Responding to Potential Student Self-Injury or Suicide
Paul Grossman, J.D., Executive Counsel of AHEAD, and OCR and Hastings College of Law, retired
Tuesday, February 25, 1-2:30pm Eastern
In American colleges and universities, over 1100 suicides are completed each year, many more attempts are made, and self-injury is trending upwards. Despite knowing that it could occur at any school, at any time, many schools’ policies for responding to such students are weak or nonexistant, or worse, run counter to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Department of Justice (DoJ) guidance.
This webinar will describe the relevant legal precedents pertaining to this group of students, including guidance from OCR and DoJ, federal court decisions, and the many settlement agreements that may be used as models for improving your own institution’s policies. It will cover:
- How reasonable accommodation factors into the treatment of these students;
- When and how due process comes into consideration before suspending or otherwise sanctioning a self-injurious student;
- What common responses by colleges and universities to actual or potential student self-injury may get schools into hot water with OCR or the DoJ;
- How to determine the duration of a student’s suspension and the conditions of return; and
- What steps, short of complete suspension, are emerging as best practices elements of agreements with self-injurious students.
Did you miss this live webinar? You can now purchase the recording and presentation materials!
Making Disability Assessments More Available, Regardless of Student Background: A Panel Discussion
Vivian Hardison, Ed.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
RJ Kilgore, MS, CRC, LCHMC, Johnson & Wales University
Maria Schiano, MSW, County College of Morris
Tuesday, March 4, 3-4:30pm Eastern
Many of us have encountered students in our professional careers who we may suspect have an undiagnosed disability, but due to their cultural backgrounds or limited financial resources, have never undergone any formal assessment. Some institutions have internal assessments available to students through the school, but others require students to go get evaluated for disability on their own, often at great personal expense.
What if a student can't afford an assessment, or their family can afford it, but doesn't support it? Join this panel discussion to hear from various institutions, including those with graduate, 4-year, 2-year, and trade programs, about how they have worked with students to provide financial assistance, and also how they have changed internal institutional processes to make disability assessments more readily available to all students.
Approaches to Testing Accommodations: Perspectives From Multiple Schools
Marcie Dimac, Western Governors University
Emily Harris, Villanova University
Nicolas Maynard, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Haley Meyn, University of California, San Francisco
Wednesday March 5, 1-2:30pm Eastern
Are you rethinking how your office approaches student exams? Different schools have different approaches to proctoring testing, depending on their own student needs, staffing structures, and administration’s requests. Join representatives from four different schools to hear them discuss the lessons learned as they’ve navigated proctoring changes over time. Panelists come from public and private universities, including online and health science programs. This discussion is sure to be lively, as they talk about how they got here and what they wish they’d known. Join them to hear about their growing pains as well as victories as they’ve expanded their services as the need for testing on their campuses has grown. Plenty of time will be reserved for Q&A!
Did you miss this live webinar? You can now purchase the recording and presentation materials!
Temporary and Provisional Accommodations: A Panel of Perspectives
Katy Washington, J.D., Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
Crystal Hill, Ph.D., Stanford University
Kaela Parks, Ed.D., Portland Community College
Thursday March 6, 1-2:30 Eastern
What happens when a student comes to your office with a cast on, asking for accommodations for a few weeks? Or says they have a surgery scheduled for the middle of the term and they’re going to miss a number of classes? Does the answer change if they are a history major versus a nursing student? Or what about a student who says they are in the process of getting a learning disability assessment, but it is going to take weeks until the assessment report is complete, and meanwhile their current classes will make-or-break their ability to apply for a program or keep a scholarship? Are any of these disabilities covered by the ADA? Should our offices be working with these students? The answer often depends on many factors, including the institutional mission and culture, the student, the course, their program, and the circumstances. This panel, with professionals representing a 4-year public, a 4-year private, and an open enrollment community college, will discuss how they approach these situations and more. Time for Q&A will be reserved.
Did you miss this live webinar? You can now purchase the recording and presentation materials!
Accommodations Unlocked! Partnering with Faculty for Student Success
Stephen Loynaz PHD, ADAC, Florida International University
Thursday, March 20, 1-2:30 Eastern
As service providers, our passion for supporting students with disabilities can sometimes create tension when others disagree with an accommodation request. Yet, it’s essential to remember that faculty and institutions are also our partners. This presentation focuses on building these partnerships by understanding faculty needs and how they intersect with supporting our students. Through storytelling and principled negotiation, we’ll explore common challenges in disability services and discuss strategies to open conversations, generate options, and find solutions that help students thrive. This approach not only supports students’ academic journeys but also builds valuable alliances with faculty, fostering more inclusive learning environments. To wrap up, you’ll have a chance to practice negotiation skills with real-life scenarios, enhancing our collaborative efforts in creating positive outcomes for all.
Dual Enrollment: Parents, Pitfalls, and Processes
Meri Faulkner MA, Spartanburg Community College
Teressa Eastman MBA, Butler Community College
Michelle Mitchell M.Ed., CRC, Lehigh Carbon Community College
Wednesday, April 2, 1-2:30 Eastern
As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, dual enrollment programs have gained popularity, particularly in community colleges and two-year institutions. However, these programs come with unique challenges and concerns, particularly for parents navigating the transition. This interactive session will explore the complexities of dual enrollment, focusing on parental perspectives, confidentiality issues, and the legal frameworks governing these programs. Key topics will include understanding dual enrollment vs. concurrent enrollment, legal frameworks (IDEA, ADA), confidentiality and FERPA, courses taken in the high school vs. courses on the college campus, the process of identifying dual enrollment students, and modification vs. accommodation. Participants will engage in discussions and activities designed to enhance understanding and identify best practices for supporting students and families and dual enrollment contexts.
I Hope They'll Hire Me! Advising Students about Job Interviews and Requesting Workplace Accommodations
David Parker, Ph.D., The Gregory S. Fehribach Center
Jordan Fogel, student, University of Connecticut
Jill Maudlin, student, University of Notre Dame
Zephaniah Langley, student, Northeastern University, Springfield Technical Community College
Thursday, April 17, 3-4:30 Eastern
Whether interviewing for internships, summer jobs, on-campus employment, or post-graduation employment, students with disabilities often wonder: should I tell the interviewer about the accommodations I'll need on the job? Will it hurt my chances of being hired? If I don't bring it up now, is it dishonest? And once on the job, students are often unsure how to request accommodations. And what if a student needs to request accommodations for the interview itself? How do they ask for those? This webinar will equip disability and career office personnel to answer student questions about how and when to disclose their disability-related needs to potential and current employers. It will highlight the differences between the interactive processes in the educational setting versus the professional environment. The panel will also include students, who will share their experiences about self-advocacy in the workplace. Invite your Career Office colleagues to join you for this informative session!
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