i. institutional support and commitment to continuous improvement

I. Institutional Support and Commitment to Continuous Improvement
States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State. Different study
and employment restrictions apply to different visa types. OIA facilitates international
students in all these matters.
o Counseling Services
The mission of Counseling Services at SAIC is to assist students in meeting their
emotional, psychological and mental health needs and to contribute to a campus
environment that facilitates the healthy growth and development of students. The service
carries out its mission through three essential roles and functions including counseling
& psychotherapy, consultation and outreach programming. Four full-time, doctoral-level,
licensed psychotherapists staff the service, and services are free to students.
o Health Services
Health Services at SAIC supports the journey to artistic and intellectual growth and the
desire, willingness and stamina it requires to work and achieve goals. They encourage
students not to overlook their physical and emotional well-being. A healthy, balanced
lifestyle will enhance students’ ability to explore and develop their creative talents
successfully. Art students have unique health concerns related to art hazards. Developing
safe work methods, including an awareness of hazards posed by toxic materials, is an
essential part of evolution as an artist. Health Services’ goal is to reduce potential health
hazards and help protect students by promoting safe art making practices through
arts health and safety counseling, programming and referrals. They believe an informed
student is empowered to create art in a safe and responsible manner that protects their
health and the environment now and for a lifetime.
o Disability Learning Resource Center
The Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) is a free service available to all
currently enrolled degree-seeking students. Specialists provide any degree-seeking
student with individual assistance for academic assignments and support with basic
study skills. Individual Sessions are generally sixty minutes in length. Most requests are
for assistance in one or more of the following areas: writing organization, process and
revision; reading comprehension; conversational/oral presentation skills; organizational
or study strategies; and time management strategies. Students are eligible to receive
academic support through DLRC if they have documentation of a disability, suspect
they may have a disability, are currently enrolled in the Academic Access Program, are
currently on academic warning or probation, are in need of individual strategy or study
skill training, or have been specifically referred by another source at SAIC.
Specialists at DLRC are available to assist students with disabilities. In accordance with
the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, DLRC
works to provide equal access to all SAIC programs, services and facilities for students
with disabilities. DLRC conducts outreach and programming on practical and artistic
disability topics, serves as a resource for faculty and staff, and provides individual
accommodations for students. These accommodations may include priority registration,
extended time on exams, distraction-free testing area, note-taking assistance, use of a
tape recorder, assistive listening devices, furniture modifications, housing modifications,
interpreters, reduced course load, preferential seating and accessible parking. Unlike in
high school, students must take the first step towards receiving accommodations by
providing appropriate documentation of a disability to DLRC. DLRC staff will then work
with the student to determine, implement, and monitor reasonable accommodations.
47 | Spring 2011
SECTION I Institutional Support and Commitment to Continuous Improvement