MULTI-CAMPUS COMM. COLLEGE
PERSPECTIVES
- EFFECTIVE PRACTICES
AHEAD 2014 SACRAMENTO
Tom L Thompson – Higher Education
Consultant
Sandi Patton – Lone Star College System
Deborah Larew – Valencia College System
INTRODUCTION
Tom Thompson – Higher Education Consultant and retired Director,
Disability Services and ADA Coordinator – Harper College (IL)
Sandra Patton – Director, Disability Services – Lone Star College System (TX)
Deborah Larew – Director, Disability Services – Valencia College System (FL)
LONE STAR COLLEGE
VALENCIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
MULTI-CAMPUS SYSTEMS
Community College Facts (from AACC)
1. 50% located in or near a large city
2. 33% located in or near a mid-sized city
Multi-Campus Systems
US has many multi-campus systems – most in large cities such as:
Chicago, New York, Phoenix, Houston, Baltimore, Miami, Cleveland
DS Systems Director – systems approach to work: focus on institutional needs
and not on individual students
Goal: Improve operations, student impact and accessibility overall
SYSTEM DIRECTOR’S ROLE
Institutional Access
Policy, Practices &
Training
- Managing Interpreting, Captioning
-
Assistive Technology and E-Text
Resources
-
Digital Accessibility – Course
Management System, Student
Portal, ERP
- Budget, Space & Personnel
- - DS policies: grievance,
documentation review, service
animals
- - DS practices: production and
delivery of accessible materials
-
- Training: promotion of UDL,
new issues for DS providers
LONE STAR & VALENCIA’S
SPECIFIC ROLES
When started and background prior to current role?
Why did your campus move to a system Director? What existed prior?
Specific examples from each college system (past 2-3 years)
1. Key areas of focus
2. Relationship with DS staff, faculty & others
3. Policy, procedures & practices
4. Training for DS and campus
THREE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Lone Star System
Valencia College System
System-wide model for interpreting
and transcribing
Centralized model for interpreting
and transcribing dollars
Standardizing forms and
departmental practices
Adequate staffing college wide with a
system of team building and
professional development
System-wide professional
development; Expanding Horizons
annual conference
Faculty relationships and
collaborative, systemic training
TRANSFERABLE PRACTICES
Gaining an “institutional focus” of DS work – allocating time apart from
direct support/services
3.
1. Facilitating change on campus
2. Dealing with budgetary/space needs
Managing complex services such as interpreting or e-text
4. Providing important training and education
5. Collaboration with administrators and allies
6. Other?
RESPONDING ON YOUR CAMPUS
How can you advance access and support for students with disabilities?
Network with city or state colleageus to enhance services, find good
contractors?
Create partnerships on campus, which increase access – with whom?
Encourage your campus to do an external evaluation – determine what needs
to be addressed!
DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION
Issues on your campus?
Planning for an external review
Hiring, training and supervising others
Presenters Contact Information
Tom L Thompson: tltharper30@yahoo.com
Sandi Patton: Sandra.L.Patton@lonestar.edu
Deborah Larew: dlarew@valenciacollege.edu