The myDAC Student Guide

Contents

What is myDAC?

myDAC is the online accommodation management system for students with disabilities. It is used to register, request, and track accommodations while attending St. Olaf College and working with Disability and Access (DAC).

Information Privacy on myDAC

Information entered or uploaded to myDAC is available to Disability and Access (DAC) staff. Entry into myDAC requires use of your St. Olaf login and password. To ensure privacy and security, do not share your St. Olaf login or password with anyone else. All documentation submitted to DAC is considered confidential and may not be shared, without your written consent, under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information on FERPA, please visit https://wp.stolaf.edu/registrar/ferpa

Logging in

Go to wp.stolaf.edu/academic-support/dac and click on the YELLOW box that says “myDAC”.
Log in with your St. Olaf username and password.
You will be asked to review and sign the students “Rights and Responsibilities”.
In addition to the “Rights and Responsibilities”, there may be other agreements that will need your review and acceptance.

How to Request Accommodations and Send Accommodation Letters to Instructors

Once you have registered for classes through SIS, please allow 24 hours for your class schedule to appear on your myDAC profile.
After logging into myDAC, select “My Dashboard” from your myDAC home screen, located on the left-hand side.
Select the classes for which you would like to request accommodations (such as notetaking, alternative testing, etc.)
Click “Customize Your Accommodations.”
Select which accommodations you would like to request for each class.
- You do not have to select all of your accommodations.
Click “Submit your Requests.”
An Accommodation Letter will be sent to you and that class’s professor via email. The timing of when it is sent may vary. Letters requested prior to the beginning of the quarter will be sent out 1 to 2 days before the start of term. Letters requested after the start of the quarter will typically be sent within two business days of the request. When your letter is sent to your professor, you will also receive a copy.
A PDF version of your Accommodation Letter will be available to print after your letter has been sent to your professor. You can choose to bring a hard copy of it to your faculty directly if you wish. A copy of this letter can also be found in your myDAC Mailbox.
Once you have requested your Accommodation Letter, you should arrange a time to meet with each professor and discuss the specific details of implementing your accommodations in each course.
Any changes to your course schedule will take 24 to 48 hours to appear on your myDAC profile.

Modifying or Canceling a Completed Request to Send Accommodation Letter

After logging into myDAC, select “My Dashboard” (located on the left-hand side of the myDAC home screen).
Scroll down to select the class(es) for which you would like to modify or cancel your accommodation request(s).
Look for a gray box containing the class information. There will be two options that appear on the right side of the page.
- Modify request in BOLD BLUE TYPE
  - Click “Modify”
  - Select or deselect the accommodation(s) you need to modify
  - Click “Update Request”
- Cancel request in BOLD RED TYPE
  - Click “Cancel”
  - Select from the drop-down menu the reason you need to cancel your accommodation(s)
  - Click “Cancel Accommodation Request”

Submitting Additional Pieces of Documentation (if needed)

To upload additional documentation, click the Browse button under the header “File Upload”; once attached, you may upload any new documentation you have. Remember, to name your additional documentation with your student ID, last name, and first name. Keep in mind that the maximum file size per upload is 1 MB.

Navigating Your myDAC Account

My Dashboard

You may be prompted to complete required forms when you first use your dashboard. Before you will be able to access other areas of myDAC, you will need to read these forms carefully and scroll down to the bottom of the page and type your name in the electronic signature box. In the My Dashboard tab, you will be able to print copies of your accommodation letter, see all of the accommodations you requested for the current term by class. You will also be able to see day and time the accommodation letter was sent. Your Access Specialist information is located below the left table of contents menu should you need to reach them for any reason.

My Profile

This is where your personal information (school ID number, birthdate, address, phone number, and St. Olaf email) is located. Remember that, if you update your information in this section of myDAC it also needs to be updated in SIS (and vice versa))

SMS (Text Messaging)

myDAC can send you automatic text message reminders about

Upcoming appointments
Upcoming approved scheduled exams
Notes that have been uploaded by a note taker
Accessible instructional materials that are ready to be downloaded

You have to opt in to this service since normal text messaging rates apply based on your current phone plan. Enter your phone number and phone provider.

Equipment Checked Out

View the status of any equipment such as Livescribe smartpens, Dragon Dictation headsets, mp3 recorders, or FM receivers, you have checked out from DAC. If an item is overdue please contact Laura Knobel-Piehl (knobel@stolaf.edu) to renew.

Additional Accommodation Request Form

If you have additional accommodation needs please complete this form so that your request is in writing and we can track the status of your request. You may also contact your Access Specialist for a follow-up meeting.

My Mailbox (Sent E-Mails)

In the My Mailbox tab, you will be able to access email communication from DAC regarding accommodations. Copies of communication from DAC include your Student Eligibility Letter and your Accommodation Letters.

Information Release Consents

Here you will find any Information Release Consent forms that you have created and signed.

My Eligibility

Here is a list of your accommodations approved by your Access Specialist.

List Accommodations

You can search here for those accommodations that you have requested for a given term. You can also refine the search result to look for those accommodations that have been requested and then canceled.

Alternative Testing

If you have been approved for alternative testing or testing accommodations, you will find the Alternative Testing Agreement form here.

This is also where you schedule exams.

