How do we respond to Change? - Mount Royal University

How do we respond to Change?

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Rethinking the Duty to

Accommodate Through

the Scholarship of

Teaching and Learning

Agenda

• Context – setting for our research

• The Challenge

• Process

• The Duty to Accommodate Team

• Decision Tree Models

• Key Definitions

• Application

• References

CELS

The Challenge

• In 2010/2011 large provincial funding changes have

affected all post secondary student with disabilities.

• Originally, Alberta Employment and Immigration (AEI),

has transferred post secondary students with disabilities

to Alberta Advanced Education and Technology (AET).

• In response to the changes in the funding model, the

Center for Excellence in Learning Supports (CELS) at

NorQuest College in Alberta, has collaboratively

redefined their duty to accommodate, thus refining

service delivery.

Process

• In response to the funding changes the CELS

department established 3 different task teams.

– Duty to Accommodate

– Roles and Responsibilities

– Assistive Technologies

Purpose of the Duty to

Accommodate Task Team • Review existing literature, resources and practises

– CELS team identified and adapted Barbara Roberts’

Accommodation Decision Tree model (Roberts, 2006).

• Obtain student input – Ongoing Student Survey on CELS Experiences

• Provide recommendations for future service delivery under the new funding. – Where to go from here?

– A current key definitions

Guiding Principles

1. Universal Design

2. Choice for students

3. Flexibility

4. Fairness

5. Quality of the student learning experience

6. Post Secondary Readiness

7. Sound Fiscal Management

As stated by Cooper in 2008, “using biopsychosocial insights in

the development of educational provision is likely to lead us

closer than we have ever been to a genuinely inclusive education

system” (Cooper, 2008, p 471).

(Roberts, 2006)

Is there a documented disability ?

YES

NO STOP

Is academic performance affected? NO STOP

YES

YESIs accommodation appropriate for

disability?NO STOP

YESDoes accommodation maintain the

essential requirements of course/

program?

NO STOP

Does accommodation work?YES NO

Review and revise

accommodationContinue Accommodation

Student Support Specialist

Team

Monday May 30, 211Academic Accommodations Decision Tree

Implement accommodation

Adapted from Barbara Roberts2006, http://www.queensu.ca/hcds/rarc/pact/tree.html

Definitions

• Permanent Disability:

– is a functional limitation that is caused by physical or mental

impairment that restricts a student’s ability to perform the daily

activities necessary to participate in studies … or in the labour

force, and that is expected to remain with the student for the

student’s expected life.

(CSG-PDSE, and The Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations)

Definitions

• Duty to Accommodate:

• refers to the requirement under federal and provincial

legislation to make arrangements, adjustments and alternations

in the educational environment to ensure that it does not have

a discriminatory effect on a student because of the student’s

disability. A duty to accommodate is part of the college’s

larger duty not to discriminate.

Definitions

• Accommodations

– are modifications made to the academic environment that help

create equal educational opportunities and provide equal access

to information. Accommodations are intended to remove

barriers related to the functional limitations caused by a

disability or health condition; therefore, there must be a direct

connection between the disability and the requested

accommodation. Accommodation is a shared responsibility

between the student and the institution and arriving at

accommodation is a consultative process.

Accommodations

Do Not:

• Lower academic or non-academic standards to

accommodate students with disabilities

• Relieve the student of the responsibility to develop the

essential skills and competencies

• Give students with disabilities an unfair advantage

“level the playing field”

Accommodations

Limitations

1. Maintenance of academic integrity.

2. Reasonableness.

Is there a documented disability ?

YES

NO STOP

Is academic performance affected? NO STOP

YES

YESIs accommodation appropriate for

disability?NO STOP

YESDoes accommodation maintain the

essential requirements of course/

program?

NO STOP

Does accommodation work?YES NO

Review and revise

accommodationContinue Accommodation

Student Support Specialist

Team

Monday May 30, 211Academic Accommodations Decision Tree

Implement accommodation

Adapted from Barbara Roberts2006, http://www.queensu.ca/hcds/rarc/pact/tree.html

Accommodations

Limitations:

1. Maintenance of academic integrity

2. Reasonableness

3. Undue Hardship

Redefining our Core Services:

The Purpose Statement for CELS embodies the concept of core

services for students with disabilities at NorQuest College:

– The Centre for Excellence in Learning Supports provides

specifically designed supports and services for students with

disabilities.

– CELS also advocates for an inclusive and accessible

environment within the NorQuest College community, and

society at large, by encouraging the use of the principles of

Universal Design.

Non-Negotiable Services

Core services and non-negotiable services are

virtually the same.

•A service is non-negotiable if it is necessary for the

student with a disability to participate reasonably in the

educational setting.

