14% of all UCSB undergraduates are international students coming from more than 79 different countries. In addition to part of these international students, there are more UCSB students whose native language is not English. Despite this being a large part of UCSB students,  Administration has failed to offer adequate accommodations for the existing language barriers. ESL students take more time processing English content than students whose English is their native language; this causes ESL students to be constantly at an unfair disadvantage. Since ESL students take more time processing content in English, it is unfair to make them take tests with a time frame designed to fit English native language students. In addition to this, ESL students are more prone to misspell/confuse words and be left behind when taking notes during lectures. These disadvantages limit their capacity and ability to show their comprehension and understandings from class, which can harm their grades and overall goals. 

What is being proposed: 

• ESL students should be offered extended time on test-taking.  Offering ESL students extra time on their tests will compensate for the extra time they need to process the tests’ questions.
• ESL students should be offered notetaking services.
  Offering notetaking services to ESL students will ensure their access to complete and well-written notes. 

These accommodations are already being provided by the Disabled Students Program (DSP). DSP states that these accommodations ensure full participation and equal access to all university-related activities for students with disabilities. One of the main reasons accommodations are provided to some disabilities is because the disability causes the student to process the class content at a slower pace. Although this difficulty is shared with ESL students, ESL students are not considered disabled students, which prevents them from accessing these accommodations.

Offering these accommodations to English second language students will provide them equal access and full class participation, which they deserve as a Gaucho. So let us all take a stand on providing ESL students with their needed accommodations. Help ESL students by signing and sharing this petition.

Note: Image is being used to bring more context and engagement to the petition. This petition is to offer accommodations to ALL UCSB ESL students, not only those whose Spanish is their first language.