Division of Student Affairs Annual Report 2015-2016



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Division of Student Affairs
Annual Report
2015-2016




Fall 2015 and Spring 2016

It is with pleasure that I share this Student Affairs 2015-16 Annual Report. This report is an accumulation of sections from all of the 2015-16 Annual Reports submitted by department heads and supervisors within the division of Student Affairs. This report is intended to provide an overview and highlight of what each Student Affairs department has accomplished over the past year. Collectively, the report represents achievements made possible by staffs that are committed to excellence and to student success. Following an overview provided by the division leadership, the various sections of this report are presented in alphabetical order.
As I am sure you will agree after reading this report, the university is fortunate to have such dedicated and skilled staff members who work to support and educate students, which greatly contributes to students’ personal development and academic success. Collectively, we feel privileged to work with this dynamic community of learners, including the students, faculty, and staff of UMass Dartmouth.
UMass Dartmouth is the system’s diamond in the rough, best kept secret, and the most humble of its campuses, but humility aside, we collectively offer a world-class experience and one that we hope will remain a source of great satisfaction for our students throughout their lives.
I hope you enjoy this report. Please do contact me if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,




Dr. David Milstone

Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs



T
Jean Kim, Ed.D.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs


able of Contents


Office of Student Affairs 3
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year



Athletics and Recreation 5

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year

Career Development Center 9

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year

Center for Access and Success 16
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year



Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality 18
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year



Counseling Services 20

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year

Frederick Douglass Unity House 24
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year


Health Education and Promotion 34

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year

Health Services 39

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year
Housing & Residential Education 42
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year



International Student and Scholar Center 45

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year

Religious Resource Center 48

I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year


Student Activities, Involvement & Leadership 54
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year



Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution 58
I. Summary of the Year

II. Accomplishments of the Year



Student Affairs Office

Submitted by Dr. David Milstone, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs,

Ms. Cynthia Cummings, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and

Ms. Shelly Metivier Scott, Associate Dean of Students



I. SUMMARY OF THE YEAR
The 2015-16 year was filled with challenges and productivity. Of the 103 full-time and 85 part-time staff in the division, we experienced the first full year of our new leadership team in the Career Development Center, which included the Director, the Associate Director, and the Director of Internships and Experiential Learning, the first full year for our Intramural Coordinator, our Associate Director of the Unity House, and Assistant Director of our International Student and Scholars Center, a new Registered Nurse, three new Resident Directors in Housing and Residential Education, and a plethora of new part-time Athletic Coaches. The energy and skills brought by these new staff members was palatable and served to invigorate our division.
Some highlights of the divisional accomplishments include the implementation of a new Student Conduct system that replaced the old Board hearing model with a progressive and new Investigative model, a new on-line Orientation program for Transfer and on-line students that replaced the old (and much less desirable) Transfer Orientation, the repair and renovations to the baseball and softball fields and the replacement turf for Cressy field, the sharp increase in Intramural sports involvement, particularly by female students, and the introduction of a new Student Fund that served to support students who experienced financial crises and/or were struggling to be able to graduate. This Fund was the result of generous donors to the University, who wanted to make a difference, and certainly have already done so!
Of particular note was the Fall Family Festival, which broke its own attendance record set last year in attendance, bringing 3000 family members together for a day of food, creative festivities, and entertainment. Also of note was the year-long work of the Campus Event Policy Committee, comprised of student leaders and staff from numerous campus departments, who developed a completely revamped campus-event and dance policy that better meets the needs of our students in terms of safety, ease of scheduling, Advisor support, and the effective and efficient use of campus facilities.

II. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE YEAR


  • Supervised the department heads of the 13 Student Affairs departments that are comprised of 103 full-time and 85 part-time staff members.

  • Supervised Commuter Student Assistant and Veterans’ Student Assistant

  • Provided direct or indirect oversight for 17 divisional budgets totaling over $40 million.

  • Advised the Student Government Association

  • Advised the Graduate Student Senate

  • Advised the Class of 2017

  • Advised the Class of 2016 (Senior Class)

  • Coordinated Senior Week in conjunction with Senior Class Officers

  • Advised the Veteran Student Association

  • Assisted in the development of a Veteran’s Office in the Campus Center

  • Co-chaired the University Diversity and Inclusion Committee

  • Chaired the University Commencement Committee and coordinated all related ceremonies

  • Coordinated New Student Convocation

  • Coordinated the Fall Family Festival

  • Coordinated the Hunger and Homelessness awareness efforts and food drives

  • Co-Coordinated a Program Assessment of the Athletics and Recreation Department.

