Over the course of my brief time at Beacon College, I have been challenged by those who argue that the existence of the College, as an institution that exclusively serves students with learning disabilities, is antithetical to prevailing wisdom in the world of education. That is, the idea of segregating students with such disabilities is inappropriate, some argue, because these students would be better served in a mainstream institution with access to available support services. I have even been pushed to open the Beacon College enrollment to students without disability. Of course, this challenging sentiment arises from a seminal article by Dunn in 1968,2 which questioned the justification for special education in an exclusive setting. This article, among others, launched a movement aimed at inclusion and integration of those with disabilities w i th in the genera l

A Presidential Note: A Beacon College Apologia1

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

Students Visit Mega-Con

2

Graduate Success Story

3

Parental Praise 3

New Board Member

3

Student Exercise Fun

4

The Beacon Chronicle

5

New Member of the Board

6

HR Update 8

The Beacon NAVIGATOR

M A R C H 3 1 , 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E I I , I S S U E 3

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

• Student’s Creative Learning Strategy

• AAPD Visits Beacon

• Scholarly Research in Cuba

education population. It should be understood that this movement arose in the strong anti-segregation a n d a n t i - a p a r t h e i d sentiments of the late sixties.3 Such challenges have forced me to develop a c a s e f o r Be a con ’ s exclusivity that is based u p o n w e l l - f o r m e d reasoning and data. So here are the key a r g u m e n t s I h a v e developed to date: • It is well established that

graduation rates among students in mainstream institutions for students with learning disabilities a n d A D H D i s substantially below that of students without these disabilities.4

• Students with learning

disabilities in mainstream institutions persist and graduate at higher rates if they access disability services. However, disclosure rates in mainstream institutions are quite low and only

35% of students with d i s a b i l i t i e s i n p o s t s e c o n d a r y education received appropriate adjustments, accommodations, or learning aids. Moreover, 64% of those receiving such support termed the accommodations as somewhat useful at best.

• Disability offices in

mainstream institutions are often seriously understaffed, providing service only to those with the most urgent needs.6

• I n a ma in s t re am

institution, there can be a stigma associated with disclosure of a learning disability, which can sweep students with such disabilities to the m a r g i n s o f t h e institution.7

Know Your World and Its Struggles. Chart Your Course and Succeed.

Gain. Learn. Grow.

Continued on page 9

P A G E 2

Students Visit Mega-Con If you’re an anime or superhero fan, MegaCon is the best place to hang out! Held in Orlando, it is the Southeast’s largest comic book, science fiction, anime, and media convention. The College runs a shuttle to this event every year, and some students even dress up in the costumes of their favorite characters. This year, Alex Sweet was the Mad Hatter from Alice and Wonderland, and

Sean Bramley and Sal Attardo met Superman and Spiderman.

Laykin to explore her Kindle’s capabilities, and Laykin discovered a feature where she is able to make flashcards using her Kindle. Now in our mentoring sessions, Laykin will often work on inputting her questions or definitions and then enter her answers. The Kindle makes it into a flashcard where she can then self-test herself by reading her question and then tapping her screen to flip the electronic card

for the correct answer. Laykin enjoys using her Kindle because she does not have to buy flashcards or worry about losing them. Also, Laykin says, “studying with my Kindle Fire is more enjoyable and even fun!” When Laykin is not studying, she is an avid reader and enjoys reading her favorite authors on her Kindle. She recently finished The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

This semester, senior Laykin Bradock, is using a new strategy to help her study for her tests. Laykin received a Kindle Fire as a Christmas gift and decided to try out a feature that creates electronic flashcards. Heidi Smith, Learning Specialist and Instructor, overheard Laykin saying how much she enjoyed her Kindle Fire and wished there was a way she could study using it. Heidi encouraged

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

Contributed by Michele Patestides, Learning Specialist

Student’s Creative Learning Strategy

Laykin enjoys using her Kindle Fire to study

Amanda “Mandi” Schlein, Graduate Success Story P A G E 3 V O L U M E I I , I S S U E 3

