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TRANSCRIPT
BENEFITS OF FORMAL
PROGRAM & PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS for Disability ServicesANDREA ROBERSON - DALTON STATE COLLEGE, GEORGIA
MICHAEL ANDERSON – GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
TOM L. THOMPSON – CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON
Two approaches – Using Standards
University System of Georgia (USG)developed a set of 8 standards
Referenced the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and Association of Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) standards in development
Shaped through an iterative process by Regents Administrative Committee on Disability Services (RACDS)
California State University, Fullerton using the Mission of the CAS standards
Three foci of CAS Mission – focus of all work done by DSS
Includes direct services and consultative work
CAS Mission standards overlap USG Mission statement for their standards
Learning outcomes for this session
1. Learn how the adoption of standards can assist
Disability Support Professionals (DSP) in the delivery
services, including legal and best practices for students
and the institution.
2. Leave session with a toolbox of ideas to assist in
implementing program and professional standards
3. Use information provided to improve services to
students and the institution
5 important factors to create USG
standards
1. Desire
2. Provision
3. Protection
4. Guidance
5. Compliance
USG - eight (8) standards
1. Consultation and collaboration
2. Information dissemination
3. Institutional awareness
4. Academic adjustments/accommodations and access
5. Self-Advocacy and skill development
6. Policies and procedures
7. Professional standards and program evaluation
8. Training and professional development for DSS staff
CAS (Council for Advancement of
Standards) Disability Resources Mission as focus
DISABILITY RESOURCES AND SERVICES
CAS Standards and Guidelines Part 1. MISSION
The primary mission of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) is to provide
leadership and facilitate equal access to all institutional opportunities for
disabled students.
To accomplish its mission, DRS must perform three duties:
provide institution-wide advisement, consultation, and training on disability-related topics, including legal and regulatory compliance, universal design, and disability scholarship
collaborate with partners to identify and remove barriers to foster an all-inclusive campus
provide individual services and facilitate accommodations to students with disabilities
Toolbox of ideas- part 1: Evaluation
1. Self-surveys
2. Independent observation from individuals (other DSP’s)
3. CAS evaluation methods (committee evaluation)
4. Satisfaction surveys
Communication
Toolbox of ideas- part 2: Improving Operations
Why?DSS focuses mostly on delivery, not on effectiveness or satisfaction.
Evaluating and re-designing services and processes
New resources and staff are hard to obtain
What?Student feedback and internal awareness
Note taking is unpredictable and difficult to deliver.
New students processes
Your choice – what needs improvement?
How?Begin with assessment
Gather data and review the findings.
Gather student feedback
Analyze the findings – what can be changed – impact on students
and/or staff.
Operational Changes – CSUF DSS
Process Improvement One: New Student Processes
Why – numbers increasing, paper-based processes, prospective students
waiting
What & How – implement online application, e-forms, create new orientation
video, reassigned duties/physically moved staff
Accomplishments
Added an administrative assistant, one staff focused on new students
Added a ½ time Disability Management Specialist, fall 2016
Still remaining to do
See more students in summer, reduce time reviewing documentation, appointments
Examples re New Student Processes
DSS Promo Videohttp://www.fullerton.edu/dss/prospective_students/index.php
This captioned video is a product of photography and videography done in summer 2016.
Orientation videohttp://www.fullerton.edu/dss/prospective_students/introductory-video.php#top
This slide presentation with voice over narration and captioning was created by office staff and a student assistant, launched fall 2016.
DSS info flyersCreated a new single page DSS flyer, incorporated it into NSO handbook.
Created a new ‘disclosure’ flyer and shared on campus.
DSS flyers: Services & Disclosure – two
flyers, general info on DSS & disclosure flyer
Consultation about Accommodations
Process Improvement Two: Consultation with faculty – tools
Why – confusion about how to handle requests; faculty resistance to
accommodations
What and How – Accommodations Guidelines were developed
Accomplishments
President’s letter, fall 2015 and DSS Guidelines; three tools to date
Conducted training and consultation with academic departments, Assistant Deans
Remaining tasks
Consult with remaining colleges (chairs & coordinators), develop online training, sharpen counselor confidence in prescribing and advocating
Tools for faculty – implementing
accommodations
Faculty GuidelinesA general flyer used for information and/or brief training; sent out with President’s Letter about the role of DSS.
Goal: content is brief, concise, easy to read
Provides brief case study examples
Examples of all three to view
Flexibility -
Attendance
Students miss courses, are late or leave class briefly, for medical reasons
Outlines a step by step process for the student, DSS and faculty to follow
Use of Memory AidProcess for determining what type of information a student can use in an exam situation – final content determined by faculty.
Includes a step by step process along with rationale for why a student might need an aid
Barrier Identification & Removal
Process Improvement Three – Collaboration with Facilities and IT/ATI
Why – campus doesn’t have a Transition Plan; ATI progress has been spotty
What/How – consultation about accessible furniture, ADA improvements, hired a
consulting firm to review DSS and ADA
Accomplishments
Restructuring of our Tech team/resources to support ATI work and digital accessibility
Preliminary meetings with Facilities and Construction: Event planners access guidelines
Still remaining to do
Identify areas/projects where improvements can be made
Continue consulting about accessibility in all construction projects
Process
Improvement is
Important
Discuss:
What are concerns on
your campus?
Why should you address
them?
How could you go about
it?
Conclusion
The simple three part mission for
Disability Resources and Services
provides an excellent way to begin
evaluating and improving the
operations and impact of a campus
department!
Toolbox of ideas –Part 3: Communication
1. Monthly newsletters or reports
2. Annual reporting
3. Campus forums
4. Lunch and Learn sessions
5. Presentations- Faculty development
6. Academic department presentations
Questions and Discussions
What more do you want to know?
Are you familiar with standards? Using them in some way?
Other questions?
CONTACT INFORMATION
Tom Thompson
Interim Director, Disability
Support Services
California State University,
Fullerton
657.278.3779
Michael Anderson,
Ph.D.
Associate Director, Disability
Services
Georgia State University
770.274.5235
770.278.1316
Andrea Roberson,
M.P.A.
Associate Director, Disability
Access and Student Support
Services
Dalton State College
706.272.2524