Higher Education for All (Including Those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)
Feb 29, 2024
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The podcast delves into the vision of inclusive higher education for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It discusses the Bobcat RISE program, inclusive classroom experiences, life skills courses, and employment support classes. The episode emphasizes the importance of empowerment, accessibility, and supporting diverse backgrounds in education.
Inclusive higher education programs focus on resilience, independence, and employment for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Federal acts like the Higher Education Opportunity Act promote comprehensive transition programs to enhance accessibility and financial aid for diverse learners.
Deep dives
Inclusive Higher Education Programs: Opening Doors for Students with Disabilities
In the podcast episode, Tammy Shetron discusses the importance of inclusive higher education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She highlights the Bobcat Rise program at Texas State University, emphasizing themes of resilience, independence, self-determination, and empowerment. Tammy shares her journey from working at a residential facility to directing a program focused on post-secondary inclusion, illustrating the significant impact of such initiatives on students' academic, social, and vocational development.
Challenges and Opportunities in Post-Secondary Inclusion
The discussion delves into the challenges and opportunities in post-secondary inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Tammy emphasizes the need to move beyond traditional educational models and create diverse pathways to support students from varying backgrounds. She challenges misconceptions about who can benefit from higher education, advocating for a more inclusive and socially valued learning environment for all students.
Implementation of Inclusive Programs and Focus on Employment
The episode highlights the implementation of inclusive programs and the focus on providing employment opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. Tammy shares insights into the structure of the Bobcat Rise program, where students engage in a blend of traditional college classes and specialized courses on independent living skills, personal finances, and health. The program's strong emphasis on employment readiness, including resume building and job shadowing, aims to equip students for post-graduation success.
Policy Developments and the Impact of Comprehensive Transition Programs
Tammy discusses policy developments in the realm of inclusive higher education and the role of federal acts like the Higher Education Opportunity Act in promoting comprehensive transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities. These initiatives aim to provide greater accessibility to post-secondary education and enhance students' eligibility for federal financial aid. The conversation touches on the evolving accreditation standards and state-level efforts to advance inclusive educational practices, highlighting a national movement towards supporting diverse learners.
Tamara (Tami) Shetron shares a vision of higher education for all (including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities on episode 507 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.
Quotes from the episode
My background is in a field called developmental education, which is some people used to call it remedial education, but the term evolved into developmental because remedial is the idea of fixing things, whereas developmental follows more the natural human cycle of growing and developing across the lifespan.
-Tamara (Tami) Shetron
Everyone can learn.
-Tamara (Tami) Shetron
What makes these programs different from a normal, typical college experience is they are designed to help students get employment.
-Tamara (Tami) Shetron