Mandi was a Liberal Studies major with a minor in History who graduated from Beacon College in 2008. Mandi is a charming, outgoing and reliable person, who has only been able to obtain internship e x p e r i e n c e s i n c e graduation and had been struggling to find paid employment. I reviewed Mandi’s current resume with her and gathered pertinent information in order to revise it, creating a more marketable version, along with a cover letter. We also discussed job search strategies and networking, created a trans i t ion plan and arranged to meet again on October 20, 2011, to review job search sites and discuss internship and

employment options. I received an intern-to-hire lead from Batteryweb.com, an online, world-wide distributor of batteries, located in Leesburg, Florida, on November 14, 2011, and contacted Mandi. She and I met on November 16, 2011 to discuss the opportunity and arrange an interview with the Chief Operating Officer of Batteryweb.com. I accompanied Mandi to the interview on November 18, 2011, whereby Mandi obtained the position. It was explained that she would work as an intern, organizing and creating a new system for inventory during the month of December, and would be considered for hire by January 1, 2012. After less

has  done  for  Chuck.    For the  first  time  in  his  life Chuck  is  succeeding.    The best  thing  we  have  ever done is send him there.   It is wonderful to know that this is just the beginning!  Thanks! Cecelia Novak   

Chuck  Novak  started  at Beacon  College  in  the  fall of  2011  as  an  undecided major.   He  is  really hoping for  an  Art  Major  to  be established  soon  at  the College,  and  until  then  he will remain undecided. 

We  recently  received  this feedback  in an email  from Chuck Novak's mom:  Dr Chandler, Thank you for your time on the phone this morning.  I neglected to tell you how very  pleased we  are with everything Beacon College 

Parental Praise for Beacon

Contributed by Kelly Rogers, Transition Coach

Contributed by Shelly Chandler, VP for Academic Affairs

Mandi in her new position at

Batteryweb.com. than three weeks in the position, Batteryweb.com management contacted me to say that, because Mandi was flourishing in the position, they wished to hire her. She became a p a i d e m p l o y e e o n December 11, 2011. Mandi continues to thrive in her new position as Inventory Specialist.

P A G E 4

Exercise = Fun for Students

Do you have high blood cholesterol? Well, if so, the C e n t e r s O f Disease Control and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that

you can control it! High cholesterol restricts the passageways of your arteries and makes it difficult for blood to carry oxygen to the

heart thereby causing heart disease. Luckily there are a few things that can be done to make this situation b e t t e r . R e d u c e cholesterol to no more than 300 mg per day. Also, watch your saturated fats because these are problems; at most they should be no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake! For

example, a 2000 calorie dietary intake would require consuming no more than 20 grams of saturated fat to avoid u n w a n t e d h e a r t problems. Lastly, take time for exercise. Just 30 minutes per day will lower your cholesterol. Good luck. In the next issue, I’ll discuss how to raise the HDL or good cholesterol in your body!

N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E

This is the second consecutive year that Beacon has hosted a rock wall and inflatable games on campus, and it looks like this year was just as much fun as last. The wall was set up on the basketball court at The Village apartments, enabling students to climb by themselves or race with a friend. An inflatable gladiator-style jousting ring allowed students to battle it out with huge foam-filled jousting poles in an attempt to knock each other off their pedestals. In the air-filled bungee run, students were harnessed with bungee cords and had to race to place markers at the furthest point of the inflatable. Among the participating students were Erika Watson, Matt Manfredini, Ellen Walsh, Annie Sharratt, Ryan Gillman, Alejandro Gluski, and Alex Sweet.

Contributed by Steve McDaniels, Residential Assistant and Life Coach

A Word to the Health-Wise: Cholesterol

Contributed by Caroline Le, Writing Consultant Extra! Extra! The Chronicle Rises!

P A G E 5 V O L U M E I I , I S S U E 3

On  March  28th,  the  student reporters  distributed  the  first issue  of  our  resurrected  print newspaper,  the Beacon College Chronicle.        

The  students worked  very hard on  their  articles and  the  Writing  Center  looks  forward  to facilitating monthly  issues  for  years  to  come!  A huge thanks to everyone for all your support and encouragement  in  helping  our  students  achieve this feat!  

 The Writing Center would like to acknowledge  the  wonderful work  and  generosity  of  Mrs. Jane Hepting, Volunteer Writing Center Consultant.  Jane  spends f o u r hours  in t h e Wr i t i n g C e n t e r 

each  week  providing  valuable  guidance  to  our students  in  their  writing.  Her  time  is  truly appreciated. 

