WELCOME! INFORMATION STUDYING WITH A DISABILITY AT THE VU
Dear student, We’re very glad that you will soon be starting (or resuming) your course of study at VU University Amsterdam! When you registered through Studielink and VUnet, you indicated that you have dyslexia, a disability, or a chronic illness and/or that you will require specific facilities in order to be able to study. If you received this email before your registration was fully complete, please note that you must complete registration before 31 August 2014. Also, do not forget the matching activities, if applicable. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the information that we have provided!
Study advisor and Negative Recommendation on Continuation of Studies (BSA)
Your first point of contact is your programme’s own study advisor. If you require specific facilities, we recommend that you make an appointment as soon as possible. You and a study advisor can discuss details of the facilities which, in your situation, are appropriate and necessary to enable you to take classes and examinations. These might include extended examination times, for example, in relation to dyslexia, or a need for guidance when studying. No concessions will, of course, be made in terms of the programme’s final attainment levels. You can find details about the study advisors and their availability at the website and on VUnet. In the context of the Negative Recommendation on Continuation of Studies (BSA), should
any circumstances arise that might delay your studies, we advise you to contact your study advisor as soon as possible. You can find full details of the BSA for your own particular programme at the Faculty's website.
Student General Counselling Service
In the case of dyslexia, a disability, a chronic illness or extenuating family circumstances arising during your course of study, we recommend that you contact the Student General Counselling Service as soon as possible. This also applies with regard to potential financial compensation. If you fall behind with your studies, you should initially contact the Student General Counselling Service by email. However, you should also make an appointment immediately, either online (currently only available in Dutch) or via Student Services (+31-(0)20-5985020). Contact the Student General Counselling Service if you have any questions and problems relating to extra tutoring and counselling, grants/financing, interrupting your course of study, and personal matters. The names and email addresses of the student counsellors can be found on VUnet and at our website.
SCHIB
In addition, at central level, advice and guidance are provided by the SCHIB (Students, Contact, Help and Information on disaBilities) team. SCHIB’s advisors can provide you with information concerning: - Central facilities, including a personal locker or the quiet zone - Study buddies
- Guidance for those with autism - Guided tour of the campus for those with a physical or visual disability - Questions, tips and complaints regarding students with disabilities SCHIB also holds meetings and is happy to provide input about potential improvements in the context of studying with a disability. The first meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year will be held at 15:30 on the afternoon of Thursday 18 September 2014. The agenda for that meeting will include a short presentation about studying with a disability at VU University Amsterdam. Please feel free to approach us directly with any questions that you might have. You are cordially invited to attend! If you need further details, we would suggest that you consult SCHIB (Students, Contact, Help and Information on disaBilities) in Blackboard (currently only available in Dutch). You can log in with your VUnet ID, or via the guest account (log-in code and password: schib1). Mailing list and community Unless we receive instructions from you to the contrary, we will automatically add your name to the SCHIB mailing list and to the SCHIB Community in Blackboard. One of the benefits is that you will receive an electronic copy of the SCHIB newsletter a couple of times a year (currently only available in Dutch).
Courses
At the website (www.vu.nl/cursussen) you will find a list of all the courses offered by the Course and Career Information Centre (CSL). Some of these may be able to assist you during your studies, such as ‘Speed Learning’, ‘Study Skills’ and ‘Presentation Anxiety, how do you handle it?’. Please note: most of these courses are given in Dutch. Three of the courses are available in English, however.
Further details about:
Dyslexia: www.vu.nl/dyslexia and The SCHIB Community in Blackboard. Guidance for those with autism: www.vu.nl/autism and The SCHIB Community in Blackboard. Study buddies: www.vu.nl/studybuddies and The SCHIB Community in Blackboard. Student Psychological Counselling Service: www.vu.nl/studentpsychologists Career counselling: www.vu.nl/career Guidance on choosing a course of study: www.vu.nl/career
Student & Educational Affairs CSL/SCHIB
Language test for first-year students The Dutch language test is mandatory for all first-year undergraduate students who will be taking a Dutch language Bachelor's programme at VU University Amsterdam. We would like to give you some additional details about this test. You can find further details in a document in the SCHIB Community in Blackboard (currently only available in Dutch). You can get extra time or a customized workspace in relation to dyslexia, a disability, or a chronic illness. Simply complete the application form (currently only available in Dutch).
Facilities available during VU University Amsterdam’s 2014 Introduction Programme If you need specific facilities in order to participate in VU University Amsterdam’s Introduction Programme (from 18 to 28 August 2014), please contact Eric-Jan Hartstra: e.j.hartstra@vu.nl. Include schib@vu.nl as a cc, so that one of the advisors can provide any support that may be required. Information about tuition fees / studentenbalie@vu.nl If you have any other questions, please contact us. Enjoy your course of study. We wish you every success! Kind regards from the SCHIB team and the student counsellors, Anita Dingelstad, Arieke Duijzer, Daphna Hartog and Marjolein Touwen
Contact details
Advisor on Studying with a Disability & Careers Officer Marjolein Touwen, MSc schib@vu.nl +31-(0)20-5983562 Instructor and Advisor on Studying with a Disability (Autism) Arieke Duijzer, MSc schib@vu.nl +31-(0)20-5985072
www.vu.nl/disability
De Boelelaan 1105 (0A-34) 1081 HV Amsterdam
T 020 59 83562 E schib@vu.nl