Excellence Award:

Applicants must submit a 500-word, double-spaced written essay to Student Accessibility Services sharing how they have provided service and been a leader in their community. In addition, applicants submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation from a UVM faculty member, staff member, or another student supporting their community service efforts. Essays and letters of recommendation should be emailed to ACCESS@uvm.edu with the subject line: Defining Excellence Award.

Student Accessibility Services hires work-study students on a yearly basis to work at the front desk in the main office.  All students with work-study eligibility are welcome to work at SAS, and we particularly encourage any students who work with SAS personally to feel free and apply for a work-study job. Responsibilities include scheduling appointments, answering phones, greeting visitors to the office, and other miscellaneous office and clerical tasks.

Please note that two offices related to SAS, the Exam Proctoring Center and the Universal Design Technology Lab, also hire work-study students each year.

To apply for a work-study job, please find SAS on the Student Employment Job Database or email access@uvm.edu