We provide all members of the University of St.Gallen with advice and guidance on disability and/or chronic illness, as well as on how stressful psychosocial situations impact health and well-being.
We are happy to discuss your questions and concerns at a personal meeting — whether you need information, would like to check your application for special needs arrangements (formal examination adjustments) or other adjustments, or have questions about access and infrastructure. If necessary, we also offer several counselling sessions so that you can study as successfully as possible with a disability or chronic illness. Consultations are free of charge and treated in the strictest confidence (principle of professional secrecy).
Advice for Students
Access Arrangements
Access arrangements are specific measures that are designed to offset the effects of a disability and/or chronic illness on programme-related activities (examinations). Individual examination adjustments serve to balance programme- and/or examination-related difficulties in order to ensure equal opportunities. The course content or basic programme or examination requirements may not be changed.
Adaptive Measures
Adaptive Measures include access arrangements that are implemented outside of examinations. Such measures are designed to ensure equal opportunities for students suffering from mental, physical or chronic illnesses or experiencing extraordinary stress levels.
How can I apply for access arrangements or adaptive measures?
Step 1: Contact the DE&I Advice Centre
 | To apply for access arrangements or adaptive measures, you will need to arrange an initial consultation with the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Advice Centre. We recommend that you contact us as early as possible as initial clarification may take some time. The easiest way is to email us at inclusion@unisg.ch. |
Step 2: Medical Documentation
 | To submit an application, you will need to provide a valid evaluation of your health from a specialist physician. Medical evaluations must either meet the criteria in the Checklist or have been issued via the Assessment by Medical/Therapeutic Specialists provided by HSG. Ideally, you will provide us with these documents when you contact us. If you are applying for access arrangements due to dyslexia, please also note the Information for Students with Dyslexia. |
Step 3: Consultation
 | Consultations serve to assess your individual needs with you and to recommend formal adjustments based on both the medical specialist’s recommendation and the University’s regulations. |
Step 4: Application Review by the Special Needs Task Force
 | If extensive study and learning adjustments are needed, or if your disability and/or chronic illness is complex, we will refer your application to our Special Needs Task Force. It will consider additional programme-related aspects, discuss various solutions and decide on the further course of your studies. The Special Needs Advice Centre has an advisory function but no decision-making authority. We will consult the Special Needs Task Force only with your consent. Its members are bound to professional secrecy. Members of the Special Needs Task Force:
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Step 5: Application via Compass
 | If your application does not concern extensive programme adjustments or a complex situation, you may apply for access arrangements directly via the online form on Compass (Step 4 does not apply in this case). If your application first needs to be reviewed by the Special Needs Task Force, you may only submit your application online in Compass following the Task Force’s decision. If you have applied for access arrangements, you will receive a written decision from the Competence Centre Planning & Examinations. The document specifies the access arrangements and the period of validity. If you have applied for adaptive measures, you may be notified by the Dean’s Advisory Office. |
Step 6: Implementation of Measures
 | Access arrangements are implemented based on the University’s notification, which you will receive after submitting your application:
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Deadlines
If you are applying for access arrangements, please observe the deadlines listed below. Please contact us well in advance to arrange a consultation.
Adaptive measures are not bound to any deadlines.
You can also find all the information on access arrangements/ adaptive measures in the factsheet.
Examination | Examination Date | Application Deadline |
Selection Procedure | CW 07 | Friday CW 02 |
Integration Week | CW 22 | Friday CW 17 |
Decentral Examinations | See Faculty Decision | Wednesday CW 46 (AS) |
Central Examinations | See Examination Schedule | Wednesday CW 46 (AS) |
Accounting Examination | January | Wednesday CW 46 |
AS= autumn semester, SS= spring semester
Document Download Students
At the moment, our documents are still being revised with regard to accessibility. If you are unable to access a document or process the information, please contact us at inclusion@unisg.ch.
Advice for lecturers and staff
We advise and support HSG staff with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. We endeavour to create an inclusive working environment that enables all members of the University of St.Gallen to participate equally in its affairs. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about workplace design, disability aids or building accessibility.
We also support lecturers and faculty members on disability and inclusion. To make our University as barrier-free as possible for all its members, it is particularly important to eliminate any obstacles potentially impairing access. The Checklist Accessible Teaching is intended to help you with implementation. If you have specific questions about lesson design/organisation or require general advice on conducting barrier-free events, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The fact sheets listed below have been designed to enable accessible teaching and learning; they also include general disability advice and information. Please note that those documents are only available in German:
The Information Sheet on Electronic Accessibility also offers guidance on ensuring e-accessibility. If you wish to create barrier-free PDFs, we suggest using PAVE, a tool designed by the ICT Accessibility Lab at ZHAW School of Engineering. Training for accessible teaching is available on Canvas. See also the Teaching Innovation Lab’s blog post on accessible teaching.
Document Download Lecturers
At the moment, our documents are still being revised with regard to accessibility. If you are unable to access a document or process the information, please contact us at specialneeds@unisg.ch.
Contact Details
Ella Roininen
Head of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
Büro 33-103
9000 St Gallen
Monika Karola Hessemer
Specialist Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
Büro 33-103
9000 St. Gallen
Verena Witzig
Specialist Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
Büro 33-104
9000 St. Gallen
Anja Thunemann
Leiterin Prozesse, Planung, Prüfungen
Büro 02-U121
Dufourstrasse 50
9000 St. Gallen
Bernadette Einsmann
Büro A29-007
Bodanstrasse 8
9000 St. Gallen