Improving Student Connection to Disability Services

Launching a College Transition Program:

Liz CarpenterAmy Clark

Pamela Spallacci

Access Coordinators Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

University of RochesterRochester, NY

Your Presenters

Main Goals of UR Transition Pilot● Promote an environment that eases the transition

experience for students with disabilities

● Bring students and families together with college services to cultivate supportive relationships

● Establish an early connection to disability services and timely initiation of accommodations

Creation of the UR Transition Pilot

• Finding Funding

• Forming the Team

• Marketing

• Investigation

• Finding Allies

• Proposal Process

Investigation•UConn Practicum

• Certification in Postsecondary Disability Services

•AHEAD Conference

•Current Program Models

•DSSHE-Listserv

•Journal Articles

•Statistics & Trends

•Interest Survey of Current Students and Families

Finding Allies

• Supervisory Buy-In

• Campus Climate

• Hierarchy

• Power, Politics & “Turf”

• Discover potential partners

• Find areas of expertise

• Build Relationships

Steps in the Proposal Process

Directors’ Meeting

•Convey rationale•Gain Consensus

Proposal to Dean

•Reference research, trends & your campus’ experience

•Include measurable goals & learning outcomes

•Project Budget

•Persistence? Retention?

Finding Funding

•Low cost options

•Soliciting Co-sponsors

•Should you charge?

•Explore Grants?

• Mentor stipends

• AV/Tech

• Furniture/Properties

• Handout Materials

• Room Reservations

• Catering

Projected Expenses

Forming the Team

• Collaborative Effort

• Access Coordinators

• CETL Study Skills Consultants

• Peer Mentors

• Parent & Family Relations

• Health Services

• Counseling Center

• Faculty

MarketingHow we attracted

students

• Create Graphic Identity/Logo

• @Rochester newsletter

• Student Outreach Routine• Email & Phone

• Admissions Counselors

• Orientation & Advising Staff

• Health & Counseling Offices

• CETL Website• FAQs & Application Form

Peer Mentors

Selection process

Training

Long term benefits

Student Workshop Sessions

●Policies and procedures for accommodations

●Knowing resources on campus

●Orientation and access to campus

●Self-advocacy Skills

●Study Skills

Including Parents

• Parents are in transition, too.

• Provide information and help ease minds

• Providing support from a distance

Parent Workshop Sessions

●Communicate the differences between accommodations in high school vs. college

●Help parents gain a better understanding of their student’s experience and support services

●Inform parents about how they can encourage self advocacy and shift their own role

Program Schedule

Pilot Program

• 14 students

• About 25% of freshmen who identified

• Representative of our student population

• Most students were not local

• 22 parents

• All students except one had a parent in attendance

• 4 peer mentors• One senior, one junior, and two sophomores

Post-Program Outcomes

“I found it very important that I know where I can find (CETL Disability Services) and utilize them as well as maintaining strong study skills. It was also great to find I can come down to CETL if I need help at any time during the semester…”

“It’s comforting to know where things are before I need them. Now I don’t have to worry about figuring out where I need to go for problems, I can just go.”

Lessons Learned

“By the time we got to the Blackboard online course management system my brain was fried. I didn’t get much out of it.”

• Rooms conducive to conversation

• Shorter sessions

• More hands on and engaging activities

• Interactive sessions and sharing experiences for parents

• Closing session with everyone to summarize

Transition Program on Your campus?

• What barriers might you face on your campus?• What assets do you have?• Who might be your allies?

Questions?

elizabeth.carpenter@rochester.edu

amy.clark@rochester.edu

pamela.spallacci@rochester.edu

Drop Box? Send us your email

www.dropbox.com