Frequently Asked Questions
Application Questions
BA is an open-enrollment program; students are accepted on a rolling-basis. However, mid-semester enrollment and scheduling may be limited due to reduced availability of appointment times and available strategy instructors. Early semester enrollment is encouraged, when semester planning and strategy implementation can be maximized.
After submitting an admissions deposit to UConn—before the start of the semester or by the third week of the classes. Students are encouraged to enroll during the summer and winter breaks.BA meetings begin the first week of the semester and continue until the last week of the term.
Students should submit their BA application after receiving acceptance to UConn.
Throughout their academic career at UConn, students participating in BA need only to submit an application once. Those who are out of the program for one academic year, or longer, update their application by responding to follow-up questions. A new signed participation agreement and refund policy form are required of all students before attending their first semester meeting.
Admission Questions
No, semester enrollment in BA is contingent upon acceptance to a university program.
Beyond Access participation does not influence admission to UConn in any way, and admission to the BA program occurs only after admission to UConn.
High school students cannot use BA. Participation in BA is open to students attending the University of Connecticut on a part-time or full time basis. Commuter/Residential, non-matriculated students taking two or more UConn classes are included on a case-by-case basis.
Yes, Beyond Access is available to students in Masters, Doctorate, and other specialized diploma programs.
Yes, Beyond Access meetings with a Strategy Instructor are available at all UConn Regional campuses. Depending on instructor availability, students at regional campuses may meet online or in a hybrid model with their Strategy Instructor.
BA is open to all students. Strategy instruction is most effective for students who are open to learning and exploring strategies, and engage in open communication with their strategy instructor. For progress in reaching their goals, students must practice skills and attempt related tasks outside of meetings, and provide feedback- share concerns or challenges.
Students must complete a general application form; an electronic form is provided on the BA webpage and printed forms are available at the Center for Students with Disabilities. After receiving applications, the BA Coordinator will contact students via email to receive additional information. The BA participation agreement and refund policy forms are required to finalize enrollment in the program.
Apart from the general application process, there are no additional criteria for participation.
Semester enrollment varies from fall to spring and across UConn branches. Generally, enrollment is highest during the fall semesters. About 50 students enrolled in BA for the fall 2019 semester.
At this time, we do have a waiting list. Based on patterns of enrollment, we obtain instructional support to meet the scheduling needs of enrolled students.
We monitor enrollment trends and expect to have sufficient coverage to accept students at various points in the semester. Should an unexpected volume of participants occur, an enrollment cap warning will be posted on the CSD and BA web pages.
Think about your level of needs and strengths. If you have challenges with executive functioning and/or attention, consider meeting 2-3x weekly. If you need assistance with reading, writing, or studying/test-prep, consider scheduling extended-time (1 hour+) meetings. Meeting lengths vary including 30-minute, 45-minute, 1-hour, and 1-hour + sessions. Students are open to modify track enrollment within the first 4 weeks of participation. As part of the application process, students will need to inform the BA Coordinator of their preferred meeting track — Track I (1-hour weekly), Track 1.5 (1.5 hours), Track II (2 hours), and Track III (3 hours).
You can change your BA Track at any point during the semester provided that Strategy Instructors can accommodate the request. *For partial refund, a request to reduce weekly hours must take place within the first 4 weeks of the semester. Increases to weekly hours can happen at any point during the semester. Please notify the BA Coordinator and your assigned Strategy Instructor to reduce or increase weekly meeting hours.
Students’ needs change from semester-to-semester. You have the option to re-enroll in BA with each new semester. While some students stay in BA for their entire academic career, others participate for one semester or year; and some leave, returning to the program in a future semester or deciding not to come back.
Enrolled students can indicate their intention to continue participating in spring or Fall BA by completing a new participation agreement and refund policy form. These are available year-round on the BA website. The most appropriate time to complete these continuation forms is during Finals week, indicating participation for the upcoming semester. Note: Winter BA and Summer BA follows a different process.
