9/14 GBM: How to Talk to Professors About Accommodations & Advocacy Techniques

With the new semester kicking off, we're here to talk about advocating for your needs in the classroom. Navigating academic accommodations can be stressful—especially when it comes to communicating your needs to professors. This meeting will walk through practical, confidence-building strategies for self-advocacy at Duke.

We’ll cover:

• How to start the conversation and what to say in emails or office hours.

• Common challenges and how to handle them professionally.

• Advocacy techniques that make you feel heard while maintaining boundaries.

• How to reframe accommodations as tools for equity, not special treatment.

Whether you’re new to using accommodations or just want to feel more confident advocating for yourself, this session will give you language, templates, and real examples you can use right away.

Our meeting will be this Thursday, 9/14, in Rueben Cooke, Room 207, at 7 PM.