Office of Specialized Services and Supplemental Instruction

Specialized Services and Supplemental Instruction at NJCU

Disability Support Services

NJCU students with disabilities are provided equal access to college programs through the provision of reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The OSS/SI serves as a resource for students with mobility, vision, hearing, learning, and other disabilities that may require campus/classroom accommodations and/or academic support.

Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a trademarked method of delivering academic support to students through a collaborative learning environment. SI serves historically challenging gatekeeper courses. SI sessions target study skills, collaborative exercises and integration of course concepts without re-lecturing the material. NJCU’s SI Program currently supports gatekeeper courses within our science and math programs.

View more about these programs in Campus Resources

Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Specialized Services is to:

Provide equal access for students with disabilities to NJCU’s academic programs and activities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act;
Provide reasonable accommodations for qualified students; and
Maintain an accessible environment for all students with disabilities.

The OSS/SI assists students in securing reasonable accommodations supported by documentation. Reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to, alternate testing arrangements, adaptive/assistive technology, and assistance in arranging for sign language interpreters, books in alternate format, and peer note-takers.

It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify and to request services. Students requesting accommodations are required to submit appropriate and recent documentation of their diagnosed disabilities.

Documentation Guidelines

All disability documentation should be completed by a qualified professional who is a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional who has appropriate training and experience, and has no close, personal relationship with the student being evaluated and should include the following:

The credentials of the evaluator(s);
A diagnostic statement identifying the disability;
Description of the diagnostic methodology used;
Description of the current functional limitations;
Description of the expected progression or stability of the disability;
Current and/or past accommodations, services and/or medications;
Recommendations for accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services.

Students with learning disabilities are required to submit the most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP), Educational Evaluation and Psychological Evaluation.

The mission of the NJCU Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program is to:

Increase student retention and success in historically difficult gateway courses within our STEM disciplines by providing collaborative learning experiences.
The program’s goal is to improve student’s understanding of course content, foster critical thinking skills and introduce and apply study skills that will support learning beyond the SI session meetings.

Contact Us

Location: Karnoutsos Hall, Rm 105
201-200-2091 (OSS)
201-200-2557 (SI)

Jennifer Aitken, Director
Jazmin Zegarra, Coordinator, Specialized Services
Joan Serafin, Coordinator, Supplemental Instruction
Eleanor Rodriguez, Coordinator, Testing

Office Hours:

Monday to Friday:
8:30am to 5:00pm
*Evening hours are available by appointment.