Beyond Access

Students new to Beyond Access complete the Beyond Access application. Students who will be participating in Beyond Access during an academic year semester (fall semester or spring semester) complete the Program Agreement for fall or spring. Students who will be participating during an intersession complete the Program Agreement for winter or summer session.

Students who participated in Beyond Access previously only need to complete the appropriate Program Agreement.

Please note that the Beyond Access Application form alone does not reserve a space in the program.

Beyond Access is open to any UConn student: degree or non-degree, any class standing, any campus. We do not require participants to identify as having a disability.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a BA track (the number of hours per week of individual meetings - 1, 1.5, 2, or 3).

We have found that students benefit from more hours of meetings each week if they:

• Have minimal experience independently utilizing time management tools such as calendars, schedules, and to-do lists
• Have previously been in school and/or home settings which offered a lot of structure and support
• Have not needed to take exams in high school, or did not need to study much/at all for exams
• Have concerns about navigating a large University

We have found that students benefit from fewer hours per week if they:

• Already use a tool to keep track of obligations, tasks, and scheduling (e.g., Google calendar, planner, to-do list apps, setting reminders)
• Understand assignment directions independently
• Have experience actively studying for exams and utilize strategies that have been effective
• Have experience taking notes in class and have actively reviewed those notes outside of class
• Are open to fully utilizing resources and supports, including Beyond Access

Typically, we recommend that incoming first year students, especially students who anticipate needing support related to time management and meeting deadlines, consider at a minimum Flex Track I (1.5 hours per week split into two 45 minute meetings).

Every student is different and this is an individual decision. Please reach out to us at csdbeyondaccess@uconn.edu to discuss your concerns and the track that would be the best fit for you.

Strategy Instructors are professional staff members or graduate students with educational backgrounds and/or experience in areas such as School Psychology, Counseling, Special Education, Social Work, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Educational Leadership, or related fields. Strategy Instructors receive training in working with college students with disabilities and effective strategy instruction. Supervision is provided on an ongoing basis by the Assistant Director for Assessment and Enhanced Services Programs.

The charge for Beyond Access is added to the student fee bill and is paid in the same way as other fee bill charges. Depending on the timing when the Beyond Access charge is processed, the fee may be added on and due at the same time as the rest of the semester tuition, or it may be a separate charge. When the fee is added after the deadline for tuition payments, students will have 10 calendar days to pay the fee. Notification of the charge is sent to the student’s UConn email from the Bursar’s office.

Beyond Access does not provide content tutoring; however, Strategy Instructors do support students in their courses. We teach strategies and help students apply them to their specific course content. We can always provide support in areas such as comprehending assignment directions, determining whether student class notes are aligned with the main topics covered in the lecture slides, and creating effective study plans. Strategy Instructors refer students to tutoring resources on campus.