ACCESS: ASSESSMENT OF CAMPUS
CLIMATE TO ENHANCE STUDENT SUCCESS
University at Buffalo Disability Services
Susan Mann Dolce PhD. samann@buffalo.edu
ACCESS Goals
Best Possible
Campus Climate
Student Affairs &
Disability Services
• For Students with Disabilities
(SWD).
• Data driven strategic planning.
• Effective utilization of resources to
support student participation,
retention and graduation.
knowledge, changing
Create a More Fully • Enhancing
attitudes & practices campus wide.
Inclusive Campus
Environment
Assessment of Campus Climate to
Enhance Student Success
Research
Initiative by
Association
on Higher Ed
and
Disability.
Began spring
2008.
Data
Collection fall
2008.
UB
leadership as
one of eight
schools (2
other R-1s) in
2008 - 2010.
Surveys
revised.
Seven more
schools
participating
2010 -12.
Data Collection
Campus
climate:
The result of
the
knowledge,
practices and
attitudes of
key
constituents
in the
students’
environment.
Faculty
SWD*
Campus
Climate
Adm/Staff
SWOD*
* Students with Disabilities
*Students without disabilities
Questionnaire for Administrators,
Faculty, Staff and SWOD
Perceptions of:
 Experience with people with disabilities.
 Knowledge about disabilities.
 Beliefs about the ability of students with
disabilities.
 Practices

Syllabus Statement, Providing Accommodations, Policy and
Procedures, Universal Design in Instruction and Assessment
Attitudes about fairness.
Preferred :

Topics of interest for staff and faculty development.
 Method of delivery for development opportunities.

Questionnaire for Students with
Disabilities (SWD)

Assessed:
 Impressions
of the knowledge and attitudes about
students with disabilities of faculty, administrators, staff
and students without disabilities.
 Descriptions of the behaviors that informed the above
assessments.
UB ACCESS Survey Participants
Each group
had
demographic
variables
reflective of
the UB
population,
except gender:
Faculty, SWD
& SWOD 65%
female, 35%
male.
Adm/Staff
80% female,
20% male.
Representation of
Administration & Staff Respondents
Administrators
and staff
were widely
represented.
In addition to
the chart on
right, 25%
were
represented
by other or
multiple
offices.
Faculty
Medicine : 4%
Education:
4%
Business 2%
Visual and
Performing
Arts: 2 %
Multiple: 18%
Other: 18%
Students
SWOD =
Students
without
Disabilities
SWD =
Students with
Disabilities
ACCESS Qualitative Data
61 Faculty Participants:
63 Comments
184 Adm/Staff:
47 Comments
Qualitative Data:
optional written
comments after each
survey question.
92 Students with Disabilities
(SWD):
148 Comments
571 Student without Disabilities
(SWOD):
277 Comments
Qualitative Focus: Faculty
The effectiveness of professionals with
disabilities in the respondent’s same career.
12 comments
Should students with disabilities be advised to
pursue a profession other than your own?
12 comments
Are accommodations for students with
disabilities fair for students without disabilities?
10 comments
Selected Comments: Faculty









“I meet with students not to talk about their disability but how we can work together
to work out the accommodation they need.”
“Alternative format materials may change the essential nature of the course. ”
“For all of these, depends on both the nature of the impairment and the nature of
the job.”
“….academic requirements shouldn't be changed for people with disabilities. I had
a learning disability and I did fine.”
“There are no circumstances under which graduation requirements should be
different - perhaps alternate means for meeting them, but the educational
requirements must be the same.”
“I don't think academic requirements should change, but if it takes longer to earn a
degree that should be considered by FinAid.”
“I usually wait for students to come to me (and they do).”
“I do not have resources to prepare course materials in alternate formats, and often
do not have syllabi finalized until it is time to teach the class.”
“If a student needs to sit in the front of the room then you let them do that.”
Qualitative Focus: Adm/Staff
Effectiveness of professionals with disabilities in
the respondent’s same career.
12 comments
Are accommodations for students with
disabilities fair to students without disabilities?
10 comments
Are students with disabilities able to meet
expectations of clinical and internship
experiences?
9 comments
Selected Comments: Administrators and
Staff





“I believe anyone with a disability can do the same job, so long as
they receive the proper support and accommodations based on their
diagnosis.”
“Depends a lot on the occupation. In general people with disabilities
may be as effective as those without.”
“I don't think it's a matter of fairness. If students are being held to
the same standards, there should be institutional, systemic, and
individual participation in assuring all students have access to
courses and university services equitably. Facilitating an opportunity
for a student with a disability to be able to learn, function, and
perform as well as any other student (in my opinion) is never unfair
to students without disabilities.”
“If equal opportunity is the key, then effective accommodations are
good, but preferential treatment is counter productive.”
“Professors cannot be free to state, "that's not my style”.
Qualitative Focus: Students without
Disabilities (SWOD)
Describe barriers to academic success:
90 comments
Are accommodations for students with
disabilities fair to students without disabilities?
79 comments
Effectiveness of professionals with disabilities in
respondents same career:
53 comments
Selected Comments: Students without
Disabilities (SWOD)







