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1305 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608-263-2741 (phone)
263-6393 (tty)
265-2998 (fax)

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McBurney Disability Resource Center Student Interpreter Request Form

Sign Language Interpreter Service Policy and Procedures for Students McBurney Disability Resource Center

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Requesting Interpreting Service Upon Admission to UW-Madison:
    1. Students should contact the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager as soon as they learn their admission status to communicate enrollment plans and need for accommodation(s). Interpreting service requires advance coordination time. Student contact should be initiated with as much notice as possible, even months in advance.
    2. Students should send a recent copy of an audiogram (within 3 years if progressive) and schedule an intake meeting with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager for a review and evaluation of accommodation needs.
    3. Students will attend an interpreting service orientation and become familiar with the content of the Sign Language Interpreter Service Policy for Students.
  2. Requesting Interpreting Service before the Semester Begins:
    1. Students should request interpreter services as soon as they register for classes each semester. Undergraduates may be granted priority registration to provide additional time for McBurney to coordinate services. To maintain priority registration, students must continue to request services as soon as they register for classes.

      • Coordination Responsibilities: The McBurney Disability Resource Center provides services and accommodations for registered UW-Madison students with a documented hearing loss for curricular activities. UW departments or other campus organizations are administratively and financially responsible for provision of accommodations for some co-curricular and non-academically related events that they sponsor such as dormitory meetings or campus events (if the sponsor/department need assistance, feel free to direct them to the McBurney Center).

        Refer to the Legal and Fiscal Issues Regarding Curricular and Co-Curricular Interpreting and Real Time Captioning Requests policy. Contact the McBurney Center Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to inquire about the coordination responsibilities for the nature of your request when in doubt.
      • Expressing Consumer Preference: The provision of quality and consistent interpreting service is a requisite. The McBurney Center also needs to operate within state and university policies and practices, consider overall master scheduling needs, consider student preferences, consider interpreter qualifications, backgrounds and work schedules conducive to interpreting. Additionally, the McBurney Center considers feedback from interpreters regarding their appropriateness for assignments.

        Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate specific interpreter requests; however, recognizing the reality of balancing the needs of all students and schedules, the McBurney Center reserves the right to make final scheduling decisions.
  3. Student Responsibilities Throughout the Semester:
    1. Scheduling Changes (e.g., missing class, room change, instructor cancels class): Contact the McBurney Center front desk, 263-6393 TTY or 263-2741 Voice, as soon as you learn about a scheduling change. Do not e-mail or call the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager's direct TTY line, 262-6051, as your message will be relayed at once to the interpreter and/or Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager by contacting the front desk staff.

      Note: Scheduled interpreter(s) and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager do not necessarily know about cancellations announced during class, listed in the syllabus, written on the board, etc.
    2. Communicating Attendance Plan (No Show, Early Cancel, Late Cancel, Late Arrival): Students need to communicate attendance plans with the McBurney Center following these steps to maintain interpreting coverage for courses. As a rule of thumb, cancel interpreters as soon as you know you will not attend class.
      • No Show is defined as when a student misses class without any prior notification or any form of communication with the McBurney Center prior to class time. After a cancellation or no-show, we assume you will return to the next scheduled class session unless you notify us otherwise.

        Occasional absences are understandable; however, interpreting service will be temporarily suspended for any course section (lecture/seminar, discussion, lab) when a student has 2 consecutive absences.


      • Early Cancel is defined as contacting the McBurney Center at least 48 hours before the start of the interpreting assignment (i.e., class).

        Less than 48 hours notice is defined as Late Cancel. Habitual late cancellations may be considered No Shows.
      • Contact the McBurney Center front desk staff and specify a time you will be at class if you will be late to class. Without notice, interpreters follow the appropriate wait lengths before leaving the assignment site. If you call ahead of time and still do not show up at the time you indicated you would be present, interpreters will then follow the appropriate wait length for a "No Show". While the McBurney Center does not set numerical nor cumulative limits on no-shows or late cancels, we record all scheduling changes (cancels, no-shows, illnesses, substitutions, additional classes) in a master schedule for statistical purposes, employee evaluation and monitoring responsible usage of interpreting service.
    3. Wait Lengths for No Show/Late Arrival: Interpreters will wait 15 minutes from the start of the scheduled assignment. For late arrivals, observing the wait length begins once the student is not at class at the time of the anticipated arrival time.
    4. Reinstating interpreting Service for Irregular Attendances: Irregular attendance patterns may result into an interruption of interpreting service. Reinstating interpreting coverage occurs after these steps are satisfied:
      • Attendance patterns are discussed between the DHH Program Manager and yourself.
      • Both you and the DHH Program Manager are clear on your enrollment status in the course.
      • Both you and the DHH Program Manager develop a plan for offering appropriate notice for changes in attendance plan.
      • Both you and the DHH Program Manager are clear on the two consecutive absences and/or established pattern of absences to the same course session without prior notification policy.
    5. Additional Interpreting Service Requests (i.e., review session, additional curricular work): The Online Request Form accessed via the "Request Core Services" link on McBurney's home page covers interpreting service for regularly scheduled courses only. It does not include additional interpreting coverage for final exam, review sessions, and additional curricular work nor co-curricular related activities (refer to the Legal and Fiscal Issues Regarding Curricular and Co-Curricular Interpreting and Real Time Captioning Requests policy). Additional interpreting Service requests should be made by completing the request form located at http:/www.mcburney.wisc.edu/information/support/request . To expedite coordination work for your request,make sure you complete the form completely, including a brief description of the request (i.e., group project meeting, meeting professor, review session - all pertinent information to offer the interpreter enough background and vocabulary preparation).


