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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?
Drop Box? Send us your email
www.dropbox.com
