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Health Services

Counseling & Disability Services

Crites Hall
308-432-6461

Academic and Personal Counseling Services

Academic counseling is invaluable in helping students to understand and adjust to the culture of higher education. It can be used at any time during a student's career. This service enables students to become wise consumers by facilitating choice of major, understanding academic requirements, planning and problem solving, as well as connecting to other resources, both on and off campus. Academic counseling is provided by trained professionals and coordinated with faculty advising.

Students are offered confidential, personal counseling services with professional counselors at no charge. Counseling is for students who are making difficult personal choices, going through periods of transition, and/or seeking to change behaviors and/or improving other decision making skills. The staff at the counseling center is highly–trained and committed to promoting the academic, personal, and interpersonal development of Chadron State's students. Counseling can build self-understanding and enhance the ability to make responsible and healthy academic and personal life choices.

Disability Services

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section #504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Disability Services Contact Person coordinates CSC’s efforts to provide full access to educational, cultural and other programs sponsored by the college for any differently-abled, qualified student.* This includes, but is not limited to: individuals with low vision/blindness, hearing deficits, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or other head injuries, emotional or mental illness, and individuals with specific learning disabilities. This is not an exhaustive list as there are other conditions that can constitute a disability.

CSC is committed to providing and assuring an accessible learning environment to all students. For questions regarding Disability Services or to apply for accommodations, please contact Jerry Cassiday the CSC Disability Services Contact Person. (Office: Crites Hall 011, Phone: 308-432-6268, Email: jcassiday@csc.edu)

*Section 504 defines a ‘qualified student’ as a student with a disability who meets the academic and technical standards requisite for admission or participation in the institution's educational program or activity.

How Does a Student Receive Services?

There are various factors involved in determining a student's eligibility. To receive services and accommodations at CSC or to get information regarding eligibility for services, a student must notify the institution's Disability Services Contact Person and initiate the process for determining eligibility for accommodations.

Sufficient Documentation Must:

• Provide a clear diagnostic statement of the student’s condition
• Be current. Timelines for documentation to be considered current may depend on the specific diagnoses.
• Provide relevant educational, developmental, and medical history;
• Describe the comprehensive testing and techniques used to arrive at the diagnosis.
• Describe the functional limitations (i.e. does the diagnosed condition create a substantial limitation of a major life activity, such as learning?
• Recommend specific accommodations supported by the diagnosis and functional limitations.
• Establish the professional credentials of the evaluator.

Chadron State College has the right to deny any request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary services if the documentation demonstrates that they are not warranted, or if a student fails to provide appropriate documentation.

The cost of obtaining documentation is the responsibility of the student. If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the presence of a disability and reasonable accommodations, CSC has the discretion to require additional documentation, which cost is also the responsibility of the student.

Timelines: A student may apply for accommodations at any point in the semester, but such accommodations may not be applied to coursework retroactively. Therefore, for students who wish to seek accommodations, we encourage them to contact the Disability Services Contact Person before classes start or as soon as possible after diagnosis.

General services for students with disabilities include: academic counseling, consulting with faculty regarding educational needs of students, community referrals, information on community resources, assistance with arranging tutoring, and evaluating assessments and other documentation to determine reasonable accommodations, and other general guidance that may help promote student success.

The purpose of accommodations is to allow the student to demonstrate his or her knowledge of the subject matter rather than measure the disability. Accommodations are not provided to lower program and/or class standards, but to “level the playing field” and prevent intentional or unintentional discrimination against persons with disabilities. The College has the right to maintain its academic requirements and standards.

Differently-abled students have the following rights and responsibilities:

Student Rights

• to an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from courses, programs, or services;
• to an equal opportunity to work and to learn, to receive reasonable accommodations, and/or auxiliary aids and services; and
• to expect all disability-related information to be treated as confidential and the assurance that all disability-related records are maintained separately from college records; and
• to receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner.

Student Responsibilities

• provide current documentation of a disability to the CSC Disability Services Contact Person;
• meet qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for courses, programs, services or activities;
• initiate all requests for accommodations and services and to request accommodations at the beginning of each semester or in as timely a manner as possible;
• maintain clear and open communication with instructors and the CSC Disability Services Contact Person; and
• meet academic standards required for admission or participation in any educational program, as well as adhere to the CSC student code of conduct.