Resources for Fellow Institutions of Higher Education

Overview

Think College Vermont is an initiative of the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI), within the College of Education and Social Services (CESS), at the University of Vermont (UVM). CDCI has been a leader in the area of inclusive education for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities for over 30 years. As education and community inclusion for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities expands, so does the need for post-secondary education for this population. In 2010, CDCI was awarded a five-year grant from the United States Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education, and CDCI was awarded $1.3 million. This grant seeks to provide academic, social, living, and employment options for students with intellectual disabilities at UVM and, through a subgrant award to Johnson State College.

The purpose of this website page is to provide information for institutions of higher education in Vermont, as they seek to build opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities on their campuses.

We look forward to a future where students with intellectual disabilities have many college options in Vermont; thus, the ability to pursue their interests and dreams. Our students are teaching us that they can be successful in academic classes along-side their peers without disabilities. Their successes demonstrate their commitment to learning and their dreams of becoming full members of their communities.

Please explore our website and visit our campus. We would love to hear more about other college programs for students with intellectual disabilities that exist in Vermont, or are beginning to join us in the pursuit of equal opportunities for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.

Sincerely,
Susan Ryan, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator, Think College Vermont
(TPSID grant #P407A100016)
Executive Director, The Center on Disability and Community Inclusion

Helpful Links:

• Think College @UMass, Boston: Think College Standards for Inclusive Postsecondary Education
• PERC Online: Transition To College
• TransCen, Inc: non-profit for inclusive education and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities
• Secondary School Programs and Performance of Students with Disabilities: This report, from the National Center for Special Education Research, uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) to provide a national picture of what courses students with disabilities took in high school, in what settings, and with what success in terms of credits and grades earned.

2012 Institute of Higher Education Consortium on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

AGENDA: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Powerpoint presentations and handouts from the consortium are embedded throughout the agenda; please do not hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, or further information.

9:00-9:15 Refreshments

9:15-10:30 Introductions & Welcome (Susan Ryan)

• State of PSE in the United States, Debra Hart of Think College @UMass, Boston (PDF)
• Video #1 Embedded within Powerpoint: Think College Documentary teaser - "What we mean by access to Higher Education
• Video #2 Embedded within Powerpoint: Sharon Lewis's keynote address at the June 2011 TPSID Project Director's Meeting
• Brief Background & Description of Think College Vermont, Dr. Susan Ryan (PDF)
• Video #2 Embedded within Powerpoint (.MOV): Video of Jenny Grosvenor, UVM lecturer, sharing her experience having a student with an intellectual disability in her university course
• Think College Vermont @ UVM and JSC Panel
• Deborah Baker Moody, Academic Coordinator
• Larry Shelton, Academic Advisor & UDL Specialist
• Jenny Grosvenor, Lecturer, UVM, English Department
• Stirling Peebles, Think College@UVM student
• Ellen Morris, Continuing Education, UVM
• Bryan Dague, Project Coordinator & Employment Specialist
• Ellen McShane, UVM Director Academic Support Services & Financial Specialist for Think College Vermont
• Perry LaRoque, Associate Professor, JSC and Think College Vermont @ JSC Director

Handouts from this Panel:
• Universal Design for Learning Article (PDF): "Firm Goals/Flexible Means" by Skip Stahl
• Academic Support at Think College Vermont (PDF)
• GMSA Guide to Financing Postsecondary Education (PDF)
• Information on Financial Planning for Think College VT (PDF)
• Think College VT Vocational Experience (PDF)

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Student-Mentor Panel (PDF)

Facilitator: Ellen McShane
Panelists:
• Kiersten Hallquist, UVM Mentor Coordinator
• Stirling Peebles, UVM Student
• Alison Mayfield, UVM Mentor
• Taylor Terry, UVM Student
• Devon Miles, UVM Mentor
• Sally Hornick, JSC Lead Mentor
• Jonathan Fitzgerald, JSC Student

Handouts from this Panel:
• Sample Student Schedule (PDF)
• Letters from Mentors (PDF)
• Mentor Training Agenda (PDF): BONUS Resource! This was not available at consortium
• Mentor Training Handbook (PDF): BONUS Resource! This was not available at consortium

11:45-12:15 Lunch with Panel

12:15-1:15 Presentation by State & Local Agencies (PDF)

Facilitator: Susan Ryan
Panelists:
• Renee Kievit-Kylar, VT Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Jennie Masterson, VT Division of Disability & Aging Services
• Alice Farrell, VT Department of Education
• Max Barrows, Green Mountain Self Advocates
• Martha Frank, Vermont Family Network
• Lauren Merritt, STEPS Program
• STEPS Presentation (PDF): BONUS Resource! This was not available at consortium; please contact Perry LaRoque or Lauren Merritt with questions
• Jen Mitchell, Succeed

Handouts from this Panel:
• Agency Panel (PDF)

1:30-1:45 Coffee/Desert Break

1:45-3:00 Small Group facilitated with Deb Hart & Susan Ryan

Part 1: 1:45-2:15 Susan Ryan

• Round Robin Presentations from IHE State of PSE in IHE Worksheet
• IHEs to develop individual next steps plan

Part 2: 2:15-3:00 Deb Hart

• Where do we go from here? (PDF)
• Federal Funding Status (link)
• Consortium to develop next steps

Copyright Think College Vermont @UVM/CDCI, 2011. All rights reserved.

Last modified January 15 2013 10:32 AM