Faculty and Staff
Learning Support Services provides academic support for all undergraduate and graduate students, such as one-on-one academic coaching, study tools, videos and workshops to help students develop strategies and skills around time management, organization, study techniques, test-taking strategies, test anxiety and more.
In conjunction with faculty, LSS is committed to providing “reasonable academic accommodations” for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, Autistic students, and students with mental health conditions that rise to the level of disability.
How to Assist
All faculty members should announce on the first day of class their desire to speak confidentially with any student with accommodations as soon as possible, and course syllabi should include a statement about students with disabilities. Please use the following syllabus statement:
Office for Access & Disability Services and Learning Support Services:
It is the policy of Villanova to make reasonable academic accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. All students who need accommodations should go to Clockwork (Student Login) via myNOVA to complete the Online Intake or to send accommodation letters to professors. Go to the LSS website (http://learningsupportservices.villanova.edu) or the ADS website (www.villanova.edu/accessible) for registration guidelines and instructions. If you have any questions, please contact LSS by email or 610-519-5176, or ADS by email or 610-519-3209.
An announcement of this type will help preserve the student’s privacy, demonstrate your willingness to assist, and encourage an early identification of accommodations.
When a student with a disability requests an accommodation, please feel free to consult with the Office of Learning Support Services for assistance in providing the necessary services.
It may also be helpful to include a syllabus statement announcing that assistance is available to all students at Learning Support Services. Here is an example:
Learning Support Services (LSS) provides academic support services and workshops for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students at Villanova University. One-on-one sessions are available in university-relevant skills such as time management, study strategies, academic reading, learning styles, test-taking and test anxiety. Students of all abilities, including successful students who want to enhance their academic skills and students who are struggling, are welcome to use these services. There is no extra charge for these services and they are open to all registered Villanova students.
June 2021
For the past several years, our department has primarily used person-first language to address students with disabilities. Person-first language uses disability identity as a secondary identifier (for example, I am a student with Autism) and was popularized as a way to combat a history of using identity-first language to other, exclude and discriminate against people with disabilities.
The disability community is diverse. In recent years, some communities have indicated that identity-first language is preferable. Notably, this includes many Autistic and Deaf communities. In response to this change and following guidelines from the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), LSS will be using identity-first language in some of our materials and communication. We will be using both person-first and identity-first language, so you may see both a student with a learning disability and an Autistic student.
Ultimately, we wish to honor all identities and acknowledge individual language choices. Please join us as we continue to learn and grow in our understanding of how barriers in the classroom and on campus impact disabled community members.
Additional Resources:
How can you approach a student who is having academic challenges that are interfering with their success in the course?
- Make the student aware of the relevant support services:
- If it is a first-year student, consider that they may be experiencing common difficulties in adjusting to the new environment. Talking about specific types of support might help the student adapt more readily and feel more comfortable.
- If you have a sense that the student’s abilities exceed what their grades reflect, talk about how they prepare for class, study for tests, etc. Ask: “How did you do things in high school? What kinds of strategies or help did you use? Did you receive any additional academic support in high school? Did you have extra time on exams?” This will encourage the student who has a documented disability to disclose it. Do not ask directly if they have a disability. Only the student can come forward with this information; we cannot ask directly. Our primary goal is to let students know that support is available and then it is up to them to come forward.
Students who have not been diagnosed with a disability, but who tell you they believe they may have one, should go to LSS for an initial information session.
The Office of Learning Support Services encourages you to refer any student who may be struggling with study skills, time management issues, test-taking skills, reading skills, and test anxiety, regardless of whether or not they have a documented disability. If you have any questions, please email us or call 610-519-5176.
Supporting the Learning Needs of a Diverse Student Body
Everyone has a personal learning profile that evolves.
Your profile comprises your experiences, interests, talents, learning challenges, and learning gifts. The way your brain is wired is also a part of this learner profile, and it refers to how you process sensory input, encode and retrieve memories, manage attention or emotions and how you engage with the world socially. An individual’s mental or physical health and their environment are also included in this mix of factors.
The resulting profiles are jagged, often exhibiting asymmetric development, and unique. This is why it is important that the support we provide be tailored and learner-informed. Some students will know exactly what type of support they need to thrive, while others may be discovering they have a cognitive or learning difference as they are trying to complete their coursework.
- meet them where they are,
- develop their talents and strengths,
- provide accessible learning materials,
- use their interests to drive scholarship and
- offer flexibility on the types of deliverables required of them.
Learning Support Services welcomes conversations with faculty about supporting particular students or their classroom in general.
Learn more about neurodiversity, creating accessible class materials including Blackboard Ally, adaptive technologies (speech-to-text, text-to-speech, OCR) and sensory sensitivities in the classroom.