Graduate students are welcome to consult with SEAS at any point in their career at Brown. As the focused and intensive nature of graduate work can be exciting and engaging, new concerns or barriers can emerge as well. Applicants can also contact SEAS to learn about services and options. The support SEAS offer includes how to qualify for services or accommodations, how those features work at Brown and even how to have an evaluation done if a student believes they may have learning or attentional concerns. Additionally, conversations with SEAS involve a high level of confidentiality. 

Axe came to Brown as an undergraduate, studying Business Economics and Art History. She did her graduate work at George Mason University, earning a master’s in Education with a focus on Counseling and Development in Higher Education. She began working in disability services and now has more than 22 years of experience, with the last 15 at Brown.

Accommodations and services are wide-ranging. Some common ones include academic accommodations, such as extended time and reduced distraction space for exams, note-taking support, and assistive technologies such as voice dictation or reading software. Students with mobility concerns or injuries may want to use the SEAS shuttle, which provides point-to-point rides within the campus, including to residences within the On Call service zone. Assistance is also available for getting an evaluation for learning or attentional issues and with academic coaching once students qualify for services.

The SEAS office also works to promote equity and inclusion within the Brown community and to make sure diversity efforts include disability. The office works with faculty closely through a newly formed liaison program, by joining departmental staff meetings, and connecting with Directors of Graduate Studies and departmental administrators. Facilitating communication and consultation as well as raising awareness are key aspects of these efforts.

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SEAS also hires graduate students to work in their office. Positions are usually 10 to 15 hours per week and involve coordinating exams accommodations for faculty (when they request that assistance), monitoring our note providing systems, and converting materials into alternate formats, among other things. SEAS also hires a pool of proctors who will work on a job basis.

The SEAS website now offers additional resources for graduate students.