Laura Choiniere, Director - Center for Academic Development

1. Helping Students with Disabilities Transition to Higher Education: A Year in the Life of Disability Support Services Laura Choiniere, Director - Center for Academic Development Lisa Bauer, Assistant Director - Disability Support Services Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island Students in Transition Conference, November 2007, Cincinnati, Ohio

2. About Our University • Located in Bristol, Rhode Island • Celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2006 • Private, four-year residential, co-ed (50/50) • Liberal Arts with Professional Schools (Business, Engineering, Architecture) • Fall 2006 entering freshman class: 1,088 • AY 2006-’07 day division enrollment: 3,775

3. About Disability Support Services • Disability Support Services (DSS) at Roger Williams University is one of the 5 components of the Center for Academic Development (CAD).Other components of the CAD are the Math Center, Writing Center, Core Tutoring Center, and Academic Support Programs. • The CAD is located on the second floor of the Main University Library (central on campus).

4. Who We Service • Students with disabilities who choose to register with Disability Support Services make up approximately 9% of the RWU student population. • Services and accommodations are available to students with documented disabilities that substantially limit a major life activity such as: learning, hearing, seeing, reading, walking, and speaking. • The disabilities we see include, but are not limited to: physical disabilities (e.g. Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy); learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia, language disorders, dyscalculia); psychiatric disabilities (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder); chronic health disabilities (e.g. asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome); Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Blindness/Visually Impaired; Deafness or Hard of Hearing. • Our goal: to provide equal access to educational and co-curricular programs and campus activities to qualified individuals with disabilities.

5. Services We Provide • The most commonly requested accommodations are: • Extended time for test taking • Testing in the DSS Testing Center - a less-distracting environment than classroom • Note-taking assistance • Priority Registration • Individual, strategy-based tutorial/consultation • Supplemental academic advising • Referrals to other campus resources

6. How DSS Collaborates on Campus • Disability Support Services (DSS) is one of the many services and resources available to RWU students • DSS collaborates and works closely with many campus departments and services including: • Career Center • Housing • Health and Wellness • Athletics • Counseling Center

7. What Brings Us Here Today? • Problem:Students, parents, faculty lacked information regarding disability support procedures in the higher education environment. Students were ill-equipped to meet our transition expectations, parents thought we’d be like high school, and faculty members weren’t sure of their rights and responsibilities. • Cause: For years, information had been disseminated in a reactive, not pro-active fashion; we were communicating without a master plan. • Solution: We revisited 3 key communication strategies and redesigned them to more effectively facilitate students’ transition experiences. We paid closer attention to the University’s overall understanding of DSS (including support staff, admissions, adjunct faculty, etc.) and set out to enhance our information dissemination efforts.

8. Strategy 1: Creating Electronic Communication Methods to Support Transition and Information Sharing • all-dss@rwu.eduAll registered DSS students’ e-mail addresses are captured into one e-mail distribution list. DSS sends informational messages, announcements, policy updates, deadlines for requests, etc. • all-faculty@rwu.eduAll faculty e-mail addresses are captured into one e-mail distribution list. DSS sends information on policy updates, announcements, reminders, and accommodation notices throughout the academic year. • DSS informational e-mail: A prepared e-mail response to phone inquiries containing DSS overview and attachments of policies, procedures, and documentation requirements

9. Strategy 2:Creating the Communication Calendar-Late Summer- • Self Advocacy 101-An informational session for freshmen and transfer students with disabilities to learn about DSS policies and procedures, deadlines, request forms, and the accommodation process. Generally offered the day before classes start in the fall semester. • New Faculty Training – This session introduces new faculty to their role as instructors and academic advisors at Roger Williams University. We are invited to present an introduction to the Center for Academic Development and DSS as part of new faculty orientation to the University. • Inquiries from prospective students – Juniors and seniors in high school begin the college search process and call us. We most often receive parent inquiries, which come in year-round. First-time calls receive the general informational e-mail with attachments of policies, procedures, and documentation requirements.

10. -Early Fall- • Open House – A campus-wide event offered twice in the fall for prospective students and families at which DSS and CAD present two, hour-long informational sessions. • University Acceptance Packets – In concert with admissions, a DSS informational flyer and fact sheet is included in all RWU acceptance packages • DSS Information Handbook – Provided to all new students upon first meeting – contains policies and procedures, forms, guidelines, etc.

11. -Late Fall & Winter- • DSS sends all-faculty e-mail regarding academic accommodation processes for upcoming December final exams • Faculty brown-bag lunch – DSS hosts an overview / Q & A refresher for issues faculty may be seeing in their classes • New DSS Transfer Student Orientation—Outreach to studentsand families of January arrivals to assist in their transition to theUniversity

12. -Early Spring- • Accepted Students’ Day (ASD) – Opportunity to meet accepted DSS students as they go through the final decision-making process. ASD occurs four times throughout the spring semester. • Inquiries from prospective students - Juniors and seniors in high school, mostly parent inquiries. • Informational e-mail - to all first inquiries with attachments of policies, procedures, and documentation requirements • DSS sends all-faculty e-mail regarding accommodation processes for upcoming May final exams.

13. --Early Summer-- • New Student and Family Orientation: DSS hosts a two-hour informational session (parents only) to introduce DSS services, policies and procedures, accommodations – “how things work” in the higher education environment. The parental transition process starts in earnest here! • Update the DSS section of CAD’s website - Ensures that all DSS policies, procedures, documentation requirements, and fact sheets are up-to-date. • Organize lists and files for incoming freshmen and transfers.

14. Strategy 3:Individual Meetings with Students Throughout the Year • All meetings are student-initiated • Meetings provide regular opportunities to discuss academics and to monitor students’ progress and transition experiences • On-going reviews of the accommodation process and students’ role within the process • Provides “teachable moments” to foster self-advocacy

15. The Benefits We Reap: • These strategies have resulted in a more successful and realistic transition to higher education for students with disabilities (and their parents). • We have witnessed a higher level of understanding amongst students, parents, and faculty regarding DSS procedures and our role in the lives of our students. • Our telephone communications for general information from students, parents, and faculty have been reduced significantly.

16. Questions? We would be happy to answer your questions. We also invite you to contact us via telephone or e-mail. Thank you for joining us today!

17. How to Reach Us: Disability Support Services Center for Academic Development Roger Williams University One Old Ferry Road Bristol, RI 02809 (401) 254-3841 Laura Choiniere, Director CAD lchoiniere@rwu.edu Lisa Bauer, Assistant Director, DSS lbauer@rwu.edu Elaine Squatrito, Administrative Assistant esquatrito@rwu.edu