Disability and Higher Education DSP/HED 700 Syracuse University, School of Education Spring, 2011 GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION Instructor: Dr. Wendy S. Harbour 101 Hoople for mailbox; office is in 112 Hoople 315-443-1288 (to leave messages) 866-270-1281 (toll-free to call directly through Video Relay Service) wharbour@syr.edu (E-Mail) 651-230-0124 (Texts) Class Information: Tuesdays, January 18 –May 3, 2011 (No class on January 18) 4:00-7:00pm Crouse-Hinds Hall, Room 017 Office hours by appointment. Course Description: Over the past 20 years, more students with disabilities have been entering the U.S. higher education system, and they are an increasingly diverse population. This trend is occurring at a time when higher education is also experiencing greater numbers of college faculty and staff with disabilities, more federal involvement in disability-related postsecondary issues, and the rise of disability studies as an academic field. Distinctly different from the K-12 special education system, disability-related issues in higher education often connect to broader questions about academic integrity, diversity, the purpose of a college education, and the ways postsecondary education acts as a gatekeeper for society and professional fields. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the many ways disability is constructed in higher education at the individual, institutional, state, and national levels. Disability studies models and theories, including ableism and universal design, will serve as primary frameworks for inquiry. This course is highly interdisciplinary and assumes no prior knowledge of disability, disability studies, or higher education. Students with a personal interest in the topic are welcome; the course is especially appropriate for those with an interest in postsecondary administration or student affairs, disability studies, educational law and policy, teaching or transition services in grades 7-12, or postsecondary disability services. Page 1 Required Texts: This course has two required texts: Saks, E. R. (2008). The center cannot hold: My journey through madness. New York, NY: Hyperion. Shaw, S. F., Madaus, J. W., & Dukes, L. L. (2010). Preparing students with disabilities for college success: A practical guide to transition planning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. All other articles and other readings for the course are available online or through BlackBoard. Website and Listserv: The course website is available through BlackBoard. This website will only be used for general course information, a copy of the syllabus, readings, and grades. A listserv will be used for updates, announcements, and all additional course-related information. All students will receive details about the listserv via email. Life or Disability Issues: Per Syracuse University policy, students who are in need of disability-related academic accommodations for any kind of disability (e.g., learning disability, psychiatric disability like depression, Attention Deficit Disorder, or chronic illness) must register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS), 804 University Avenue, Room 309, 315-443-4498. Students with authorized disability-related accommodations should provide a current Accommodations Authorization Letter from ODS to Wendy and review those accommodations with her. Accommodations, such as extended time on tests, are not provided retroactively; therefore, planning for accommodations as early as possible is necessary. In addition to accommodations for disabilities, students should consider any other life circumstances that many affect their ability to participate in class or complete homework on time. These may include illness, family issues (e.g., divorce, child care concerns, sick family members), car or computer problems, etc. Wendy is very willing to negotiate with students before assignments are due and the semester is well underway. Please keep Wendy apprised of issues, even if you are not sure they will affect your participation in this course; it’s best to be prepared for every possible contingency. ASSIGNMENTS Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is an essential core value of the University, and one for which we all share responsibility. Please review the Syracuse University Student Handbook for university policy regarding academic integrity. An online version of the Handbook with additional explanations of plagiarism (with examples) can be found at http://students.syr.edu/handbook. It is your responsibility to: a) familiarize yourself with the policy; b) be sure you understand how to appropriately cite sources and what it means to plagiarize; and c) ask for help from campus writing centers, librarians, your advisor, or your instructor if you need clarification or assistance. Page 2 