New KSU Students

Follow the steps below to get connected with SAS.

Step 1: Schedule a Welcome Meeting using KSU Advising.

• Visit KSU Advising and log in with your FlashLine credentials.
• Click on the Schedule Appointment button and Select Student Accessibility Services as your group.
• Answer a few questions for details. Select your preferred day and time.
• Indicate a reason for your appointment. If you don’t want to reveal personal details, you can simply type “appointment.”
• You will receive an email confirmation of your appointment. You can change your appointment up to 24 hours in advance through KSUAdvising.
• PLEASE NOTE - If you are more than ten minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule.
• If you need to schedule a phone appointment, schedule your appointment using KSUAdvising, then contact SAS at sas@kent.edu or 330-672-3391 or 330-968-0490 (videophone) to let us know that your appointment is by the phone.

Step 2: Complete the SAS student application.

• Before you meet with SAS, please tell us a little about yourself using the Access KSU student application.
• You can also upload any documentation you have regarding your disability. Learn about SAS documentation guidelines. 
• Don’t put off your Welcome Meeting because you’re unsure about documentation. Your Access Consultant will let you know what additional information is needed to determine your accommodations.

SAS determines accommodations based on individual students' needs. We get information about students in three ways: a welcome meeting, the Access KSU student application, and information from your high school or other providers. We may ask for documentation from a mental health or medical provider if we need more information.

A welcome meeting is a student's first meeting with SAS and is typically 45-60 minutes. You will meet with an SAS access consultant to talk about yourself, your disability, what support you've had in the past, and what accommodations you think are needed in college. Your access consultant will give you details about your rights and responsibilities as an SAS student, including using Access KSU to request course accessibility letters for your faculty.

To prepare for your welcome meeting, consider the following questions:

• What are your personal strengths and weaknesses?
• What disability symptoms do you experience on a daily basis? Do your symptoms change?
• Have you had accommodations in the past? This could be from an IEP or 504 Plan from your high school or accommodations from another college. What worked, and what didn't?
• What parts of higher education are most exciting for you? What parts are you worried about?

Someone else, like a parent, may attend with you, but only in a supportive role. This is your chance to tell us everything we need to know to find the right accommodations for you.

Before your meeting, complete our Access KSU application. This information will help us tailor your welcome meeting to your needs. If you're better at expressing yourself through written language, take this opportunity to give us details about yourself.

Schedule your welcome meeting using KSU Advising. If you need to have your welcome meeting by phone, schedule the appointment using KSU Advising, and then email SAS at sas@kent.edu to give us the best phone number to call you.

If your preferred method of communication is ASL, schedule your welcome meeting with Shannon Cowling. The meeting can be in-person or using videophone (330-968-0490). If you need transcribing during the welcome meeting, please type your request in the notes section of KSU Advising.

Documentation from your high school, a mental health or medical provider, or from another external source can assist SAS in identifying helpful accommodations for you. You might have had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or Evaluation Team Report (ETR) if you received accommodations in high school. If you have never received accommodations, SAS offers a documentation form that your mental health or medical provider can complete. This should be completed by someone who is licensed to diagnose and treat your disability and who knows you well.

Don't put off meeting with SAS if you're unsure about documentation. Documentation is only one part of the process for getting connected with SAS, and we can help you figure out what's needed.

Students can get connected with SAS at any point in their academic journey, whether you're pursuing an Associate's or a Doctorate. If you know you will need accommodations, you should connect with SAS prior to the start of your first semester. If you will start in the Fall semester, contact SAS during May through August. If you will start in the Spring semester, see SAS in November or December. Students seeking housing accommodations should contact SAS before June 15 to allow enough time to process requests. Accommodations cannot be applied after the fact, so students who are considering accommodations should meet with SAS early.

There are a few important differences between high school and college accommodations.

• Your high school IEP or 504 Plan don't automatically follow you to college. You should request that your school send us your information if you don't have a copy. Students cannot use accommodations until they are connected with SAS.
• Accommodations in college can't alter the essential nature of an assessment, course, or program. While accommodations are designed to provide equal access to the learning environment, SAS cannot request that professors shorten exams, provide opportunities to retake exams, or otherwise change a course or academic program for a student.
• Accommodations in college are student-driven. Students are responsible for connecting with SAS, for requesting course accessibility letters each semester, and for communicating with their faculty and their access consultant about questions or concerns. SAS is always happy to meet with you to review your accommodations or to answer questions, and your instructors' office hours are a great way to get answers to questions about course content.
• Parents can't request accommodations or act on your behalf. A parent, family member, or partner can attend your welcome meeting, but SAS can't share information about you without a FERPA waiver on file. You can give FERPA access using FlashLine.

Students requesting housing accommodations should get connected with SAS prior to the month of June. During your welcome meeting, discuss your housing needs with your access consultant. SAS will work with Residence Services to implement your accommodations. You'll also need to complete all of the requirements of Residence Services, like reviewing the housing contract and completing your housing application. You can learn more about these requirements by visiting the Future Residents webpage, or by contacting Residence Services at 330-672-7000.

There are a variety of accessible housing options in the residence halls, including single rooms, air-conditioning, roll-in showers, and various bathroom configurations. For more information about Kent State University's residence halls, please visit the Residence Halls webpage. Even if you have requested a room that meets your needs during the housing selection process, it is a good idea to connect with SAS to ensure that you are properly accommodated in the residence halls. 

Kent State University offers accessible parking and various transportation options. If you will need on-campus transportation, please discuss this with your access consultant.

Accessible Parking:

Students who have a state-issued accessible parking placard will also need a Kent State disability permit. These permits are available by taking your state-issued placard and registration card to Parking Services in 123 Schwartz Center. Contact Parking and Transit Services for further information at 330-672-4432 or by email at parking@kent.edu. Temporary disability parking permits are also available on a one-month basis through Parking Services. 

PARTA Campus Bus Service:

Kent State has contracted with PARTA (Portage Area Regional Transit Authority) to provide on-campus bus transportation services to students at the Kent Campus. There are a number of fixed routes that students can use to navigate the campus. Show your FLASHcard to use the on-campus bus services and all other PARTA buses in Portage County at no cost. For more information about busing routes, please visit the Campus Bus Service webpage.

Student Accessibility Transportation Services (SATS):

SATS is a door-to-door bus transportation service provided for students with disabilities that may need assistance navigating the campus. SATS is part of the Campus Bus Services, and is provided at no cost to eligible students while on campus. You can learn more about SATS by visiting the Campus Bus Service webpage, by contacting PARTA at 330-672-7433, and by reviewing the PARTA-SATS policy.

Kent State University offers a wide variety of dining options for students with food allergies or other dietary needs. Students with food allergies are encouraged to contact Dining Services to discuss their specific dietary needs. Dining Services Dieticians are available to meet with you, to review ingredients, and to help you find safe foods to eat while on campus. If the dining plan options do not meet your needs, please discuss dining plan modifications with your access consultant.

The Kent SAS office coordinates American Sign Language interpreters and Real-time transcribing services for all Kent State University campuses. Interpreting, real-time transcribing, priority registration, note taking assistance, FM units, and closed-captioning are some of the accommodations students use. The SAS staff and students will work closely to determine and maximize the benefit of these accommodations.

Prospective and new students meeting with Admissions, advisors, and/or attending Destination Kent State should request interpreting or real-time transcribing services with those departments when you schedule your appointment. SAS will coordinate the accommodations once we are notified. While we will do our best to accommodation every request, a two-week notice is requested.