Disabled Student Services

Skip to content[CSUSM Home] [CSUSM Search] [Help for this Site]
Page Last Revised on 12/19/2007

[ Home ] [ Student Handbook ] [ Faculty Handbook ] [ CSU Systemwide DSS Policy ] [ Alternative Formats ]

WELCOME TO DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES

The aim of CSU San Marcos is to instill in its students the enthusiasm and curiosity, the creativity and originality, the healthy skepticism, and the habit of continuing inquiry that are central to all truly educated men and women. The goal is to enable them to realize their potential as enlightened individuals and productive members of society in a world of change.

The Office of Disabled Student Services (DSS) is located within Craven Hall in Suite 4300.  The DSS staff are available for both walk-in and scheduled appointments Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Individuals wishing to call DSS can do so by dialing (760) 750-4905 or (760) 750-4909 (TTY) and our fax number is (760) 750-3445.  Email inquiries can be sent to dss@csusm.edu.

For those of you interested in getting in touch with us by mail our address is:

Disabled Student Services
California State University San Marcos
San Marcos CA 92096-0001

 

INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO INTERESTED STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Support Services Offered This is a good link if you want to learn more about the support services provided to eligible students with disabilities.

Student Handbook This is a very useful resource for individuals wanting more detailed information about the Disabled Student Services program.

Disabled Student Services Staff: If you are interested in learning more about the DSS staff then click on any of the links below for more information on a particular individual.

Library Liaison
The role of the Library Liaison to Users with Disabilities includes:

Library Liaison contact information:
Melanie Chu, KEL 3426, mchu@csusm.edu or (760) 750-4378.
 

FACULTY INFORMATION

Faculty Handbook This is a good link for faculty who are interested in learning more about both the Disabled Student Services program and good approaches to working with individuals with various types of disabilities.

Chancellor’s Office Policy For The Provision Of Services To Students With Disabilities This is a copy of the latest memorandum from the Chancellor’s Office which mandates the types of support services each CSU institution is to provide for students with disabilities.
 

Table of contents

 

SUPPORT SERVICES

The availability of support services for students with disabilities is dependent upon the needs of students, as well as available funding and resources. It is entirely up to the student whether or not to access services. However, no student shall receive support services without proper verification of their disabling condition. DSS will determine which support services a student is eligible for based on all available documentation and information on the student’s disability. In addition, it is important for students to understand that the accommodations authorized by Disabled Student Services apply only to CSU, San Marcos.

DSS offers a variety of support services to students with documented disabilities. Students are encouraged to contact Disabled Student Services regarding the availability of specially adapted equipment, campus orientations, supplemental academic advising, functional assessment, priority registration, testing accommodations, registration assistance and tutoring referral.

For more detailed information on support services take a look at our Student Handbook.

Table of contents

 

John Segoria, M.S. Director, Disabled Student Services

John received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and a minor in Sociocultural Anthropology from San Diego State University. After completing his bachelor’s degree, John was admitted into the Master of Science program in Rehabilitation Counseling at San Diego State University. Upon completion of his master’s degree in 1990, John was hired as the Coordinator of Disabled Student Services at California State University San Marcos. As the Director of Disabled Student Services, John believes that all students with disabilities should be given the opportunity to succeed academically and the chance to prove themselves as contributing members of society.

Kara Kornher, Psy.D., Psychologist & Learning Disabilities Specialist

Dr. Kornher was born and raised in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. She attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where she recieved her BA in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. She completed her junior year abroad at the University of Exeter in England. Dr. Kornher received her Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) in Clinical Psychology from the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She arrived in San Diego in 1993 to complete her predoctoral internship at Psychological and Counseling Services at UCSD. Prior to joining Disabled Student Services in 1996, Dr. Kornher completed a postdoctoral internship for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and also practiced at Scripps Hospitals and Vista Balboa Crisis Center. She was awarded tenure at Cal State San Marcos in July, 2000. In addition to her primary role in Disabled Student Services, Dr. Kornher provides supervision for doctoral level psychology interns in Student Health and Counseling Services. She coordinates and supervises the psychological assessment portion of the Student Health and Counseling Services predoctoral internship program.

