Counselling and Accessibility Services Update | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by David Johnston, Counselling and Accessibility Services

in the March 2018 issue

We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that Counselling and Accessibility Services (CnAS) will be transitioning to a new Records Management and Appointment Booking system, “Clockwork.”

The transition is necessary in order for us to comply with Ontario Human Rights requirements and Ministry reporting expectations. ClockWork is used by most Counselling and Accessibility Services offices in Ontario colleges.

While this will facilitate departmental processes, there are some implications for faculty that we wanted to make you aware of. A key feature of this new system will be the electronic distribution of academic accommodation letters to students and professors.

Currently, especially at the beginning of a semester, there are delays with sending out accommodation letters as it is a manual and labour-intensive process. After a period of transition, there will be an improvement in the time it takes for an accommodation letter to be created and when it is received by professors. There should also be a quicker re-issuing of an existing accommodation letter (e.g., for a new semester).

Professors will continue to receive accommodation letters via email. In addition, there will be a Faculty Web Portal that professors can log into using their Seneca credentials. Through this Portal, you will be able to access the accommodation letters organized by semester and course. The link to the Portal will be provided in the accommodation letter email. It will also be available through the Seneca Counselling and Accessibility Services website.

Currently, accommodation letters are also sent to program Chairs and designates; with this new process, program Chairs and designates will no longer receive the accommodation letters. The Test Centre will be able to access letters via ClockWork.

As we move to launch this system by mid-March, more information will be provided. We will be developing a list of FAQs that will be available to staff and faculty. If you would like to suggest any question(s) that we should include, please contact us.

We appreciate that the use of ClockWork will result in a change of our processes, and we ask for your patience as we work through any unanticipated issues with the new system.

Quick facts from CnAS:

• Last year, CnAS saw 3,400 students.
• During the Fall Semester, over 2,000 Accommodation Letters were distributed.
• Seneca’s participation in Bell Let’s Talk Day, on January 31, 2018 contributed to $7,000,000 being raised for mental health initiatives.
• Bell Let's Talk and The Rossy Family Foundation have committed $1 million to develop a national standard for post-secondary student mental health.

View the March 2018 issue of the Academic Newsletter.