  • Met each semester with department of Children and Family Social Worker to support students under State Care (Foster, Wards of State)

  • Co-coordinated the Endeavor Scholars Program

  • Chaired the Student Fee Allocation Committee (SFAC)

  • Served as campus and system leaders for implementation of the new Title IX, non-discrimination, and Clery Act processes

  • Served as Deputy Coordinator for Title IX campus cases

  • Coordinated Medical Leave Process

  • Achieved “Military Friendly” status for 2nd consecutive year

  • Provided Involvio App for first year class in conjunction with Pathways

  • Coordinated fall and spring Moonlight Breakfasts that averaged 1200 attendees

  • Gathered CIRP data during Orientation to produce a report on the profile of our entering class

  • Conducted the eighth annual Student Satisfaction Survey and shared results widely across the campus

  • Hosted monthly Conversations That Matter Dinners with students and semester-dinners with parents

  • Met with students planning to take a Leave of Absence or Withdraw from the University and compiled data from these interviews

  • Managed the Dean on-call process and SAGE, which addressed student emergencies, crises, and unique behavioral situations.

  • Taught course on “Leadership Theory and Civic Engagement.”

  • Presented at New Faculty Orientation, for English 101 Faculty, and Navitas

  • Chaired and served on Commencement Student Speaker Committee

  • Served on Alliance for Sexual Violence Prevention Committee

  • Served on International Advisory Council

  • Served on LeDuc Advisory Board

  • Served on Labyrinth Committee

  • Developed a “Ways to Pay” and “Financial Resources Options” sheet in conjunction with Bursar and Financial Aid

  • Mentored, consulted with, and advised hundreds of students on a variety of academic and personal issues.

  • Attended a gazillion student programs and events 

ATHLETICS AND RECREATION

Submitted by Amanda Van Voorhis, Director



I. SUMMARY OF THE YEAR
The year was marked by progress in several areas- staffing, facilities, branding, sports information, admissions, advancement, and intramural sports. There were several enhancements that increased program quality and enhanced the student-athlete experience.
A success for the department was the renovation of three competitive playing venues- Baseball field, Softball field, Cressy synthetic turf field. The three fields are home to eight Corsair varsity teams. Other remarkable successes included a shift in culture and communication, enhanced branding efforts, a fee increase that addressed targeted deficiencies, a spike in fan attendance, heightened community interest in rental opportunities, unprecedented alumni support, our positive work with Admissions via our Recruiting Coordinator, and the advancement of the Intramural Sports program. We elevated two 10-month employees to 12-month contracts and promoted another full-time employee which moved us in the direction of solidifying the executive team in Athletics.

A challenge for the department was the delay in hiring three full-time staff members (Intramural Coordinator, Sports Information Director, and Recruiting Coordinator) but conversely the addition of the trio paid dividends by mid-year; all made major contributions on the year. Change is always challenging and there was much change related to head coaching positions being vacated and filled in Women’s Soccer, Field Hockey, and Men’s Lacrosse. We experienced transition in Volleyball and Ice Hockey in two Graduate Assistant positions. Budget challenges persist evidenced by mounting unfunded expenses, the loss of two full-time state salary lines as well as a mid-year budget reduction and a retirement pay out. The importance of recruiting, retention, and alumni engagement, more full time head coaches and resources need to be added to accomplish planned goals.



II. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE YEAR
Staffing

  • Hired an Intramural Sports Coordinator.

  • Hired a Sports Information Director.

  • Hired a Recruiting Coordinator/Head Coach of a Sport (Women’s Basketball).

  • Promoted the Compliance Coordinator to Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance (Mullins).

  • Elevated two positions from 10 to 12-month contracts (Sherman and Williams).

  • Permanently placed equipment room duties (Robichaud) and fiscal responsibilities (Van Voorhis) into job descriptions.

  • Completed permanent part time Head Coach searches for Women’s Soccer, Field Hockey, and Men’s Lacrosse (all three had been emergency hires).

  • Hired women and minority candidates to diversify the staff (Medina, Erbes, Thomas).

Facilities

  • The Baseball and Softball fields were renovated, providing by several upgrades and new amenities (ex. batting cages, bull pens, fencing).