Incoming UConn students are welcome to participate in BA during their participation in a summer program. Please keep in mind that many summer programs have full schedules that may limit students’ availability to attend BA sessions during office hours (8AM-5PM). Those interested in summer BA should contact the BA coordinator in early spring.
Strategy Instructors are trained to work with students with a variety of different learning styles. Many students in BA have more than one disability.
Scheduling Questions
During the enrollment process, students are asked questions used to pair them with a strategy instructor. New students will receive an email introduction/notification of their assigned strategy instructor before the start of the semester. In early communication about participation in BA, students are asked to indicate preferred meeting days/times, which strategy instructors use to arrange weekly meeting schedules. Strategy instructors notify students of meeting schedules via email (UConn outlook/Gmail accounts).
With advance notice, strategy instruction can be arranged for students enrolled in a UConn program or classes.
Yes, BA meetings can be in person, online, or both. If appropriate, or depending on a Strategy Instructor’s availability, BA can be offered fully online.
Payment Questions
BA fees are applied to students’ university accounts. Payment can be made electronically through the Student Administration system, by mail, or in-person at Bursar’s office.
For students who have completed documentation (application, participation agreement, and refund policy), BA fees charges will be applied to fee bills as soon as possible. It can take 2-4 business days to process charges to reflect on bursar fee bills.
Through Bursar email communications, students are notified of new/remaining balances on their fee bill. By logging into the student administration (https://studentadmin.uconn.edu/) or contacting the bursar office, students can check their fee bill charges.
Strategy Instructor Questions
Strategy Instructors are trained to work with students from various backgrounds. Many students in BA have more than one disability.
Strategy Instructors have varying educational backgrounds. Instructors include full time staff members and current students enrolled in a master’s or doctorate program. Common educational backgrounds include School Psychology/Counseling, Social Work, and Higher Education & Student Affairs. Strategy Instructors receive ongoing supervision and training opportunities; these include bi-annual training weeks and ongoing semester workshops.
If students provide a copy of them, syllabi can be accessed by Strategy Instructors. Strategy instructors do not have access to students’ HuskyCT unless students log-in during their meetings.
Strategy Instructors do not have access to students’ grades during the semester, unless students provide such information.
Programming/Other Questions
BA is not a tutoring service; but can be used to connect students with a tutor and other resources on-campus. Certain major programs offer tutoring opportunities for pre-determined courses. Students are encouraged to use campus resources including the Writing Center, the Quantitative Center, Language Tutoring, and Academic Achievement Center.
Some major departments offer tutoring services e.g. UConn Engineering tutoring center, which students should utilize as needed. Strategy Instructors help students navigate and connect with campus resources. Should an instructor have specialized training in an area related to a student’s class or major, they can incorporate supplemental review of course material with focus on learning strategies. Students are encouraged to advocate for their needs through open communication and utilization of resources including their instructor(s), major department, and tutoring centers.
The CSD offers a support group and mentoring program (REACHing Peers) to students seeking additional socialization and opportunities to connect with peers. Those opportunities are open to any student regardless of involvement in other CSD programs or services. Students enrolled in BA can focus on development of socialization skills through their one-on-one strategy instruction by setting social goals at their initial semester goal-setting meeting. As UConn Huskies, students have ongoing opportunities to connect with their peers. While socialization can be challenging, students are encouraged to work with their Strategy Instructor for support (addressing concerns, challenges, and barriers in effort to) building campus connections and engagement.) BA Strategy Instructors at all campuses also plan social events throughout the semester to help BA students meet one another and engage in socialization in a supportive environment.
BA is not a counseling or therapy service. Students experiencing mental challenges are encouraged to connect with SHaW Mental Health Services. Regional campus students can contact the clinical case manager at their campus Mental Health Resource Center for help connecting with mental health resources. Strategy Instructors can introduce anxiety management and stress reduction strategies to students experiencing difficulty in identifying or using effective coping mechanisms.