Transitions
Spring 2008
You are the climber; SDS is the safety
net
Of all the things learned at college, learning to step out on your own, to stand up for yourself and discover what you can do for yourself and when to ask for help are some of the most important. And these are the skills no one will ever teach you; you must find and manage them yourself. Our goal and mission at SDS is to work with you~ we are your safety net. SDS is here to assist you with reasonable accommodations to negate the impact of your disability. It’s now safe to start the climb.
As you work your way through your college experience, climbing higher and higher to reach your goals, you should be getting further and further away from the safety net. As you grow and mature, you will become more independent and self-sufficient. Seniors~ think back to your first week on campus; do you know more about CMU and the world now?
As with all safety gear, SDS is here for your protection and security, but, if used improperly or not used at all, nothing will save you from a fall. So, don’t live in the net and start or continue your climb. The staff of Student Disability Services will be cheering you on all the way.
Reading Improvement
Harvard Report on Reading Improvement
In an experiment at Harvard
University, Dr. Perry, Director of the Harvard Reading-Study Center,
gave 1500 first year students a thirty-page chapter from a history
book. He told students that they’d have 20 minutes to read the
chapter. He also told them that he’d ask them to identify important
details from the chapter, and to write a summary of the chapter’s
content.
Students scored well on a multiple-choice test on chapter details,
but only FIFTEEN STUDENTS of 1500 were able to write a short
statement about the chapter’s basic theme. The fifteen successful
readers had thought of reading the last paragraph marked "Summary"
or of skimming down the descriptive flags in the margin of the
textbook’s pages.
Dr. Perry concluded that students waste an enormous amount of effort
when they read because they read word after word from beginning to
end. Dr. Perry says students must be jarred out of this approach.
They must learn to exercise judgment in reading, and good judgment
“requires self-confidence, even courage, on the part of the student
who must decide what to read or skip.”
To read efficiently, try the following steps:
First, preview the chapter. Read titles and subheadings to discover
topics throughout the chapter. Note typographical aids and key
vocabulary. Read the chapter’s introduction and summary. Secondly,
activate your background knowledge. Draw on your own experience and
ask yourself, “What do I already know about the chapter’s topics?”
Next, read the chapter and monitor your comprehension. Can you
restate sections of the text in your own words? Do not move on to a
new section if you can’t summarize the section you just read.
Finally, strengthen your comprehension by marking your text. Note
main ideas and key details.
When you have completed a chapter this way, make sure you review
your good work. Since we forget about 60% of what we read in 24
hours, psychologists recommend that students review their work
within twenty four hours. Then review periodically throughout the
semester.
For a more detailed discussion of Dr. Perry’s work and reading
strategies, feel free to contact SDS (989-774-3018
or sds@cmich.edu ).
PLEASE REMEMBER TO PICK UP ACCOMMODATION LETTERS.
Your Good To Know Things Section
- DeShane Annual Award
- APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE DURING THE SPRING SEMESTER AND WILL BE AWARDED IN FALL SEMESTER. YOU MAY EMAIL rood1se@cmich.edu
- James Bradley Scholarship
- APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FALL SEMESTER AND WILL BE AWARDED IN THE SPRING SEMESTER. YOU MAY EMAIL rood1se@cmich.edu
For weather related closings, please listen for announcements on local radio stations or contact CMU at 774-7500.
Student Life Office: 774-3016
Report class absence due to extended illness.
F Y I
ACADEMIC ADVISOR INFORMATION
For Towers (Wheeler, Cobb, Carey, Troutman, Kessler, Kulhavi &
Campbell)
Lynne L’Hommedieu & Jamie Brown 6601
For East Quad (Saxe, Herrig, Woldt, Celani, Fabiano, & Emmons)
Brooke Helm 3942
For North Quint (Barnes, Trout, Calkins, Robinson, & Larzelere)
Kaye Shirley 3947
For South Quad (Merrill, Sweeney, Beddow, & Thorpe)
Amy Saber 3089
For Off Campus students call 7506
Reminder: Apply for graduation during the semester when 86 credit hours are completed. $35.00 application fee is required. Call 774-3504 for more information.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR CMU EMAIL OFTEN!!
- AVAILABLE ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY in 119 PARK Library
- Kurzweil 1000 and Kurzweil 3000 (Scan & Read software)
- ZoomText – Magnification and Screen Reading software
- Software solutions for writing support, organizational support, and speech to text output.
POLICY
If you leave the University for a semester (not counting summer),
you must notify Student Disability Services upon your return so that
we can reactivate your services. We have no way of knowing you have
returned unless you tell us.
Students registered with Disability Services must provide their
Mount Pleasant address and telephone number at the beginning of each
semester, please mail in an updated address form.
SDS office hours are from
8:00 a.m. — Noon
1:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Monday thru Friday
ALSO—Notify the Registrar’s Office of change of address and
telephone number. Call 774-3261.
Life on Campus