  • The turf replacement at Cressy Field was approved and work commenced in May (completed July 2016).

  • The Pool scoreboard was replaced, enhancing our digital presence.

  • The football alumni group was instrumental in the acquisition of a press box and set of bleachers.


Branding

  • Windscreens were added to the baseball, softball, and track venues.

  • Signage, including banners were added for impact.

  • Further consistency in the use our logo and athletic marks was achieved.


Sports Information

  • Engaged students and fans to promote interest and attendance.

  • Embedded thirty second advertisement into game video broadcasts.

  • The “Tweet from your Seat” initiative and use of social media attracted followers and fans.

  • Sports information coverage from Florida for the Baseball and Softball teams proved valuable.

  • Game Day graphics enhanced our presence on social media.

  • The utilization of the Graduate Assistant and the value was a major asset to operations.


Admissions

  • The Recruiting Coordinator position in the role of a liaison to Admissions for our coaches was extremely valuable.


Advancement

  • Athletics was included in the UMASSD Alumni Magazine.

  • We continued to “code” all-time program rosters.

  • The 1985 SMU Football Team and 30 years of Corsair Football group yielded several gifts of support.

  • Coordinated another successful Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.

  • Football alumni group was award a Belichick Grant.

  • Developed a strategy to increase sponsorship revenue (roll out July 2016).

  • Giving Tuesday, Text to Give, and Crowdfunding were all new initiatives that supported Athletics.

  • The contributions of Football alumni Brian Ego and Jeff Duchemin were remarkable!


Intramural Sports

  • Increased female participation in Intramural Sports.

  • Utilized IMLeagues.com for sign ups, tracking student participation, team standings, and posting schedules.

  • New policies and procedures were created.



Other accomplishments that occurred:


  • Enhanced collaboration between the fitness center and athletic training room.

  • Invited a speaker to address diversity and inclusion.

  • Supported Fitness Center programming by allocating funds for additional equipment.

  • Secured the Tripp Athletic Center with evening staff and revamped protocol for building use, lock/unlock procedure, and emergency protocol.

  • The AD spoke to each team prior to the start of their respective seasons.

  • Utilized the FAR to work towards increased faculty support, a faculty-approved progress report, and missed class policy.

  • Evaluated the Corsair logo and its’ uses. We streamlined team orders to ensure brand consistency but the logo still needs serious evaluation.

  • Implemented expanded communication mechanisms within the department (ex. end of season meetings, weekly executive meetings).

  • “Increase quality and enhance the student-athlete experience” became the mantra and formulated our messaging.

  • Brought in a consultant to help us consider sports sponsorship and possible reductions. Decision placed on hold until a later period.

  • Budget assessment and evaluation was and will remain ongoing as it relates to new financial demands.

  • Developed summer fitness center membership.

  • Revenue generation opportunities were found in the renovated fields, fitness center, and new groups that rented our gymnasium.

  • Strengthened the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) group by enhancing the quality of meetings and student involvement.

  • Continued to bridge Athletics to campus (ex. through work with Pathways/CN, Career Development, Housing, SAIL, and other campus partners).

  • Provided a real-life quality work study experience for 100+ students; the majority of which played a role in event management and game-day operations.

  • Placed #2 spot in standing in Little East Conference Commissioner’s Cup for overall team success in league play (Field Hockey, Women’s Tennis, Softball, etc.) coupled with individual accolades (1,000 point scorers, record setting performances and statistics, All America honors).

  • Hosted a Women’s Tennis Champions’ Breakfast to celebrate team success.

  • Hosted the GNAC Golf Championships at Allendale Golf Club; participating schools raved about the quality (ex. player announcements at first tee, dinner, Domino’s on final day).

  • Supervisor and Faculty Representative were selected to attend the NCAA FAR and ADR Institutes.

  • Hosted the MASCAC/LEC Alliance Outdoor Track & Field Championship.

  • Student-athlete education was a point of emphasis via the Compliance Office regarding topics of gambling, fake ID’s, and smoke detectors; as we were made aware of issues we sent memos to coaches to forward to athletes as an educational tool.

  • Athletic Director presented twice to senior leadership - 1. A snapshot of Consultant report at the Chancellor’s August 2015 retreat and 2. A discussion of facility needs at a Chancellor mini mid-year retreat.

  • Partnered with Career Development on bringing awareness of CDC services to student-athletes.

  • Hosted a National Girl’s & Women in Sport Day in February.