Jane Hepting with student Sufian Dkeidek

P A G E 6

Welcome New Board Trustee At  the  end  of March,  a new  member  was appointed  as  a  Trustee with  a  three‐year  initial term.   Ms.  Nancy  Judge presently  serves  as Sustainer  on  the  Board of  Directors  for  the Winnetka  Historical Society  in Winnetka,  IL.  She  has  also  held  the positions  of  President and  CEO  and  Co‐President  and  Co‐CEO for this Board.   A few of her  responsibilities included  leading  a  30‐member  board, interfacing  with municipal  board members  and  staff, preservation  experts, donors  and  grant‐makers, contractors,  law firms, and the press.   As part  of  this  effort,  she 

initiated  and  executed the  purchase,  financing, municipal  approval, renovation and property tax exemption of a circa 1860  Victorian  house used  for  a  permanent headquarters  and museum.    She  also oversaw  the  Society’s first‐ever  capital campaign.   She  has  also  been appointed  as  President of the Board of Directors for  the  Winnetka Community  Nursery School  as  well  as  Vice‐President  of  Investment Banking  at  Morgan Stanley  &  Co.  Inc.    Her educational  background includes  a  Bachelor  of Arts  in  Economics  from Tufts  University  and  a M.B.A.  in  Finance  and Accounting  from  the 

University of Chicago.  On a personal note, Ms. Judge is active in parent‐led  school  organizations and  is  interested  in historic preservation and antiques.  Nancy and her husband,  Wade,  are proud  parents  of currently  enrolled junior,  Nate  Judge,  at Beacon College.   We  look  forward  to  the valuable contributions of Ms.  Judge  with  her proven  track  record  of board  leadership, teamwork,  project management,  and financial  skills  in  both the  corporate  and  non‐profit sectors along with her  personal  insights  as a  parent  of  a  Beacon student! 

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

Commencement for the Class of 2012 will be Saturday, May 5, 2012 promptly at 1 PM at Lake Receptions in Mount Dora. Graduating seniors should arrive no later than 12 PM for check-in and line-up in preparation for the ceremony. A reception will immediately follow where refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served. This year, Beacon is proud to announce that there are 32 A.A. and B.A. graduates, 25 of whom will be walking at our event. We look forward to celebrating graduation with all of you!

SAVE THE DATE: Commencement 2012

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Admissions is happy to report that Beacon has r e c e i v e d 3 7 tuition deposits for Fall 2012! This is impressive as last year at this time, there were only 12 tuition deposits for the Fall semester!

P A G E 7

p o s t s e c o n d a r y education as a goal, only about 38 percent e n r o l l i n p o s t s e c o n d a r y institutions and only 14 percent graduate with a degree or certificate. It’s a natural step that Beacon College would embrace a national partnership with a group like AAPD, since our graduation rate is more than 70 percent. Not to m e n t i o n , approximately 25 percent of our students have enrolled in master’s degree p r o g r a m s a f t e r graduation.”

The forum was open to current Beacon College students, faculty and staff as well a s e d u c a t i o n a l professionals, guidance counselors, and local residents. I n add i t ion to providing his personal insight and successful career, Murray hoped to forge a “4.0 Partnership” with Beacon. These partnerships identify c o l l e g e s a n d universities that help s t u d e n t s w i t h disabilities reach their full potential and share their best practices. According to AAPD, access to higher education is crucial to succeeding in most sectors of today’s workforce. While large majorities of high school students with disabilities identify

The Director of P r o g r a m s , M r . Michael Murray for the national advocacy group American A s s o c i a t i o n o f P e o p l e w i t h Disabilities (AAPD) conducted an open-forum presentation Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Michael Murray’s discussion h i g h l i g h t ed h i s personal struggles with ADHD and d y s l e x i a , a n d showcased his career a s a n a t iona l advocate for people with disabilities.

Contributed by Brenda Meli, Director of Admissions

The American Association of People with Disabilities Addresses Beacon College and Community

P A G E 8

Donate to the Gala The Beacon College Shimmer Gala is only six weeks away! The College is looking for employees, parents and friends to donate items for the Live Auction such as jewelry, vacation homes/condos for a weekend stay, professional services, etc. Also, if you have a favorite store, restaurant or business that you frequently visit, please consider asking the manager for a gift certificate for a silent auction item. The 4th annual Shimmer Gala is scheduled for Friday, May 18 at the Mission Inn.

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

Greetings from your HR Department

Dr. Nicki Nance, Human Services adjunct faculty, has recently had her autobiographical essay, “In Retrospect” as well as informed consents from the psychodynamic and gestalt perspectives included in the recently published textbook Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice, Second Edition, by John Sommers-Flannigan, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.!

