Judy Dean & Melissa Repa, Co-Directors
sswd@csus.edu
Lassen Hall 1008
(P) 916-278-6955 (TDD) 916-278-7239
SERVICES TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ASSESSMENT REPORT
2013-2014
MISSION
Services to Students with Disabilities (SSWD) facilitates equal access to University programs and
services and supports the academic success of students with disabilities. SSWD provides a
comprehensive range of accommodations and academic support services and fosters an accessible
physical and technological environment to encourage and support students in persisting toward their
educational goals.
GOALS
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Support and empower students with disabilities to gain the competency, understanding of
accommodations, and advocacy skills to fully participate and graduate.
Provide consultation and serve as a campus resource on barrier removal and access and lead
campus dialogue on inclusion, disability awareness and compliance with applicable federal
and state regulations.
Determine and implement accommodations in collaboration with students, faculty and staff,
and coordinate additional support services to facilitate academic success and retention.
DEPARTMENTAL DASHBOARD
SSWD served approximately 780 students with disabilities in 2012-13 based on enrollment data.
POINTS OF PRIDE
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69% of our new Student Support Services (SSS) program participants graduated within six
years according to the U.S. Department of Education performance report submitted in March
2013.
SSWD hired more than 50 student support service providers to support access and academic
success of students with disabilities in academic year 2012-13.
The SSWD High Tech Center provided more than 1,050 alternative media materials for
students with print-related disabilities in academic year 2012-13.
SSWD hosted 27 federal Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) interviews for students and
recent alumni with disabilities in academic year 2012-13.
SSWD received a University Enterprises, Inc. Campus Grant for Moving Forward: Leadership
Skills for Moving from Campus to Community, in collaboration with the Career Center, Student
Organizations & Leadership, and others, to assist students in transitioning after graduation.
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES 2013-14
Program Objective 1
75% of all participants served by the SSS project will persist from one academic year to the beginning
of the next academic year.
Methods and Measures
At the end of each grant funding period, the SSS program director completes a comprehensive
evaluation on the progress and outcomes of SSS program in the Annual Performance Report (APR) in
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accordance with the federal TRIO program guidelines. As required by the federal TRIO reporting
timelines, SSWD submitted our annual SSS performance report for the 2012-2013 project year to the
US Department of Education in December 2013. The SSS program also sends program evaluation
questionnaires to SSS participants using qualitative and quantitative measurements at the end of the
project year. These questionnaires were sent to participants in September 2013.
Findings
According to the SSS annual performance report completed in December 2013, the SSS program
successfully met the persistence rate objective of 75%, with an actual persistence rate of 86%.
According to the results of the SSS program questionnaires from the 2012-2013 project year (sent in
fall 2013 to 150 participants), of the 7 students who responded to the questionnaires:
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100% were satisfied with campus wide tutoring information referral, disability-related
counseling and priority registration;
83% were satisfied with course selection referral resources;
75% were satisfied with faculty advocacy/consultation, project tutorial assistance, and
financial aid/scholarship information referral;
In addition, of the students who responded to the questionnaires:
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100% reported that course selection referral resources, disability-related counseling, faculty
advocacy, priority registration, provision of auxiliary aids were important;
83% reported that project tutorial assistance and campus-wide tutoring referral were
important;
71% reported that financial aid/scholarship information was important to support their
academic success.
The comments and suggestions from the questionnaires for SSS were also important; for example,
one suggestion was to provide “more tutoring for students who are struggling with difficult classes,
such as Statistics”.
Conclusions/Status
Based on these findings, the SSS activities and services provided by the project and other campus
resources can aid SSS participants in their retention and persistence at Sacramento State. The
program will continue to use results from the report and questionnaires to improve the SSS program
and services. What we can conclude for making changes is limited, however, because the response
rate was so low. Thus the program will continue to explore ways to improve response rates on surveys.
Program Objective 2
60% of new SSS participants served each year will graduate within six (6) years.
Methods and Measures
At the end of each grant funding period, the SSS program director completes a comprehensive
evaluation on the progress and outcomes of SSS program in the Annual Performance Report (APR) in
accordance with the federal guidelines. The SSS program also sends program evaluation
questionnaires to SSS participants using qualitative and quantitative measurements and uses results
to revise and improve the program and to inform the next competitive SSS program grant proposal.
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Findings
According to the SSS annual performance report for 2012-2013 completed in December 2013, the
SSS program successfully met the graduation rate objective of 60%, with an actual rate of 68%. See
program objective 1 above for results of the SSS program questionnaires received in fall 2013.
Conclusions/Status
Based on these findings, the SSS activities and services provided by the project can aid SSS
participants in their graduation goals at Sacramento State. The program will continue to use the
results from the report and questionnaires to improve the SSS program and to inform the next
competitive SSS program grant proposal.
Learning Outcome 1
Student assistants will report improving their competency in disability awareness and understanding
the barriers experienced by students with disabilities by participating in disability awareness training.
Methods and Measures
Student assistants from other campus departments who participated in a voluntary one hour training
provided by SSWD staff were asked to take a pre-survey and a post-survey to assess awareness
before and after the training. After the training, student assistants were expected to improve in one or
more of the following areas: comfort level at communicating with students with disabilities,
awareness of resources to students with disabilities, confidence in assisting students with disabilities
at Sacramento State, and confidence in creating inclusive environments.
Findings
Nine pre- and post-surveys were collected. Five surveys indicated an increase in comfort level at
communicating with students with disabilities. Eight surveys indicated an increase in awareness of
resources. Four surveys indicated increased confidence in assisting students with disabilities at
Sacramento State (one of these went from 4 – Never to 1 – Always). Eight surveys indicated an
increase in confidence in creating inclusive environments. Overall 88% of the surveys indicated an
improvement in disability awareness in one or more areas after the training.
Of the comments regarding suggestions of how to communicate with students with disabilities, four
surveys indicated “person first” orientation after the presentation. Two surveys requested additional
training.
Conclusions/Status
Overall the training was successful in improving disability awareness, including comfort level at
communicating with students with disabilities, awareness of resources to students with disabilities,
confidence in assisting students with disabilities at Sacramento State, and confidence in creating
inclusive environments. The results of the training evaluation can be used to provide information on
additional professional development and support needed for student service providers and to revise
and improve new hire and disability awareness training. The results can also be used in part to justify
the need to provide additional professional development for student assistants based on feedback.
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PLANS FOR THE COMING YEAR
SSWD assessment plans for 2014-2015 are currently under development.
ATTACHMENTS
SSWD Attachment A: SSS Program Questionnaire
SSWD Attachment B: Disability Awareness Pre-survey and Post-survey
To request this document in alternate formats please contact sswd@csus.edu.
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