  • Our partnership with the Pathways Program was instrumental and a solid recruiting vehicle for coaches.

  • We began to look at academic data by major.

  • Participated in dining consultant study.

  • Increased team meal money for road games.

  • Created a pricing structure for facility rentals.


CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Submitted by Linda Kent Davis, Director



I. SUMMARY OF THE YEAR

The 2015-2016 academic year was one that may best be characterized by new initiatives for the Career Development Center (CDC). These initiatives reflected our efforts to engage in new (or revitalize previous) partnerships with a wide range of stakeholder groups (e.g., colleges, departments, student organizations, individual faculty, staff, administrators, and student leaders); develop more targeted programming; and increase our footprint campus-wide. These initiatives were also directly aligned with the three overarching goals established for the year:



  1. Increase the CDC’s support of diversity

  2. Expand and strengthen our employer relations initiatives

  3. More effectively implement the “expert” model for career counseling staff

Active engagement in these initiatives led to a busy year that found us: 1) presenting in classrooms, 2) meeting with students in individual sessions, 3)expanding our presence literally and figuratively so that we were connecting with a wide range of students both in the Center and at other venues across campus, 4) contributing to the efforts of our colleagues across departments and visions, 5) extending our knowledge bases so we were in a position to better serve students, 6) strengthening our relationships with various internal and external stakeholders, and 7) piloting new programs. As a result of these efforts, we believe we have established/re-established trust, gotten a better sense of the pulse of student needs, delivered quality offerings, and identified champions to help us move even further ahead.

Our accomplishments reflect a CDC whole-team effort complemented by ongoing support from key campus constituents. We would like to especially acknowledge Paul Bacdayan, Ram Balasubramanian, Steve Briggs, Adam Burdzel (’19), Magali Carrera, Jackie Einstein, Monica Faria, Romayne Grace, Mike Griffin, Linda Keith, Julie Li, Mary Louise Nunes, Pam Paynton, and Gina Reis as well as our student affairs colleagues. We are most appreciative of their efforts along with the many forms it took and look forward to continued relationships in AY 2017.

II. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE YEAR

During the 2015-2016, the CDC focused its work around three overarching goals. Much progress was made on each goal:


1. Increase the CDC’s support of diversity

2. Expand and strengthen our employer relations initiatives



3. More effectively implement the “expert” model for career counseling staff

Increase the CDC’s support of diversity


  • Expanded programs/services targeted to the unique needs of underserved student populations (e.g., students of color, veterans, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities)




    • Work It Out Panel – collaboration with the Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality

    • Veterans’ Lunch & Learn series in partnership the Student Veterans Association

      • Resumes: Military/Federal vs. Civilian

      • Schedule A and Federal Hiring information

    • Upward Bound Veterans summer 2015 in-class presentations – topics:

      • Self-assessment

      • Resume and cover lettering writing

      • Interviewing skills

      • Job fair preparation

    • Resumania and more … once monthly in Frederick Douglas Unity House (FDUH)

    • Networking Evening (and networking skills development) in collaboration with FDUH)


Expand and strengthen our employer relations initiatives


  • More fully integrated utilization of CareerLink for recording and tracking interactions with employers




    • Implemented event registration for employers

    • Developed new codes to identify potentially problematic employers (e.g., scams) to decrease their ability to post positions




  • Piloted internship module in CareerLink




    • Initiated conversations with faculty supporting for-credit internships; reached agreement with faculty member assuming responsibility for Community Partners initiative previously run through the Counseling Center to implement in fall 2016




  • Identified and began relationship development with high profile employers whose industries align with our academic offerings




    • Developed strategic 3-phase employer relations outreach plan (beginning summer 2016):

      • Phase 1 – benchmarking/outreach to identify best practices; enhancement of marketing materials; review of National Association of College’s and Employers (NACE) and National Career Development Association’s (NCDA) professional competencies as they related to career services practitioners to identify gaps in training/expertise

      • Phase 2 – strengthen relationships with deans in COE, CAS, CVAP AND CON similar to those already established with CCB; partner with Ben Jones and Hugh Dunn to develop relationships with SouthCoast organizations

      • Phase 3 – identify key local, region, and national organizations for development of recruiting relationships; explore existing relationships to determine which need to be shored up; coordinate summer outreach visits

    • Followed-up with key employers identified/shared by campus stakeholders (e.g., chancellor, provost, CCB faculty)