“I think that certain accommodations are made to create fairness in the
learning environment.” UB student
“They should not be given special privileges that give them an edge. “ UB
student
“The student to faculty ratio is very poor in many courses” UB student
“Assuming that a person is doing a good job that he/she is suited for, I don’t
see why they couldn’t do the job as well as anyone else”. UB student
“Priority registration is patently unfair.” UB student
“Knowing how to understand and interact with people with disability and
not feeling uncomfortable.”
“I don't think companies would want to hire people with disabilities; the
extra time it may take for an individual to do something would not be
efficient and therefore wouldn't be focused on creating the largest amount
of profit in the shortest amount of time.”
Qualitative Focus: Students with
Disabilities (SWD)
Self disclosure of a disability.
60 comments
Describe barriers to academic
success.
40 comments
Provision of information to faculty.
16 comments
Additional Comments: Students with
Disabilities (SWD)







“Train faculty how to encourage students with disability to come forth for help, offer
accommodations without embarrassing students in front of the class.”
“People assume I can’t do it.”
“Staff need to be knowledgeable about the psychology of students with
disabilities.”
I have a *** and have trouble figuring out what kind of resources I need and how to
obtain them. When I approached the student advisor of a department, I was told
that it was better for me to get a classmate to share the notes instead of having a
notetaker take it for me. This was very discouraging to me since I value my privacy
and felt that there was no need for another student to know about my condition.
I have been told by a professor in the "***" department that "I looked fine" when I
spoke after classes regarding my inability to carry the textbook to class, she acted
as if I should look obviously different because of my disability...ironic for an ***
professor...
“Stigma is really the biggest problem.”
“PARKING!!!!!!”
Faculty Experience
Number of Faculty SWD
Inform About Their Disability
63% SWD report having informed at least 2 faculty
members.
21% SWD report having informed at least 1 faculty
member.
16% have not informed faculty.
% Reporting a
High Level of Knowledge
SWD Perception of %
with High Level of Knowledge
Do faculty include a statement in their
course syllabi about accommodations?
Faculty Use of Universal Design in
Instruction and Assessment
% Who Believe that Persons with Disabilities can
be as Professionally Effective
UB Community’s Belief that SWD’s can be as
Effective on Clinicals and Internships
SWD Perceptions of UB Community
Willingness to Provide Accommodations
Perceived Fairness to SWOD of
Providing Accommodations to SWD
Faculty
Provide Course
Syllabus Early
Preferential
Seating
Adm/Staff
SWOD
•62% fair
•6% unfair
59% fair
13% unfair
58 % fair
11 % unfair
•87% fair
•No one thought it
was unfair
89% fair
< 2% unfair
81% fair
4 % unfair
Extra Assessment
Time
•74% fair
•2% unfair
76% fair
6% unfair
58% fair
12% unfair
Priority
Registration
•44% fair
•23% unfair
40% fair
23% unfair
25% fair
41% unfair
Course Materials
in Accessible
Format
•84% fair
•9% unfair
87% fair
< 2% unfair
66% fair
9 % unfair
Perceived Fairness of Modifying
Policies or Requirements
Modification of
academic
policies or
requirements.
Modification of
financial aid
determination.
Modification of
dept. or
institutional
graduation
requirements.
Faculty
Adm/Staff
SWOD
41% fair
28% unfair
33 % fair
28 % unfair
27 % fair
28 % unfair
42 % fair
27 % unfair
39 % fair
22 % unfair
29 % fair
26 % unfair
32 % fair
40 % unfair
28 % fair
28 % unfair
21 % fair
25 % unfair
SWD Perceptions of UB Community’s
Willingness to Modify Policies
Academic Requirement Modification
• 41% willing
20 % unwilling
Financial Aid Determination
• 25% willing
41% unwilling
Graduation Requirement
• 30% willing
31% unwilling
% Interested in Learning More About
Disability Issues
Preferred Methods of Acquiring
Information
Faculty
Staff
SWOD
Web (63%)
Web (58%)
Web (44%)
Workshops (43%)
Speakers (55%)
Credit Course
(On-line) (40%)
Consultation (40%)
Workshops (52%)
Credit Course
(Classroom)(37%)
Take home info:
Beliefs and
Practices do not
align.
• Positive beliefs overall.
• Develop practices.
• Provide appropriate support.
Information and • Provide accurate information.
Communication are • Multiple communication modes.
the Keys to Change • Communicate with everyone.
Faculty and Staff
are interested in
change.
• Content.
• Format.
Strategies for Creating Change
Evaluate
Service/Department
for Universal Design
Understand
and Develop
Awareness
Implement
Strategies to create
Universally Designed
Services, Technology,
Departments, Courses
& Programs
Your Beliefs, Values
& Practices
Positive
Campus
Climate
Simple Practice to Enhance UB Campus
Climate: Syllabus Statement


"If you have a disability and may require some
type of instructional and/or examination
accommodation, please inform me early in the
semester so that we can coordinate the
accommodations you may need. If you have not
already done so, please contact the Accessibility
Resources office. The office is located at 25 Capen
Hall and the telephone number is (716) 645-2608."
http://www.buffalo.edu/accessibility/
What’s Next?
Plan &
Collaborate
Inform
Create a
More
Inclusive UB
Comments? Questions? Arrange an ACCESS presentation
or discussion? samann@buffalo.edu or 645-2608
Thank you.