To Schedule Exams in myDAC

The DAC Testing Agreement must be completed by your instructor
- In your Accommodation Letter, your instructor is given a link to complete the agreement
Review your Testing Agreement once your instructor has completed it:
- Log into myDAC
- Click on “Alternative Testing” in the “My Accommodations” menu on the left
- Select your class from the drop-down menu
- Click on “View Alternative Testing Detail”
- Review your agreement. Contact your professor if you see any conflicts with dates/times or any errors
Schedule exams* in myDAC at least 3 business days before exam or 5 business days for finals
- Click on “Alternative Testing” in the “My Accommodations” menu on the left
- Select your class from the drop-down menu
- Click “schedule an exam”
- Read the Terms and Conditions
- Complete the “Exam Detail” Form
- Complete Late Exam form if prompted

*Schedule exams for the same time as the class. If you have a conflict (such as a class right after the test), please refer to the guidelines on the Testing Agreement about when your professor will allow you to take the exam.

To Modify Exams in myDAC

If you’ve scheduled an exam and realize that you have scheduled the wrong date, time, or if your Professor has changed the date/time of the exam, you can reschedule the exam through myDAC.

Log in to your myDAC profile.
On the left-hand bar in the “My Accommodations” Menu, click on ‘Alternative Testing.’
Find the exam request you wish to reschedule, click ‘Modify Request’ found on the right side of the request.
Change the Request Type, the date, the time, or the requested services.
Select a reason for modification from the drop-down menu.
Even if the request was previously approved, the modified request will need to be re-approved by a staff member.

To Cancel Exams in myDAC

Log in to your myDAC profile.
After logging in, click on the “Alternative Testing” link in the “My Accommodations” menu on the left side of the screen.
To cancel an exam, simply find the exam you wish to cancel (be sure to check the date and class to make sure you cancel the correct exam) then press the “Cancel Request” link to the right of the date and time.
A warning asking you if you really want to cancel your exam will appear. To cancel, click on the “Cancel Request” button in the “Exam to be Cancelled” box.

Accessible Readings

If you have been approved for accessible readings, you can see the status of the texts that are being converted. You can also request an additional book or reading materials to be converted.

Checking on List/Status of Texts

Log in to your myDAC profile.
On the left-hand bar in the “My Accommodations” Menu, click on ‘Accessible Instructional Materials.’
The list of texts is available in a table format. Next to each text is the end product preference, indicate if a receipt has been turned in and the status of the text.

Submit Additional Text to Convert Request

Log in to your myDAC profile.
On the left-hand bar in the “My Accommodations” Menu, click on ‘Accessible Instructional Materials.’
Scroll down below the list of texts. There is a multi-field form that asks you to indicate what class the text is for, the title, author, ISBN, publisher, and other fields. Complete the form with as much information as possible.
Submit the additional text.
Upon submission, the text will show in the list of needed materials. It will have a “custom – not listed” status next to it. This status indicates that you, the student, entered in the book information as opposed to DAC staff entering the text information.

Notetaking Services

If you have requested Notetaking services for at least one of your classes, this page will allow you to View uploaded course notes through your myDAC profile. Please download notes you wish to keep for your use. Notes are hosted for one term after the end of the course.

To Confirm Your Notetaking Request

Two days after classes have been in session, you must confirm or cancel your request for notetaking. You can do this in one of two ways:

Respond to the “Notetaking Reminder – First Notice” email
- Click on “Yes, I still need a notetaker for my course” if this applies.
- Click the corresponding reason in the “No” box.
In your myDAC profile:
- Click on the “Notetaking Services” menu on the left.
- Click on “Confirm now” next to the request you wish to confirm.

To Download Your Notes

Click on the “Notetaking Services” menu on the left of your myDAC account.
Click on “Available Note(s) for Download”
Click on “Download Note” next to the note you wish to download

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

When approved, this page includes a list of all courses for the current quarter and shows the interpreter or real-time captioner that is assigned to the course. There is also a link to the form one would use to submit any additional custom request for an interpreter or captioner.

My Signed Forms

A list of all forms signed previously is included here. Any form can be viewed by clicking on the ‘View’ link.

Troubleshooting

Logging In

Be sure to use your St. Olaf network credentials.
Some browsers work better than others with myDAC. Firefox is the recommended browser.
If your account is locked, please contact Disability and Access.

Difficulty Uploading Documentation

Ensure that documentation is under 1MB. Contact DAC if you have a file that is bigger than 1 MB.

Submit a Request for Receiving New/Additional Accommodations

If you think you can benefit from accommodations that you do not already have:

Select “Additional Accommodation Request Form” from your myDAC home screen, located on the left-hand side.
Click “Submit New Application.”
Answer the questions and then click “Submit Application.”
To finish, click “Update Application.”

Glossary

Accommodations

Accommodations are academic adjustments or services designed to give students with disabilities the same opportunity to succeed or fail as those without a disability.

Accommodation Letter

The Accommodation Letter is an email requested by the student through myDAC, for each class. It notifies each faculty member which accommodations you have selected for their specific course.

Welcome Meeting

The Welcome Meeting is for the purpose of you to be able to discuss with a Disability and Access Specialist appropriate accommodations/services that can be implemented to create equal access for you in the areas where there are or may be anticipated barriers.

Student Eligibility Letter

The Student Eligibility Letter is an email from your Access Specialist notifying you of your approved accommodations. This Student Eligibility Letter will also confirm the next steps that you should take to request accommodations for your classes. If your accommodations ever change, you will receive an updated Eligibility Letter.