  • Offered niche programming more closely aligned with students’ academic and career aspirations




    • Piloted Health, Human Services, and Not-for-Profit Job & Internship Fair – spring 2016

    • Reintroduced graduate school programming




  • Partnered with faculty to connect employers and students – examples:




    • KPMG – collaboration with Mike Griffin that resulted in hire of two interns

    • General Dynamic – Electric Boat - coordinated sessions for two engineering classes and a separate information session

    • BlumShapiro – hosted information session which included CCB alumni

    • Meddeas Language Program in Spain – coordinated sessions for Spanish classes about entry level opportunities


More effectively implement the “expert” model for career counseling staff


  • Engaged in discussion to develop CDC team shared understanding of what comprises “expert” – areas include:




  • Knowledge base (e.g., industry trends, key employers, job search strategies, fluency in UMass D hiring outcomes)

  • Campus visibility (e.g., communication and resource sharing, meeting attendance)

  • Development of programs targeted to assigned populations

  • Development of resources for assigned populations (e.g., materials for inclusion in CareerLink resource library, portal/web page and print resources)

  • Serve as expert for assigned populations to entire CDC team




  • Strengthened relationships between counselors and students from assigned academic areas – examples:




    • Met with leaders of student organizations from different engineering disciplines to discuss student needs

    • Attended COE Open Forum at the invitation of SGA senators to increase understanding of needs as presented by a wider range of engineering students

    • Collaborated with several clubs/organizations, examples:

      • Graduate Nursing Student Organization – panelist for interviewing skills presentation

      • Grad 101 – panelist for applying to graduate school panel targeted for Class of 2017 at request of Junior Class Officers

      • DECA – interviewing strategies

      • MBA group –developing LinkedIn profiles

      • Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) – CDC services overview and resumes

      • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) - CDC services overview and resumes




  • Strengthened relationships between counselors and deans/faculty teaching in assigned academic areas - examples:




    • Met with CAS deans and department chairs to begin discussion of how CDC can support CAS students

    • Conducted outreach to CON dean and faculty to discuss how best to support nursing students, specifically senior class and students in the Diversity Nursing Scholars Program

    • Shared related information

      • Forwarded job postings in CareerLink to appropriate faculty and deans

      • Forwarded relevant articles (e.g., hiring trends from NACE)




  • Advanced the concept/practice university-wide that the CDC is the centralized starting point for all things “internship”




    • Introduced weekly Internship Information Sessions designed to communicate general information re: internship process in preparation for individual counseling sessions and to increase interest in participation in internships

      • Offered “specialized” internship information sessions for athletes and STAR Center

    • Partnered with faculty to prepare for launch of internship module in CareerLink

    • Integrated presentations on internships into Admissions events

    • CCB - met regularly with deans, faculty and staff to assess ongoing partnership (e.g., room for improvement, successes, and challenges); developed referral relationships with faculty who regularly refer employers seeking interns (and other hires) to post positions in Career Link

    • COE - met with R. Balasubramanian for initial discussions on partnership opportunities – will continue through summer 2016

    • CAS – met with department chairs for general internship discussion.

    • CVPA - educated faculty on how academic credit might be awarded for internships through the 298/Experience program

    • The Washington Center (TWC) program - resumed coordination role and increased outreach efforts resulting in participation in fall 2015, spring 2016, and summer 2016

  • College for Social Innovation- participated in initial conversations contributing to the development of a new Boston-based, for-credit internship program modeled after TWC that blends academic learning with placements in not-for-profit organizations

  • University of Massachusetts President’s office- participated in system-wide conference call to help structure internship program

  • Reviewed internship postings (via CareerLink) for content to confirm that they actually reflected a supervised, student learning opportunity before activating for student access




  • Provided formal professional development opportunities for all staff members (professional and support) to further develop key skills and expand knowledge bases relevant to the field (see data section)




    • Staff members engaged in range of professional development activities (e.g., seminars, conferences, webinars) to strengthen areas of expertise important to Center functioning




  • Expanded utilization of technology for service delivery and tracking




    • Centralized on-line resources within the portal to facilitate student access:

      • CareerLink

      • Liquid Compass – data base for nursing positions

      • Vault

      • TypeFocus

      • What Can I Do With This Major?

