A few weeks ago, Ian and I sat down at his computer to review the options for summer classes at the community college. I scrolled through the options in the Information Technology and Computer Science majors, each with their own seven digit number and a hyperlink to a course description. We sorted through the in-person, online synchronous, and online asynchronous options to find a class that might work out with his summer schedule. Ian has a better understanding of the lingo behind college — syllabus, credits, semesters, majors, requirements, course guide, register, add/drop — than he did when we started last September, but he still can’t independently sign up for classes. 

After I “suggested” a class for him, we attempted to register for the class. I clicked the right button, but got an error message. So, I helped Ian write an email — correspondence with college personnel still requires some support from me — to the Office of Specialized Services to request help from an advisor. What is the Office of Specialized Services (OSS) and why did we turn to them to sort out this bureaucratic mess?

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