•“Alberta Guidelines for Accommodating Students with

Disabilities in Postsecondary Studies” document

published by the Postsecondary Service Providers for

Students with Disabilities (PSPSD) November 25, 2010.

Universal Design

The Principles are:

1. Equitable Use

2. Flexibility in Use

3. Simple and Intuitive Use

4. Perceptible Information

5. Tolerance for Error

6. Size and Space for Approach and Use

(The Center for Universal Design)

Survey

• Purpose

– Data is collected, by NorQuest College, in order to “support the collection of

evaluative data that can be used to improve, enhance, or reform in order to

enhance the quality of education, research, community service or whatever else

is under scrutiny” (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 1995) at

NorQuest College.

• Methodology

– The data was collected online using a tool hosted by FluidSurveys. and was

cleansed and coded using MS Office programs, specifically MS Excel and MS

Word. Data was analysed using SPSS for the quantitative data and NVivo for the

qualitative data.

• Population and Sampling Framework

– The population for this research project consists of identified users of the

services provided by the Centre for Excellence in Learning Supports (CELS)

Demographics

Disabilities of Respondents

Learning disability 56.8%

Mental health issue or disorder 32.4%

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 29.7%

Mobility or functional 21.6%

Deaf or hard of hearing 18.9%

Acquired brain injury 10.8%

Chronic medical condition 10.8%

Blind or partially sighted 2.7%

Programs of Respondents

Academic Upgrading 51.4%

Adult Literacy 13.5%

Practical Nurse 10.8%

No Response 8.1%

Ben Calf Robe Upgrading 2.7%

Administrative Professional 2.7%

Business Administration 2.7%

Graphic Imaging and Communications 2.7%

Therapeutic Recreation 2.7%

Aboriginal Community Support Worker 2.7%

Total of 20 Students Responded Online

Top Services ‘Needed A Lot’ Based

on Disability

Top Services ‘Needed A Lot’ Based

on Disability

Top Services ‘Needed A Lot’ Based

on Disability

Top Services ‘Needed A Lot’ Based

on Disability

Recommendations

All post secondary institutions are in a movement of change and need

to respond within the constraints of their institutional plans and in

the best interest of their students.

1. Redefining duty to accommodate, accommodation, reasonable

accommodation, undue hardship, core services and non-

negotiable services, and a decision-making model.

2. Continual review of needs on students and on the department.

3. Possible extension, is to increase student participatory input in

the reviewing process of our application of definition.

Discussion?

Are there any other models

that your institution has

used to respond to this

change or any other current

change?

References

Alberta Human Rights Commission (2010). Duty to accommodate: Interpretive bulletin. Retrieved May 2011, from

http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/publications/bulletins_sheets_booklets/bulletins/duty_to_accommodate_P

DF.asp

Douglas College. (2009). Accessibility to college programs, courses and services for persons with disabilities.

Retrieved May 2011, from http://www.douglas.bc.ca/services/centre-for-disabilities/policy.html

Grant MacEwan University. (2009). Grant MacEwan University Policy Manual: Students with disabilities. Retrieved

May 2011, from http://www.macewan.ca/contribute/groups/public/documents/document/pfw_003664.pdf

Katsiyannis, A., Zhang, D., Landmark, L. & Reber, A. (2009). Postsecondary education for individuals with

disabilities: Legal and practice considerations. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. 20 (1), 35-46.

Lakeland College. (2009). Handbook for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved May 2011, from

http://www.lakelandcollege.ca/files/PDF/TLC/Handbook_for_students_with_disabilities_May_25_2009.pdf

References

Roberts, B. (2006). Disability, accommodations, & the law: Determining essential requirements -how human rights

cases inform decision making. The CADSPPE Pre-conference Session. Retrieved May 2011, from

https://www.cacuss.ca/content/documents/Link/CADSPPE_Resources/CADSPPE_2010_preconference.pdf

Rose, D. H., Harbour, W.S., Johnston., C.S., Daley, S.G., & Abardanell, L. (2009). Universal design for learning in

post-secondary education: Reflection on principles and their application. In Burgstahler, S.E., & Cory, R.C.

(Eds.) Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice (pp 23-44). Cambridge, MA:

Harvard Education Press.

SAIT (2010/2011). Student Guide Accessibility Services. Retrieved May 2011, from

http://sait.ca/pages/studentservices/disablitysupportservices/pdf/GuideDisabilityServices.pdf

Cooper, P. (2008). Like alligators bobbing for poodles? A critical discussion of education, ADHD and the

biopsychocial perspective. Journal of Philosophy of Education. 42 (3-4), 457-474.

University of Alberta (2011). University of Alberta Reasonable Accommodation Policy website. Retrieved May 2011,

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/content.cfm?ID_page=37660&section=38765&contentshow=

section

Questions