      • The Big Interview

    • CareerLink

      • Fully implemented use of swipe system for all student appointments and event attendance

      • Operationalized event registration and invoice generation

      • Enabled students to submit job search documents (e.g., resumes and cover letters) for inclusion within CareerLink

        • Reviewed by counselors and feedback provided

      • Generated utilization reports to gauge patterns of usage

      • Engaged in process to eliminate old and/or duplicated data

      • Began process of migrating to new user platform – estimated migration summer 2016

    • Developed CDC module for on-line orientation to be launched in summer 2016




  • Expanded visibility of CDC and its services with internal stakeholders




    • Offered “Resumania and more …” on site in CCB and COE (weekly) and also on site in CVPA, the Star Store, Frederick Douglas Unity House, and CAS Star Center (once per month)




    • Reintroduced graduate school programming in partnership with Graduate Admissions

      • Applying to Graduate School Panel

      • Getting Started on Your Personal Statement

      • Graduate School Fair

    • Responded to faculty requests for in-class programming; examples:

      • MIS and engineering classes (freshman level)

      • MGT 201 and MGT401 – mandatory follow-up career assignments

      • AAS 101

    • Participated in programming offered by other UMass D departments/groups; examples:

      • Orientation (general, transfer/veterans)

      • OL training and event participation

      • Admissions open house – fall 2015

        • Presented session on internships

      • Experience UMass D – spring 2016

        • Presented back-to-back sessions on internships on both dates

      • Major – Minor Fair – spring 2016

      • Conversations That Matter with Parents – spring 2016

      • Endeavors’ Scholars Program interviews

      • Shake the Ship

    • Responded to requests for support from student groups (in addition to those targeting specific academic areas as discussed previously) - examples:

      • Resident Assistants – internship information presentation

      • Phi Sigma Sigma – resume presentation

      • Students in Recovery – organization being formed

    • Piloted evening sessions to facilitate access by University Extension students

    • Conducted outreach to/interacted with various departments to explore needs and begin conversations re: services we offer/can offer:

      • CAS: deans, department chairs, faculty (including pre-law advisor)

      • CON: dean, diversity nursing program coordinator, faculty

      • CCB – deans, faculty (ongoing dialogue throughout the year)

      • College Now

      • University Extension

      • On-line learning

      • Honors Program

      • Counseling Center

      • Writing Center – resume training for writing tutors

      • Alumni Relations – conversations with NYC alumni chapter




  • Contributed to other campus technology initiatives




    • Participated in Student Employment’s transition to Corsair Jobs

      • Provided technical input and helped facilitate Community Service Learning program (CSL) process for employers and for students seeking off-campus work study positions

    • Contributed expertise of staff member to EAB/SCC implementation efforts - ongoing




  • Contributed to efforts to embed career development into CCB courses




    • saw corresponding increase in number of CCB students have resumes in CareerLink that match CDC specifications

CENTER FOR ACCESS AND SUCCESS

Submitted by Wendi Chaka, Director



I. SUMMARY OF THE YEAR
The primary responsibility of the director of CAS is to ensure the University’s compliance with the state and federal mandates expressed in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and subsequent amendments, as well as University policy as it relates to providing equal access to learning and in accordance to determining and fulfilling reasonable accommodations.
The director and associate director provide direct service to a caseload of students including implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of academic accommodations. We also consult with medical professionals, psychologists, social workers, and others to ensure that accommodations are appropriate to address students’ needs.
CAS worked with roughly 400 students during the academic year. While the demographics of the population varies each semester, the vast majority consists of students with learning disabilities and / or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) / Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As in the past, our population of students on the autism spectrum continues to grow. We have also seen a rise in the students with mental illness and emotional disorders. Finally, our caseload also contains students with physical disabilities, as well as deaf / hard-of-hearing and low-vision / blind. CAS also assists many non-members with accessibility issues campus-wide.

CAS engages in daily direct contact with students, including, but not limited to determination of academic accommodations, scheduled appointments and walk-ins to meet with professional staff and utilize the testing facility, phone calls, and numerous emails. A vast amount of students also utilize one-on-one weekly sessions with graduate assistants and meetings with our peer mentors.


In addition, the staff of CAS has a high level of contact with faculty and staff as well as many other departments and divisions at the University, such as the Counseling Center, Academic Resource Center, Academic Advisors, Faculty Chairs of various departments, College Now, and Upward Bound.


II. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE YEAR


  • CAS Testing Facility for student accommodations of extended time and reduced distraction environment successfully administered over 1,000 exams for the academic year





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