Faculty in the School of Education take academic integrity very seriously. Your instructor considers plagiarism in any assignment as a violation of academic integrity. If you violate the Academic Integrity policy you will receive a failing grade for the course and be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. Grading: All students will be given letter grades instead of points, and final grades will be calculated based on points of letter grades (e.g., an “A” = 4.0) and percentages listed below. If students have questions about their grades, they are encouraged to talk with Wendy Harbour as soon as possible. Wendy Harbour reserves the right to raise any student’s grade if they show exceptional effort, creativity, intellectual risk-taking, or marked progress over the course of the semester, and that is not reflected in the final grade determined through points. A student’s grades will ever be lowered for any reason except violations of academic integrity. Final grades in the course will be based on the following: Attendance and participation, including notes for two classes Facilitating one small-group discussion section Reflective questions on readings (ten total) Online topic review Final research paper 10% 10% 20% 20% 40% TOTAL = 100% Description of Assignments: Attendance and Participation: All students are allowed one unexcused absence. Each time students have an additional unexcused absence, their participation grade will be marked down (e.g., from an “A” to an “A-“). The one exception to this: students who are sick should stay home and get well quickly – just send Wendy Harbour an email before class and your absence will be excused. Please do not abuse this arrangement, which is in place to protect us from the spread of contagious illnesses and support the participation of students whose immune systems may be compromised. Wendy Harbour reserves the right to ask for a doctor’s note for illness-related absences, and to require make-up assignments as necessary. Late assignments are never accepted without prior arrangement, and late papers will be marked down one full grade for each day late (e.g., an “A” paper becomes a “C” paper if it is two days late). Again, if prior arrangements are made in a timely fashion, late papers may be allowed. Notetaking For your participation grade, you will be required to take notes for two classes, and to send these to the course listserv. Notes assist classmates who have disabilities, are absent from class, or prefer to participate in class without taking notes themselves. Wendy also uses the notes to improve instruction. The notes are one way of universally designing instruction for this course. You may take notes in any format that captures what happened in class, from a traditional outline, to a mind map or drawing, to a paragraph summary. You will receive an “A” if you do the assignment and complete it by the beginning of next week’s class. If you do not do the Page 3 notes, you will receive zero points and will not have a second chance to do them. Late notes are marked down 1/3 of a grade per day (e.g., one day late is an “A-“). If notes are hand-drawn or written, students can scan notes into the computer and post them as PDF files; assistance is available at the technology center helpdesk in the basement of Huntington Hall. Facilitating Small Group Discussion We will have small 4-5 person “discussion groups” in class. The purpose of these groups is to discuss the readings, but also to expand on the readings according to group interests. Groups will meet four times during the semester (see the syllabus for dates). Each person in class is required to facilitate one discussion for their group, linking that week’s course readings to an “artifact” of some kind related to the readings. “Artifacts” can be academic articles, videos, magazine articles, pictures, photographs or art, newspaper articles, personal stories, poems, research reports, websites, or anything else that captures some important dimension of the topic being discussed. Facilitators submit their artifact through the listserv on Tuesday, the week before the discussion, so everyone in their group can review it (unless the artifacts are physical objects – then please give copies to each group member). If the artifact is inaccessible to some members of your group or requires explanation, please include a written description, background, or any other necessary information, consulting with Wendy Harbour about access, as needed. Discussions should be organized to facilitate meaningful participation from each member, but can follow any format the facilitator chooses – discussions will usually be 45-60 minutes long. Facilitators are encouraged to also look at their peers’ reflective questions to see what everyone in the group is thinking about. Facilitators are also encouraged to