Welcome to Community College Opens Doors but What

Welcome to Community College Opens Doors; but What about Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Please be respectful of your colleagues by silencing your phone. If you need to answer a call, please go to the hallway.

Conference Inclusion Statement We ask you to join us in creating a culture that reflects… Access and Inclusion and Civility and Respect …this week and in all aspects of our organization.

During Today’s Session You Will: • Gain an understanding of the importance of inclusive higher education. • Learn about the SEED Program at Lehigh Carbon Community College and how we have created community based approach to inclusive higher education • Understand the journey LCCC has taken since 2015 to help inclusiveness become a key piece of our campus environment. What has and has not worked

Why is inclusive higher education important? For Students • Social and networking opportunities • Targeted career exploration opportunities • Increase in community based career opportunities • Increase in wages For Institutions • Untapped market of students • Providing access to your campus community to more people.

Equity Versus Liberation

What is the SEED Program • One of many inclusive higher education popping up across the United States • Partnership between Lehigh Carbon Community College and the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL) • Video Introduction to the SEED Program

What is LVCIL? • SEED’s Career and Academic Coaches are from LVCIL • Every SEED student becomes a consumer of LVCIL, which means they get access to all the services LVCIL provides including: 1. 2. 3. 4. Peer Support Advocacy Information and Referral Independent Living Skills

What is the SEED Program Continued

SEED Program Tracks • There are 3 tracks for the SEED Program: • SEED AACHIEVE • SEED Academic • SEED Career Track • The 3 tracks are similar but all vary in the amount of hours that each student has contact with their SEED Coach.

SEED AACHIEVE • Least amount of support; 3 -6 contact hours per week • Students are seeking a degree • Services are provided upon request • Services Include: • Coaching • Socialization • Independent living support

SEED Academic • Middle level of support, 7 -12 contact hours • Students are seeking a degree • Services provided and usage of services are monitored by SEED staff. • Services Include: • • Coaching Academic support Socialization Independent living support

SEED Career Track • Highest level of support, 13 -20 contact hours • Services provided and use of service monitored • Services include: • • • Coaching Academic support Work experience Socialization Independent living support non-degree seeking but does receive Certificate of Completion

Structured Study Lounge

Fostering Connections Social Opportunities College Resources

Peer Mentoring • While many mentor/mentee relationships are established between faculty and their students, we thought it would be great for SEED to have a student mentor that works to connect everyone to each other and the larger campus community • Let’s meet SEED’s Activity Peer Facilitator, Jake

Fostering Connections: College Services • Learning Specialists • Tutoring Center • Writing Center • Counseling Center • Educational Support Services • Career Development Center • Student Life • Academic Advising • Financial Aid • Business Office • Registrar • Campus Security • Veteran’s Services

SEED Admission Process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Participate in a program information night Application Process Applicant Interview Parent/Student Acceptance Night Students participate Summer Bridge Person-Centered Planning Choosing Program Track Begin programing

Success: Spring 2018 Grades 8 7 6 A 5 B C 4 D 3 F 2 W S 1 0 SEED

Success: Retention Rates • Fall 2018 to Spring 2019 – 132% (gained extra participants) • Fall 2017 to Spring 2018 - 72% • Fall 2016 to Fall 2017 - 45%

Success: Completion Rates • Fall 2017 - 75% • Spring 2018 - 72% • Fall 2018 – 94% • Spring 2019 – 94% • Average GPA – 3. 1 Spring 2019

Success: Program Feedback • “Individualized Flexibility” • “Opportunity to meet friends” • “Fosters independence” • “support in communication with the teachers” • “Helps me succeed in college” • “Has allowed our daughter to live one of her life dreams becoming an educator” • Mentors… “seen as a peer, great way to fit in” • Video: Let’s Meet Claudio and his Family

Embedding Inclusion in our Campus Community • Tiered Team Support Structure • Integration Team • Core Team • Direct Service Team • Development of Curriculum • RSS 104 • RSS 297

Embedding Inclusion in our Campus Community • Training for Faculty • Universal Design for Learning • Inclusive Higher Education Symposium • Disability Sensitivity Trainings • Classroom Management Brainstorm Sessions • LCCC recently establish an equity, diversity, and inclusion committee

Embedding Inclusion in our Campus Community Proactive approach to ensuring all students can access all of the college community

In Summary: What has worked? • The LCCC/LVCIL partnership • Using the independent living philosophy to guide program decisions • The tiered team approach

In Summary: What has been a challenge? • Student Motivation • Communicating with Parents • Defining “success”; credentialing

In the Future • Developing articulation agreements with 4 year institutions that have inclusive higher education programs • Formalizing a mentor program • Developing a program of study for the program

Session Evaluation Please session moderator for paper evaluation form or complete the evaluation online.