      6. Please make your interpreter service request as early as possible to improve the chances of securing interpreter(s) even if you do not have all the details (i.e., professor announces a make-up class for next Thursday but does not know what time yet).

      Policy Emphasis: The McBurney Center, based on interpreter availability and time request was made, will make every effort to schedule interpreters. Alternative accommodations will be suggested if interpreters are not available. Plan on communicating this consideration with your instructor in the beginning of the semester to minimize last minute requests and requests outside the scope of McBurney services.
    6. Procedure for Reporting interpreter Absence/Tardiness: You should contact the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager or the front desk immediately should a interpreter miss or arrive late to an assignment. Efforts will be made to send a substitute or arrange a reasonable accommodation.
    7. Offering Evaluation of an Interpreter's Performance: Your interpreter aims to provide an accurate translation of spoken information in the classroom. Working with interpreters is a dynamic teamwork process that warrants ongoing communication diligence for maximum benefits. Collaboration and providing feedback should be done regularly.
      • Initially, take time to share consumer needs and expectations with new interpreters through a formal meeting prior to the first class session.
      • Thereafter, continue to offer interpreters regular, constructive feedback about their work and your expectations for particular assignments.
      • If you are not satisfied with the interpreter's work, determine the problem and discuss it with the interpreter during a set meeting time.

        OR

      • If you'd prefer not to approach the interpreter directly, make an appointment to share your concerns with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager.
      • Bring unresolved problems or problems warranting immediate coordinator involvement to the attention of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager.
      Please extend offering feedback not only to interpreters but also to instructional staff. Students are the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community's ambassador to an university population that does not necessarily realize the dynamics involved in working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and interpreters.
    8. "In-House" Confidentiality/Communication Policy: Interpreters abide by the Code of Ethics as delineated by the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). When necessary per university policies, interpreters may communicate typically confidential work-related information with appropriate administrators: the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager and/or the McBurney Center Director.


McBurney Center Responsibilities:

  1. The McBurney Center confirms student priority registration status with the Registrar's Office.
  2. The McBurney Center hires and schedules qualified interpreters considering inputs from students on their needs.
  3. The McBurney Center will relay messages to students quickly any changes in interpreting service (i.e., substitute interpreter). Reasonable accommodation options (i.e., captioning, videotaping or audio recording for later interpreting or transcription) will be discussed with students when a interpreter becomes unavailable.
  4. The McBurney Center provides course materials for interpreters and expects diligence in the interpreter's use of preparation time.
  5. To continuously monitor the quality of interpreting service and supplement annual supervisor evaluations, an evaluation form for each course will be sent to you at mid-semester or at the end of the semester. Please complete your evaluation following one of the identified, in order of preference, modes of evaluation:
    • Meeting with the interpreter, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Manager, if requested, as a way to culminate discussion involving feedback provided regularly throughout the semester; or
    • Fill out evaluation form and meet with the DHH Program Manager; or
    • Fill out evaluation form and return to McBurney Center.
  6. Provide course instructor(s) with resources allowing them to effectively work with interpreters and Deaf and hard of hearing students.
  7. Inform students of the process for challenging the adequacy of services and for appealing modifications and/or denial of services.

Sign Language Interpreter Responsibilities:

  1. Adoption of a consistent, accurate and conflict-free theory as well as familiarity and sensitivity to the professional RID standards, McBurney Center and university policies. Represent the interpreting profession to the highest standards.
  2. Attend all scheduled classes, except in cases of illness or emergency, or arrange for substitution through appropriate procedures.
  3. Seek feedback from students, faculty members and colleagues. Observe other interpreters whenever appropriate and done unobtrusively.
  4. Prepare, maintain and research job-specific terminology through advance preparation of course materials and consultation with resources including faculty and student.
  5. Maintain healthy interpreting through awareness of ergonomics and engage active prevention of injuries (i.e., stretching before working, correct posture).

Instructional Staff Responsibilities:

  1. Realize the significance of supporting the provided accommodation(s) to ensure academic access and smooth working relationship with student(s) and interpreter(s).
  2. Provide support to interpreters through provision of supplementary materials (e.g., handouts, copy of overhead diagrams) or information that will enhance interpreting work.
  3. Realize that interpreters are professionals providing communication access for everyone.
  4. Make arrangements to ensure Deaf and hard of hearing students are provided with appropriate and readily achievable opportunities to equally participate and enjoy the benefits of educational programs and activities within the course.
File last updated: April 17, 2007. 18:26:48 pm
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