Alternative Format Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to provide information regarding the alternative format services provided by the Access Center. Students who request alternative format are responsible for following the guidelines outlined below.

• Alternative format may only be requested by active students registered with the Access Center who have been approved for the alternative format accommodation.
• Students must be currently enrolled in the course for which the alternative format is being requested. If a student is waitlisted for a course, they may submit a request and must inform the Access Center of all courses for which they are waitlisted.
• Due to copyright requirements, students must purchase a copy of all required textbooks and provide a receipt or other proof of purchase to the Access Center before any alternative format materials are provided.
• Students agree to not reproduce, share, or otherwise distribute any alternative format materials provided by the Access Center to any other individual. Violation of this agreement is considered copyright infringement.
• Alternative format requests should be submitted as soon as the student registers for their courses. Course textbook information is available in the Student Hub, by selecting the “View Book Information” link at the bottom of the Registration Page.
• Students should submit their requests for alternative format using the Alternative Format Portal. The link to the portal can be found on the Access Center website under Students. If a student is unable to access this form or requires assistance completing it, they should contact the Access Center as soon as possible.
• Students must notify the Access Center immediately if they change or drop a class for which alternative format was requested, or there is a change in textbooks.
• Students must notify the Access Center immediately if they do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submitting a request.
• Requests are processed in the order they are received. Conversion time can vary depending on the request, but can take up to 6 weeks or more, particularly during the beginning of a semester. The Access Center strives to fulfill requests as quickly as possible.
• In order to meet the immediate needs of as many students as possible, alternative format may be provided in stages. By default, the Access Center will process books in order from front to back. If a student will require content in non-sequential order (e.g., the class will cover material in the book starting with chapter 9 instead of chapter 1), the student should provide the Access Center with a copy of their syllabus or course schedule to assist in ensuring material is processed in a more appropriate order.
• If we are unable to acquire a suitable copy of a requested textbook, the student will be asked to provide a hard copy of their textbook to be cut and scanned. This process requires the binding of the textbook to be cut, allowing the Access Center to scan and process the book. Upon completion of the processing, the textbook will be re-bound with a plastic spiral comb, and returned to the student. This process is optional, and the Access Center will contact students to discuss this matter with them if necessary.
• Once a request is completed, the Access Center will send an email to the student containing instructions to download the available files. If the student experiences any issues in downloading these files, they should contact our office immediately.
• Access to files will be removed after the conclusion of the semester. The student must download all files they wish to keep on their personal device prior to the conclusion of the semester.

Questions or concerns regarding alternative format can be directed to our Production department, [email protected].

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