make sure everyone has a chance to participate and/or be heard during the group. Grades will be based on: facilitators sharing artifacts on time; maintaining a discussion about the readings and artifact in group where all members have a chance to participate; and facilitating and not lecturing during the discussion. Reflections Based on the Readings The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that students complete assigned readings, to promote discussion, and to assist Wendy and discussion facilitators in making decisions about class content and pedagogy. For 10 weeks of the course, by noon on the day before class (Monday), you must post one of the following on the course listserv: Three questions based on the readings that will contribute to discussion. These may be any kind of question, including clarifying questions, but should be throughtful. 1-2 paragraphs reacting to the readings or reflections on them. This should not be a summary of the readings – it should state your opinion or reaction to them. The reflection should focus only on one theme that crosses through multiple readings; because the reflection is short, it should be focused and succinct. A 1-2 paragraph summary and review of a recommended reading, movie, piece of art, website, or other resource that complements the readings for that week. The posting on BlackBoard should explain how the additional resource connects to the readings or complements them in some way (so it is obvious students completed the assigned readings). Students must demonstrate that they read at least two of the readings, even if questions or comments mainly focus on one of the readings. Online Topic Review (Due March 29 by 5pm) For this assignment, students will choose any topic or question of interest related to disability and higher education. Students may also choose a specific disability (e.g., learning disabilities) to investigate. These topics may be very narrow (e.g., “What are some NCAA policies applying to male athletes using Page 4 Ritalin for ADHD?”) to very broad (e.g., “college students with ADHD”). You will go online and try to find information that is NOT academic. You must search at least three forms of Internet sources, including, but not limited to: websites, blogs, YouTube videos, Facebook, Twitter, Wikis, iTunes, online images. To guide your search, imagine you are someone who really needs this information, and let that guide your searching – for example, a parent searching for information about financial aid may search for very different information than a graduate student with a disability. Do not supplement your search with ANY academic articles or books. You will type up a 3-5 page summary of what you found. This does not have to be in APA style, will not require references, and may even be bullet points. You will describe: Your topic How you conducted your search – where you looked for information and how you searched (for example, tell me which keywords you used) Who you imagined as you did the search. Did you imagine yourself searching as a student, parent, faculty member, college administrator? A person with a disability or nondisabled person? Share 2-5 of the best sources of information about your topic, even if these are not quality sources you would recommend to others Critique what you found. How reliable or complete is this information, and how are you making that judgment? Who is the intended audience supposed to be? What is the over-arching attitude about disability itself? Whether it was easy or difficult to find information, why do you suppose the Internet is/is not a good source of information about your topic? Did sites seem to be accessible to people with disabilities? Consider the underlying messages about disability and higher education that may be implied. Submit your paper directly to Wendy Harbour (wharbour@syr.edu). HINT: this might be a good time to explore possible topics for your research paper! Please note that we will be discussing general findings in class, but you do not have to prepare a handout or presentation. Research Papers/Research Project (Due Tuesday, May 10, 5pm) For a final project, students will choose any topic of interest related to disability and higher education. Research papers may address any topic also covered in class, but should focus on a single issue within that topic (e.g., “The ADA in Higher Education” is too broad, but looking at ADA compliance issues for a single department or office on campus would be appropriate). Papers must: Be between 10-20 pages; if they are shorter or longer than this, they will be marked down Reference at least five peer-reviewed journal articles or three peer-reviewed journal articles and one non-fiction book; materials from the course may be cited, as well, but will not count toward the reference requirements. High-quality