Michelle Saavedra, M.S., Disability Support Services Coordinator

Michelle received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Deaf Studies from California State University of Northridge (CSUN) in 1992. CSUN is known for their National Center on Deafness. She has been actively working with the deaf community for over twenty years. Michelle set up interpreting services for Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach preparing the company for the new Americans with Disabilities Act that was going into effect in 1990. Prior to graduation she worked for Goodwill Industries Vocational Training Pilot Program for the Deaf in Long Beach from 1991 until 1994. In 1994 Michelle re-located to North San Diego County to be near family and worked as a freelance Sign Language Interpreter in San Diego County. Michelle also taught American Sign Language classes at Palomar College. Michelle coordinated the employment placement services for Deaf Community Services for San Diego County job seekers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing from 1997-2002. In 2002 Michelle began working at San Diego State University as a Career Counselor for students with disabilities prior to her completion of her Master of Science program in Rehabilitation Counseling at San Diego State University. Michelle is currently in a Post Graduate Fellowship Program through San Diego State University in Leadership Training for professionals who work with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing consumers. Michelle loves working with people with disabilities as a counselor and teaching self-advocacy to her consumers to develop the independence and life skills needed for success.

Diana Soderbeck, Office Manager

I was born in Corpus Christi, Texas but have lived in California since I was 5.  I have lived in San Marcos since 1976, most of the time.  I have watched San Marcos and the CSUSM grow so much and  enjoyed every minute of it.  My career life has been built around serving the public.  From working for my parents delivering auto parts, to cosmetology, to administrative assistant in a Casino, Physical Therapy corportation and where I am today.  My experience is as diverse as the community within the campus and it serves me well when it comes to going beyond "getting along with people" to being more more available.  Having one son in college and one in middle school helps me to be empathetic to the trials and tribulations of the students today.  Working in such a caring and encourageing environment as this university makes me want to give as much as possible back to the students. 

Geneice Izor, Testing Scheduler

I was born and raised in San Diego County, a true California Native! I have lived in Escondido for nearly thirty years and currently live within four miles of the CSUSM campus. My work experience has been primarily in the secretarial field, and I have worked for County Social Services, SDSU Associated Students, an architect, and a chiropractor. I have always been interested in counseling and received my Certificate in Christian Counseling in June. It is a joy working with the students in this office, and I am constantly inspired by their determination to achieve their goals. As Testing Scheduler, it is my goal to help make this office a comfortable place to visit and the testing accommodation process as efficient as possible.

 

Table of contents

 

LINKS TO CSUSM WEB PAGES

www.csusm.edu If you are interested in learning more about California State University San Marcos this is the link for you.

http://www.csusm.edu/images/maps/ If you are interested in obtaining a good map of the campus, this is a good site to visit.

http://www.csusm.edu/shcs Student Health and Counseling Services provides CSUSM students with high quality health care at a very affordable cost.

http://www.csusm.edu/student_affairs/ Student Affairs provides CSUSM students with services and programs based on student development theory and is committed to the principles of educational equity and individual rights.

www.csusm.edu/csi/clubs_orgs/ CSUSM has a large number of student organizations. Try this link for more information.

http://ww2.csusm.edu/CAC/ CSUSM has a comprehensive Career Services department. Try this link for more information.

www.csusm.edu/enroll/ This is the link for the CSUSM Admission’s Web Page.

www.csusm.edu/finaid/ Interested in learning more about what financial aid might be available to you as a CSUSM student? Try this link.

http://www.csusm.edu/SSS_EOP/ The ASPIRE program offers a wide variety of academic support services to students who qualify.

http://library.csusm.edu/about/policies/disabilities.asp The Library provides services and resources to users with disabilities, including expert research help.

 

Table of contents

 

LINKS TO DISABILITY RELATED INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE WEB

www.washington.edu/doit This is a good link for individuals interested in learning about available resources for students in pursuing studies in the hard sciences.

http://www.cast.org/bobby/ Have you ever wondered if a particular Web Page is truly accessible? Try this link.

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm#anchor1164798 For those of you who are interested in learning more about the Americans With Disabilities act, try this link.

http://www.rit.edu/~easi/dislearn.html This is a good link for those of you interested in learning more about accessible software for the disabled.

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html  The Office of Civil Rights. This is the organization to contact if you believe you are not being reasonably accommodated for your disability.

www.accessandiego.org This is a very good site to visit if you would like to learn more about the accessible tourist spots in San Diego.

www.abilityhub.com This is a good website to visit in order to learn more about specially adapted computer equipment.

 

Table of contents

 

CONCLUDING STATEMENT

It is very important that our web page is accessible to everyone. Please send us an email and let us know what we can do to make our web page more accessible, or if you simply have questions regarding Disabled Student Services.
dss@csusm.edu

Table of contents

Bobby Seal of Approval