Read Dr. Nance

We are in the final weeks of our Biggest Loser competition, and things are heating up! Congratulations to those of you who are still in the game and working hard to win! We awarded Chris Hall and Lucretia Gabriel gift cards for being the top two losers before Spring Break. We will be giving out more cards to two deserving people in the next couple of weeks! We all can't wait to see who is going to end up being the Biggest Loser! We have continued our Women's Self Defense, Tai Chi, and Functional Fitness classes an additional six weeks. Many of you are taking advantage of these classes and are getting great results!

Also, the Health Fair was a great success and congratulations to the winner of our prizes. A special congratulations to Cindy Eckhart who won the amazing workout mat donated by ICUBA. Did you know that yearly physical exams with your doctor are free? Please take the time to get your exam and/or mammogram!

Contributed by Kimberly Baggett, HR Director

(continued from page one)

A Presidential Note • Many faculty members in

mainstream institutions are unaware of the rights or needs of students w i t h d i s a b i l i t y , particularly those with a hidden learning disability. In some cases, sadly, faculty members are at best uncomfortable with students having a learning disability or at worst intolerant of them. In most cases, unlike Beacon, the faculty members are not specifically trained to work with students h a v i n g l e a r n i n g disabilities and ADHD.

• Items 1-6 above provide

a compelling case that mainstream institutions, well-intentioned though they may be, are not adequate ly serv ing students with learning disabilities and ADHD.

• Inclusion advocates will

counter that the solution lies not in the formation o f a n e x c l u s i v e institution but in the improvement of services w i th in ma ins t ream institutions. However, this argument suffers from two fundamental flaws:

a. There is evidence in

the literature that students with learning disabilities, unlike those with other disabilities, actually do much better in an e x c l u s i v e

e n v i r o n m e n t regardless of the strength of services that might be available in an inc lus i ve e n v i r o n m e n t (Carlberg and Kvale, 1980). Add to this our own experience at Beacon where we can claim a graduation rate of 70%, which is vastly superior to rates reported at m a i n s t r e a m institutions for this population.

b. There is an inherent problem in inclusive institutions revolving around educational po l i c y . I n a m a i n s t r e a m institution policies are formed with the general population in m i n d , n o t t h e population with learning disabilities. This is as it must be and it will always be this way, no matter how much the services might be improved for learning disabled students (at least and until the learning disabled population becomes the majority of the student body.)

Based upon these lines of reasoning, I have been able to mount a good case against our challengers. To me, the proof is in the pudding. And the pudding i s p re t t y t h i n i n mainstream colleges and universities. To be sure,

many students with learning disabilities and ADHD will succeed and even f lourish in a mainstream institution. Others will not, and for those, Beacon College is an option of enormous value. So there you have it. I welcome reactions and responses. 1 Apologia = a defense or justification 2 Dunn, L., “Special Education for the Mildly Retarded – Is Much of it Justifiable,” Exceptional Children, 35, 1968, 5-22. 3 Kvale, K. and Forness, S., “History, Rhetoric, and Reality: Analysis of the Inclusion Debate, Remedial and Special Education, 21, 2000, 281. 4 Berkner, L., Cuccaro-Alamin, S., McCormick, A., & Bobbitt, L., Descriptive Summary of the 1989-90 Begionning Postsecondary Students: 5 Years Later with an Essay on Postsecondary Persistence and Attainment. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000. Murray, C. Goldstein, D., Nourse, S., & Edgar, E., “The Postsecondary School Attendance and Completion Rates of High School Graduates with Learning Disabilities,” Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 15, 1996,119-127. 5 Cortiella, C., The State of Learning Disabilities, Washington, DC: National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2011, available at http://www.ncld.org/stateofld, 28. 6 Ibid., 29. 7 Ibid., 29. 8 Ibid., 29. 9 Carlberg, C., & Kvale, K., “The Efficacy of Special Versus Regular Class Placement for Exceptional Children: A Meta-Analysis. The Journal of Special Education, 14, 1980, 295-309.