websites, interviews, and news media are acceptable sources of information, but do not count as a journal article or book. Note that these are the minimum expectations. Be in APA format Discuss the implications or applications of the topic and what students found Consider the topic using at least one of the disability studies frameworks introduced in the course: ableism, models of disability, universal design, etc. Focus on one level of analysis (e.g., individual, institutional, state, or national). Page 5 If students are having trouble thinking of a topic or finding resources, they are encouraged to discuss this with Wendy Harbour as soon as possible. Remember that librarians in Bird Library are also able to assist with research needs. PLEASE NOTE that alternatives to a research paper are allowed. Examples could include (but are not limited to): developing a website, a research proposal, an art piece or creative writing piece, or a video presentation. All options must still utilize research as described above for the research paper; art pieces must have a 5-7 page paper accompanying them, explaining how the art connects to research and a theoretical framework from the course. If you plan to do a project that is not a standard research paper, discuss your plans with Wendy as soon as possible, to negotiate any necessary components and how this will be graded. SCHEDULE DATE READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS DUE TOPIC FOUNDATIONS OF THE COURSE Week 1 January 18 No readings. No class. Week 2 January 25 Readings Due: Madaus Shapiro – Chapter 2 Wolanin and Steele – Chapter 1 Wagner et al. – Chapter 4 Tregoning Introduction to the course; review syllabus Assignments Due: None Page 6 History related to disability and higher education POLICY AND LAW Week 3 February 1 Readings Due: Shaw et al. textbook – chapters 2, 4, 7, 8 and 11 (if you are not familiar with disability, K-12 education and/or transition, you may want to begin with chapter 11) K-12 vs. Higher Education Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) transition Assignments Due: Reflection (remember you only have to do these 10 times – you decide when you would like to do them) Week 4 February 8 Readings Due: Shaw et al. textbook – Chapters 9-10 Wolanin and Steele – Chapters 4 and 7 Admissions and financial aid for students with disabilities Assignments Due: Reflection Week 5 February 15 Readings Due: Grossman Rothstein Shapiro – Chapter 4 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Assignments Due: Reflection Week 6 February 22 Readings Due: United States Government Accountability Office (main letter only; appendices are optional) Madaus et al. Higher Education Opportunity Act – Excerpts The Jed Foundation (pp. 7-11, 13-19) Belch & Marschark Sulzberger and Gabriel Page 7 Other key legislation related to disability and higher education: GI Bill, Higher Education Opportunity Act, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Assignments Due: Reflection Week 7 March 1 Readings Due: Harbour (Sections 1, 2, and 4) Shaw et al. textbook – Chapter 3 Cory Brinckerhoff et al. Strange Disability services: Compliance and beyond Assignments Due: Reflection Artifact for small-group discussion #1 due INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES Week 8 March 8 Readings Due: Rodis et al. – Chapter 4 Henning Prince-Hughes – Chapter by Susan Mooney and Cole – Chapters 1-3 Wurtzel – Chapters 6, 8, 14, and epilogue First-person accounts: Students with disabilities Small-group discussion #1 Assignments Due: Reflection Artifact for small-group discussion #2 due Week 9 – March 15 NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK Week 10 March 22 Readings Due: Michalko Fuecker and Harbour Vance Bell Greenwood and Wright-Riley Page 8 First-person accounts: Faculty and staff with disabilities Small-group discussion #2 Assignments Due: Reflection THE CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT Week 11 March 29 Readings Due: Rose et al. McGuire & Scott Anderson Sierra-Zarella Inclusive pedagogies Assignments Due: Reflection Artifact for small-group discussion #3 due Online Topic Review Due Week 12 April 5 Readings Due: Rose and Meyer – Chapter 3 Shaw et al. textbook – Chapter 6 Bryant, Pedrotty Bryant, & Rieth Thompson Technology Small-group discussion #3 Assignments Due: Reflection CULTURAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF DISABILITY Week 13 April 12 Readings Due: Linton – Chapters 4 and 6 Taylor Germon Johnstone, Lubet, and Goldfine Hehir Assignments Due: Weekly questions Artifact for small-group discussion #4 due Page 9 Disability studies Week 14 April 19 Readings Due: Harley et al Harris Leake and Cholymay McCune Hockman Disability and diversity on campus Small-group discussion #4 Assignments Due: Reflection Week 15 April 26 Readings Due: Shapiro – Chapter 