Campus Immersion Plan Indiana State University JOSHUA GAMSE

Campus Immersion Plan Indiana State University JOSHUA GAMSE JOSHUA ELMORE JOE YBARRA

Purpose - The purpose of the Campus Immersion Plan is to help students on the autism spectrum become acclimated to campus in and out of the classroom - Resources will be made to students who seek them and periodic meetings will be made to not only help measure progress, but to see how the student is being immersed on campus

Background - The Campus Immersion Plan is based off of Individualized Education Plans commonly found in K-12 schools - Currently, there are no programs similar to Individualized Educational Plans at institutions of higher education - Unfortunately, requesting and receiving accommodations in higher education is significantly different than in K-12, which parents and students will already have familiarity with - The Campus Immersion Plan would assist students on the autism spectrum to acclimate to all aspects of Campus Life with ease - This program has the potential to be adapted to other learning disabilities

Laws in Place - Section 504 of the Rehabilitiation Act of 1973 - - No otherwise qualified person due to disability may be denied the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - Title II: Public entities are prohibited from denying qualified persons with disabilities the right to participate in or benefit from the services, programs, or activities that they provide, and from subjecting such individuals to discrimination if the exclusion or discrimination is due to the person having a disability - Title III: Further prohibits entities that operate places of public accommodation from discriminating against persons with disabilities by denying them full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations they provide

Laws in Place Continued - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - - FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student’s education record Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) - The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information. The rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization

How to Apply for the Campus Immersion Plan - In order to enroll in the program, students will need to self-disclose, as well as sign various waivers so that the university can be in compliance with HIPAA and FERPA laws - The student will need to make an appointment with the Office of Disability Services - The student will need to provide the Office of Disability Services with information regarding their impairment. If the student has a copy of their Individualized Education Plan from High School, they should bring it to the meeting to help in the formation of their Campus Immersion Plan

How to Apply for the Campus Immersion Plan Continued - The student will need to provide the Office of Disability Services with their desired major of study. - With the help of the Office of Disability Services, the student will need to set up 10 periodic advisement appointments with Mental Health Services for check-in conversations with professionals in the office as needed, with walk-in hours available (partnership between Disability Services and Counseling Center) - Enrolled students will be covered with a $60 yearly fee, same cost as utilizing the counseling center for 10 appointments

Outcomes From the Initial Meeting - During the initial meeting, the student and the staff member of Disability Services will determine the current skills and abilities of the student based on assessment criteria to be determined and the Individualize Education Plan provided by the student – if applicable - The student and the staff member of Disability Services will determine what kind of accommodations are needed for the student in and out of the classroom - Accommodations for the student will be relayed to the Department Chair, the Director of Residential Life (if the student lives on campus), The Director of Student Activities, and the Office of Mental Health Services while adhering to the standards as set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

The Campus Immersion Plan in the Classroom - Accommodations for the student shall be made known to professors. These accommodations may include (but are not limited to): extended deadlines, notetakers, separate quiet testing spaces, no time limits on tests, and even the use of aides in the classroom - Professors will need to provide progress reports to the Office of Disability Services detailing the performance of the student, effectiveness of accommodations, etc. - Based on professor progress reports, the Office of Disability Services may schedule follow-up meetings with the student to make short-term and annual goals

The Campus Immersion Plan in the Residence Halls - Based on interest, a living-learning community in the Residence Halls shall be formed - Programming initiatives by student staff members will be based on the specific needs of the community. Student staff members will be encouraged to seek help from supervisors and the Office of Campus Life for appropriate programming initiatives - Walk-over opportunities to Campus Life events will be made available to students on a weekly basis in an effort to be involved on campus - The student staff member on the floor will have posted outreach hours which will enable students to seek help from student staff members whenever needed.

The Campus Immersion Plan in Campus Life - The Office of Campus Life will coordinate with the Office of Residential Life in the creation of programming initiatives aimed for students on the autism spectrum - Appropriate professional development opportunities for students on the autism spectrum will be made throughout the academic school year - A list of organizations aimed at students on the autism spectrum will be kept up to date and made available - Accommodations at programming initiatives will be made in advance and implemented when necessary

The Campus Immersion Plan in Dining and Health - Dietary plans will be established for a small fee in conjunction with the Office of Recreational Sports - Dining Services will be made aware of special dietary needs - Weekly menus will be made available ahead of time for students and concerned parents

Campus Immersion Plan in the Greater Community - Through a partnership with Campus Life and Residential Life, a shuttle program will be established on the weekends where trained and certified student drivers will be able to offer trips to grocery stores and other important destinations periodically - The Center of Community Engagement will make appropriate community service projects available to student on the autism spectrum - The Career Center will provide services to the autism spectrum living learning community in order to help the students obtain internships and jobs

Weekly Check-Ins - Students on the Campus Immersion Plan will make 10 appointments with professionals in Mental Health Services throughout the semester - During the 10 meetings, students will talk with professional to discuss how the student is acclimating to the classroom climate, to the residential community, and campus involvement - Students will be able to use this time to report deficiencies with accommodations

Assessment - Progress reports will be made based on reports sent in by professors as well as Mental Health Services and Disability Services - The Director of Disability Services shall determine whether students have met short-term and annual goals - Accommodations can be reviewed and altered if necessary - An end-of-the year meeting shall be made between the student and Disability Services - A review of the reports shall be made - New short-term goals and annual goals shall be made

Funding / Pricing - In an effort to gain further community involvement, we will seek grant funding for this program - In addition, we will establish scholarship opportunities through the Office of Financial Aid so that students on the autism spectrum can get financial assistance in paying for these services - Sustainable options - Residential Life – comparable costs to other living / learning communities - Expanded staff for counseling and disability services will provide better resources for all students who utilize the resources

References - https: //ed. gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index. html - https: //www. hhs. gov/hipaa/ - https: //www. dol. gov/oasam/regs/statutes/sec 504. htm - https: //www. dol. gov/general/topic/disability/ada