Year 2007-2008
College/Division Student Affairs
Department/Unit Multicultural Student Affairs
Program Name/Department Disability Services
Contact Tina Schultz
 

Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Disability Services is to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to all university programs and activities. We provide students the opportunity to reach their full potential by: •coordinating academic accommodations and support services, •promoting independence and self-advocacy, and •providing information and referral to appropriate resources. We help to foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by: •building and maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, •promoting disability awareness among all members of the university community, and •providing guidance regarding university policies and procedures to ensure the full particpation for persons with disabilities in all aspects of campus life.

Outcome Number 1
Students with disabilities will develop self advocacy skills through the coordination of their individual services and accommodations.
Method 1
Individual students with disabilities will provide faculty members with an academic accommodation letter and form each semester for signature, and discuss their accommodation needs specific to each class. The ODS will track the total number of accommodation letters returned each semester.
Result 1
In fall 2007, 306 students out of 530 or 58% returned their academic accommodation letter and forms. In spring 2008, 301 students out of 492 or 61% returned their academic accommodation letter and forms. By completing the accommodation process these students have demonstrated their ability as self advocates.
Method 2
Students will be asked to respond to two questions on the annual ODS Student Survey, 1) How comfortable were you in obtaining the signatures of faculty members on your Academic Accommodation forms each semester? 2) Was this effective in receiving your in-class accommodations? If not, why?
Result 2
80% of students reported being comfortable with obtaining the signatures of faculty members on their Academic Accommodation forms. 85% of students reported this was effective.
Action Plan
In April 2009, a question such as "Do you feel students follow the appropriate processes in a timely manner in requesting their accommodations?" will be added to the Faculty/Staff Annual Survery to assess from another perspective whether students are self advocates. In FY'09 the ODS will track the number of students who request and pick up their academic accommodation letters and forms prior to, and after midterm.

Outcome Number 2
The ODS will provide guidance to the university community to ensure that students with disabilities will have equal access to programs and services offered at the university.
Method 1
The ODS will monitor compliance of the ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plans.
Result 1
ADA Self Evaluation: Between August 2007 and May 2008 59 university policy and procedures statements (UPPS), and 3 Academic Affairs policy and procedure statements (PPS) were reviewed. Feedback was provided on 7 UPPS's and 3 PPS's to ensure compliance with ADA. Transition Plan: In FY '08, $117,228.00 was expended from the ADA account on architectural improvements. In addition, $1,541,212.00 in architectural compliance was made as a result of building renovation and overall campus improvements. These additional projects were funded from other accounts.
Method 2
The ODS will randomly survey students with disabilities to solicit feedback on how the university is meeting their needs as a student with a disability.
Result 2
A survey was randomly given to students registered with the ODS who visited the office in April 2008. Results were obtained from 26 respondents who represented various disability backgrounds including AD/HD, learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, visual impairments, psychological disabilities, physical/mobility impairments, hard of hearing and other health impairments. On average, the respondents reported that the ODS is responsive to their needs, the university is a welcoming place, and they feel supported by Texas State. There were no reported differences between disability backgrounds.
Action Plan
The ODS will continue to monitor compliance with the ADA through the review of university polcies and procedures, academic program requirements, and architectural barrier removal. Continuing efforts will be made to solicit quality feedback from students registered with the ODS regarding their overall university experience. Explore adding an anonymous "Suggestion Box" on the ODS web site so students can provide feedback on how well the university is meeting their needs throughout the year.

 
Outcome Number 3
Students with disabilities will utilize compensatory strategies recommended by their ODS Specialist in order to effectively manage their disabilities.
Method 1
The ODS will annually track the number of student contacts for disability management counseling and compensatory strategies.
Result 1
In FY'08, there were 56 student contacts for disability management counseling and 20 student contacts for compensatory strategies. These appointments are designed to provide students with the tools they need to manage their disability effectively.
Method 2
Students will be asked to identify from a list what compensatory strategies they learned during the year and the effectiveness of these strategies on the annual ODS Student Survey. Example of strategies will include books on tape, note taking, time management, reading strategies, and test taking strategies.
Result 2
82% of the students who tape recorded class lectures reported the compensatory strategy was effective. 94% of the students who used volunteer note takers reported the compensatory strategy was effective. 96% of the students who used time management strategies reported the compensatory strategy was effective. 94% of the students who used test taking strategies reported the compensatory strategy was effective. 92% of the students who used study skills strategies reported the compensatory strategy was effective.
Action Plan
The ODS will continue to monitor the number of student contacts for disability management counseling and compensatory strategies. The ODS will also develop a list of FAQ's on ODS TRACS site to help students manage their accommodations and services.