3 de Jong Hart & Grigal Solis Also skim websites for Landmark College (www.landmark.edu) and Gallaudet University (www.gallaudet.edu) “Segregation,” “integration,” and “inclusion” of students with disabilities Assignments Due: Reflection SYNTHESIS Week 16 May 3 Readings Due: Saks book Synthesis and application of course with The Center Cannot Hold Assignments Due: Reflection May 10 RESEARCH PAPERS/PROJECTS DUE BY 5PM Page 10 COURSE READINGS Anderson, R. C. (2006). Teaching (with) disability: Pedagogies of lived experience. The Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 28, 367-379. Belch, H. A., & Marshak, L. E. (2006). Critical incidents involving students with psychiatric disabilities: The gap between state of the art and campus practice. NASPA Journal, 43(3), 464-483. Bell, C. (2007). We do not talk about such things here: My life (so far) as an HIV+ academic. In M. L. Vance (Ed.) Disabled faculty and staff in a disabling society: Multiple identities in higher education (pp. 217-224). Huntersville, NC: The Association on Higher Education And Disability. Bryant, B. R., Pedrotty Bryant, D., & Rieth, H. J. (2002). The use of assistive technology in postsecondary education. In L. C. Brinckerhoff, J. M. McGuire, & S. F. Shaw (Eds.) Postsecondary education and transition for students with learning disabilities (pp. 389-430). Austin, TX: PRO-ED, Inc. Center for Universal Design. (No date). Principles of universal design. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University. Available at http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/udprincipleshtmlformat.html#top Cory, R. C. (In Press). Disability services offices for students with disabilities: A campus resource. W. S. Harbour & J. W. Madaus (Eds.) New Directions for Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. De Jong, C. (2000, July 16). College tuned to styles of varied students. The Boston Globe, G5. Fuecker, D., & Harbour, W. S. (In Press). UReturn: University of Minnesota services for faculty and staff with disabilities. W. S. Harbour & J. W. Madaus (Eds.) New Directions for Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Germon, P. (1998). Activists and academics: Part of the same or a world apart? In T. Shakespeare (Ed.) The Disability Reader: Social Science Perspectives (pp. 245-255). New York, NY: Cassell. Greenwood, S. C., & Wright-Riley, L. (2007). “Slaying the dragon: Dealing with Parkinson’s”. In M. L. Vance (Ed.) Disabled faculty and staff in a disabling society: Multiple identities in higher education (pp. 235-242). Huntersville, NC: The Association on Higher Education And Disability. Grossman, P. D. (2001). Making accommodations: The legal world of students with disabilities. Academe, 87(6). Available at http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2001/ND/Feat/gross.htm Harbour, W. S. (2008). Final report: The 2008 biennial AHEAD survey of disability services and resource professionals in higher education. Huntersville, NC: The Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD). Harley, D. A., Nowak, T. M., Gassaway, L. J., and Savage, T. A. (2002). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender college students with disabilities: A look at multiple cultural minorities. Psychology in the Schools, 39(5), 525-538. Page 11 Harris, S. (1995). Twice oppressed and the right brain exit. In J. U. Adelizzi & D. B. Goss (Eds.) A Closer Look: Perspectives and Reflections on College Students with Learning Disabilities (pp. 110-120). Milton, MA: Curry College. Hart, D., & Grigal, M. (2009). Think college: Postsecondary education options for students with intellectual disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes. Hehir, T. (2002). Eliminating ableism in education. Harvard Educational Review, 72(1), 1-33. Henning, G. (2007, July/August). What happens if others find out? About Campus, 26-29. Hockman, L. (2010). A longer journey of reflexivity: Becoming a domesticated academic. In D. Driedger (Ed.) Living the edges: A disabled women’s reader (pp. 16-28). Toronto: Innana Publications and Education, Inc. JED Foundation. (2008). Student mental health and the law: A resource for institutions of higher education. New York: JED Foundation. Johnstone, C., Lubet, A., & Goldfine, L. (2008). Disability narratives, social models, and rights perspectives as higher education imperatives. In S. L. Gabel & S. Danforth (Eds.) Disability and the politics of education: An international reader (pp. 599-618). New York: Peter Lang Publishing. Leake, D., & Cholymay, M. (2004). Addressing the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Information Brief: Addressing Trends and Developments in Secondary Education and Transition, 3(1). Minneapolis, MN: National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, University of Minnesota. Linton, S. (1998). Claiming disability: Knowledge and identity. New York, NY: New York University Press. Madaus, J. W. (2000). Services for college and university students with disabilities: A historical perspective. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 14(1), 4-21. Madaus, J. W., Miller, W. K., Vance, M. L. (2009). Veterans with disabilities in postsecondary education. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 22(1), 10-17. McCune, P. (2001, May/June). What do disabilities have to do with diversity? About Campus, 5-12. McGuire, J. M., & Scott, S. S. (2006). Universal design for instruction: Extending the universal design paradigm to college instruction. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 19(6). Michalko, R. (2001). Blindness enters the classroom. Disability and Society, 16(3), 349-359. Mooney, J., & Cole, D. (2000). Learning outside the lines: Two Ivy League students with learning disabilities and ADHD give you the tools for academic success and educational revolution. New York: Fireside. Page 12 Prince-Hughes, D. (2002). Aquamarine blue 5: Personal stories of college students with autism. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press. Rodis, P., Garrod, A., and Boscardin, M. L. (Eds.). (2001). Learning disabilities and life stories. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Rose, D. H., Harbour, W. S., Johnston, C .S., Daley, S. G., and Abarbanell, L. (2006). Universal design for learning in postsecondary education: Reflections on principles and their applications. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 19(2), 135-151. Rose, D. H. & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Baltimore, MD: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available for free online at cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/ Rothstein, L. F. (2002). Judicial intent and legal precedents. In L. C. Brinckerhoff, J. M. McGuire, & S. F. Shaw (Eds.) Postsecondary education and transition for students with learning disabilities (pp. 71-108). Austin, TX: PRO-ED, Inc. Shapiro, J. P. (1993). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. New York: Random House. Sierra-Zarella, E. (2005). Adapting and “Passing”: My experiences as a graduate student with multiple invisible disabilities. In L. Ben-Moshe, R. C. Cory, M. Feldbaum, & K. Sagendorf (Eds.) Building Pedagogical Curb Cuts: Incorporating Disability in the University Classroom and Curriculum (pp. 139-146). Syracuse, NY: The Graduate School, Syracuse University. Solis, S. (2009). I’m “coming out” as disabled but I’m “staying in” to rest: Reflecting on elected and imposed segregation. Equity and Excellence in Education, 39, 2, 146-153. Strange, C. (2000). Creating environments of ability. In H. A. Belch (Ed.), New directions for student services: Serving students with disabilities (pp. 19-30). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Sulzberger, A. G., & Gabriel, T. (2011). College’s policy on troubled students raises questions. New York Times, January 14, p. A17. Taylor, S. (In Press). Disability studies in higher education. W. S. Harbour & J. W. Madaus (Eds.) New Directions for Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Thompson, T. (2008). Universal design of computing labs. In S. E. Burgstahler & R. C. Cory (Eds.) Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice (pp. 235-244). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. Tregoning, M. E. (2009). Being an ally in language use. In J. L. Higbee & A. A. Mitchel (Eds.) Making good on the promise: Student affairs professionals with disabilities (pp. 173-176). Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc. and American College Personnel Asosciation. U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2009, October). Higher education and disability: Education needs a coordinated approach to improve its assistance to schools in supporting students. Page 13 Report to the Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives. Washington, DC: Author. Vance, M. L. (2007). Taking risks. In M. L. Vance (Ed.) Disabled faculty and staff in a disabling society: Multiple identities in higher education (pp. 11-21). Huntersville, NC: The Association on Higher Education And Disability. Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., and Levine, P. (2005). Changes over time in the early postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities. A report of findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. Available at www.nlts2.org/reports/2005_06/nlts2_report_2005_06_complete.pdf. Wolanin, T. R., & Steele, P. E. (2004). Higher education opportunities for students with disabilities: A primer for policymakers. Washington, DC: The Institute for Higher Education Policy. Wurtzel, E. (2002). Prozac nation: Young and depressed in America. New York: Penguin Books. Page 14