The topic of the Feb. 23 UCITE seminar will be “Dealing with students who have complex disability issues.”
Faculty members have become used to students with disabilities and how to provide the appropriate accommodations. But now there are an increasing number of students with more complex diagnoses of disabilities and, consequently, more complex issues evident in the classroom than before. This can cause difficulties for faculty members who are unaware and not prepared to deal with them.
For example, discussion-based classes and participation requirements can be troublesome for some students with certain kinds of disabilities, and faculty members may feel at a loss as to how to be fair and compassionate while maintaining academic standards. Some forethought and the determination of clear goals can help to make these types of classes work for all students.
At the next UCITE session, Susan Sampson, the associate director of Educational Support Services for Disability Resources, will provide guidance for faculty on these kinds of issues. Questions that will be explored are: What are the kinds of unfamiliar issues that faculty might encounter? Are there equivalent ways for a student to meet participation requirements? Can options be built in to assessments so students can demonstrate their mastery in the way that works best for them?’
The discussion will be held Feb. 23 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Herrick Room on the ground floor of the Allen Memorial Library Building.
Pizza and sodas will be provided at this session; RSVP to ucite@case.edu.