P A G E 9

P A G E 1 0

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

conceived  of  and organized the trip.   After departing from Miami on Tuesday,  the  group arrived  in Holguin,  Cuba and  then  drove  to Santiago  de  Cuba,  the second  largest  city  in Cuba.    They  engaged  in experiential  learning  at several   historical, anthropological,  and  art museums  in  the  historic city  center  around C e s p e d e s   P a r k .  Additionally,  they  walk through  the  house  of painter Diego Velazquez.  They  spent  the  night  at H o t e l   B u c a n e r o bordered on one side by the  Caribbean  Sea, historically  known  as Pirate’s  Sea,  and  on  the other  side by mountains 

This  past  spring  break members  of  the I n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y Studies  Department 

including Russ Bellamy, Michelle  DuRoss,  Van Galyon,   Lucret ia Gabr ie l ,   Wil l iam Nesbitt,  and  Terri  Ross enjoyed  the  exciting and   very   rare opportunity  to  pursue scholarly  research  in Cuba.    Terri  both 

Spring Break Scholarly Research in Cuba Contributed by William Nesbitt, Chair, Interdisciplinary Studies

Photo Credit: Terri Ross, Faculty

that make  up  the  Sierra Maestra  Chain.    After b r e a k f a s t   o n Wednesday,  the  group started  the  day  with  a visit  to  Morro  Castle,  a seventeenth ‐century fortress.    Then,  they strolled  through  the Calle  Heredia,  which  is an  older,  energetic section  of  the  city  and attempted  to  visit  the Carnaval  Museum  but could  not  as  fumigation for  mosquitoes  was underway.    After  this,  a visit  to  a  private  garden (Jardin  de  los  Helechos) was  both  relaxing  and informative.    A  drive took  them  to  Bayamo, Cuba where  they  visited the  Plaza  Del  Himno Nacional and Plaza de  la 

The Taino Village

Van Galyon with a new friend, a Bioparque Rocazul, at a working farm

Gunshot holes preserved as a tribute to the Revolution

P A G E 1 1

and   pa r t o p e r a t i o n a l farm.    At  the park,  everyone handfed  an ostrich,  several group  members sat  on  horses, and  Lucretia handfed  a banana  to  a baboon.    Later, the whole group sampled  guava and  sugarcane that  was  cut  down  and prepared  as  they 

watched and  listened by farm  workers.    After lunch  in  the  middle  of the  farm,  the  group drove  back  to  the Holguin  airport  and departed.    It  was  a wonderful adventure. 

Revolucion.    As  lunch did  not  include  coffee, their  guide  took  them to  Hotel  Royalton  for Cuban  coffee.    The group  checked  in  at Hotel Pernik  in Holguin and after dinner visited Casa de la Trova, which showcases  live  Cuban music.    Thursday’s activities  featured  a visit to the Aldea Taina, a  live reproduction of a native  Taino  village, and El Chorro de Maita, a  small anthropological 

site  showing  native pottery,  tools,  and skeletons.  A walk along the  beach  concluded the  day’s  activities.  Friday’s   learning consisted  of  a  trip  to Rocazul  Park,  which  is part  wildlife  habitat 

continued from page 10

Cuba prepares for the Pope’s Visit

Dr. William Nesbitt riding on the farm

L to R: Cuban driver, Arianna (guide), Dr. Ross, Ms. Gabriel, Mr. Galyon, Dr. Nesbitt, Mr.

Bellamy, Dr. DuRoss in the Taino Village of Chorro de Maíta in eastern Cuba

Spring Break Scholarly Research in Cuba

Know Your World and Its Struggles. Chart Your Course and Succeed.

G A I N. L E A R N. G ROW.

Bob’s Joke Corner T h e r e ’ s a problem on the S t a r s h i p Enterprise...it’s not going to boldly go where it’s never gone

before due to a new disease...the dreaded Chicken Spocks.

“A healthy dose of humor from the Doctor”

“At Beacon College, we like to end on a positive note!”

V O L U M E I I , I S S U E 3 P A G E 1 2

Schedule of Events

} April 4 — Department Meetings at 2:00 p.m., Chairs will select rooms and announce to their teams.

} April 11 — President’s Meeting at 2:00 p.m.,

Back of the Chopping Block } April 13 — Spring Holiday, Campus Closed } April 18 — Committee Meetings at 2:00

p.m., Chairs will select rooms and announce to their teams.

} April 27 to 29 — 16th Annual Leesburg

Bikefest

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E2 Campus: BEANS If you have not yet signed up to be part of the Beacon Emergency Alert Notification System, please do so as soon as possible at https://www.e2campus.net/my/beaconcollege/index.htm!