Hello SDS Students & Friends,

We are so delighted to be back on campus with you!  The Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) would like to share some reminders and offer some additional ways that you can get information and keep connected with us.

1.   Remember to submit your "Semester Request" for your accommodation letters to be sent to your faculty members.  How?  Use this link:  https://sds.umbc.edu/accommodate-semester-request/

If you wish to use your approved accommodations for courses this Fall, you need to have submitted a Semester Request in the Accommodate online student portal found on our SDS website.  Review your selected accommodations and courses before clicking on Submit.

If you have added/changed a course since you first submitted it, please submit a new Semester Request. **NOTE:  Your faculty will not get your letters (nor will you be able to schedule in-person proctored SDS tests through our Accommodate system) without a current Semester Request submitted.**

2.   Accommodated TESTING:  Our in-person proctored testing hours have changed!

SDS testing is from 9 AM - 4:00 PM Monday, Thursday, and Friday.  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays we are open until 6:30pm (4:30 - 6:30 pm is for testing only).  Please remember, face masks must be worn during testing.

a. If you are taking online or hybrid courses, you will likely be taking tests online and NOT scheduling these tests in the SDS office.

b. For in-person tests for courses on the Main Campus, you will need to schedule your tests with SDS at least 2 business days in advance of the test in the Accommodate portal.  You will not be able to schedule in-person tests unless you have submitted a current Semester Request AND are approved for testing accommodations.

c. For in-person tests for courses on the Shady Grove Campus (USG), you will need to follow the procedures established by the Macklin Center for Academic Success (MCAS) DSS office https://shadygrove.umd.edu/student-services/center-for-academic-success/dss.

3.  Notetaking:  If you are approved for notetaking assistance as an accommodation, we encourage use of assistive technology for notetaking.  We have licenses available for web-based notetaking software called Glean (formerly Sonocent).

If you are experiencing a disability-related barrier that prevents you from taking your own notes, please send an email to SDSnotetaking@umbc.edu to discuss solutions.

Note Taking Options:  https://sds.umbc.edu/note-taking-assistance/ and https://sds.umbc.edu/assistive-technology/notetaking-support/

4.  SDS staff availability & office hours:  We are available Monday through Friday during regular office hours (staff have both in-person and telework days). Appointments are available in-person, via Webex, and by phone.  Call our front desk at 410-455-2459, OR email us at disAbility@umbc.edu.

You can also schedule appointments online using Accommodate!

Please contact us as soon as possible if you experience disability-related challenges in your courses.  We are here to assist you in navigating what may be unfamiliar procedures in order to ensure that your accommodations are implemented, to assist in finding solutions if challenges arise, and to make sure that you can access all that UMBC has to offer.

Helpful Links:

Academic Success Center (Main Campus)- tutoring, academic support: https://academicsuccess.umbc.edu/asc-business-continuity/

Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) for Counseling & Health Services:  https://studentaffairs.umbc.edu/departments/retriever-integrated-health-rih/

Visit https://covid19.umbc.edu/ for the most up to date information from UMBC regarding health and safety operations on campus.

4.  MDTAP, a division of the Maryland Department of Disabilities, is hosting an in-person Inclusive, Accessible Game Night for anyone interested in playing video games!

Tuesday, September 27th

5:30pm - 8pm

@ The Workforce and Technology Center

2301 Argonne Drive

Baltimore, MD 21218

Enjoy a variety of adapted & non-adapted game stations (Xbox, PC, PlayStation and more), adapted board & card games, gamers merch, and good company.

Gamers encouraged to bring their own favorite controllers & games!

Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/inclusive-accessible-gaming-night-tickets-395300794317

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All students, please check UMBC email regularly to not miss any information we want to share with you.  Our team looks forward to working with you, and we wish everyone a wonderful Fall semester!

Stay Healthy, Retrievers!

Accessibility & Disability Services Staff

Email: disAbility@umbc.edu

Website: https://sds.umbc.edu/

Phone: 410-455-2459

The semester may have just begun but interviewing is always on our minds at the Career Center. This is because it is such an important part of the job search process. Developing strong interviewing skills is as essential as perfecting your resume and crafting a compelling cover letter.  Below are the top five tips that we recommend for a successful interview experience:

1. Remember an interview is a conversation. It can feel like you, as the interviewee, are doing most of the talking, but actually an interview is a two-way street. That means there are opportunities for both you and the employer to ask and answer questions to determine if the position will be a good fit. It is helpful to research the company before the interview and have a list of questions to ask on hand, especially if you think that you may forget on the spot.

For example, you may want to ask about what a typical day looks like in the position or even ask the interviewer to tell you what they like best about the organization. Here are some sample questions to get you started.

 2. Have your 30-second commercial handy. A 30-second commercial - otherwise known as an elevator pitch - is a quick and easy way to introduce yourself and share an overview of your accomplishments and career goals. Imagine you have stepped onto an elevator with your career hero and only have the time between the ground floor and the floor above to introduce yourself. This is when your elevator pitch will come in handy. It is essential for the interviewing process and is also useful to have on hand during our networking events, such as the Career Fair, UMBC Connects, Career Corners, and Employer Info Sessions.

Check out this link for some tips on developing a 30-second commercial. Create your own and practice with friends - or share it with us at the Career Center during drop-in hours before the next event! You can also practice your pitch using Big Interview. A good place to start is with the universal question: "Tell me about yourself."

 3. Listen to each question thoroughly. An interview is a great time to demonstrate the good listening skills that are important for any job. Be sure that you fully understand the interviewer's question before starting to answer. Feel free to jot down notes to help you remember the question or to ask for clarification before responding. Often questions have multiple parts, such as: "Can you tell me about a time when you experienced a challenge, how you overcame it, and what you learned from the experience?" In this case, you will want to respond to each of the three parts of the question using the same example of a challenge. The good news is that you get to pick the challenge that you will share, so choose one that demonstrates your resilience and growth mindset and shows you in a favorable light.

 4. Support all of your statements with examples. When responding to interview questions, support each response with details that demonstrate your capacity in that area. For example, if you state: "I pick up new technology very quickly." You will want to add a concrete example such as: "When I started my internship, I was completely unfamiliar with Buffer. Within the first week, I was using Buffer to post simultaneously to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram." Not only does this response fully answer the question, but it also provides further insights into the skills, qualities, and capacities that you can contribute to the new position.

 5. Use the STAR method. Lastly, the STAR (Situation-Task-Action-Results) method can be a great way to provide the additional detail in your responses that the interviewer is looking for - and which will help you stand out from the crowd. By going beyond a simple description of what you did and including the results of your work, an interviewer can start to visualize your level of effectiveness and how you could make a significant impact on their organization.

Here's a breakdown of the STAR method to help you begin crafting sample responses:

S - Situation - what was happening?

T - Task - what were you doing?

A - Action - what did you do as a result?

R - Result - what happened? (Including your analysis of it).

For further information and practice on the STAR method, check out the Answer Builder feature in UMBC's Big Interview platform which takes you step-by-step through applying the STAR method to your own responses.

If you are interested in learning more, join us at the upcoming "Keys to Success: Ace the Interview!" session on Monday, September 12  from 12- 1pm in Commons 331. Learn more and sign up here.