March 2021: News from the National Coordinating Center
The College Search database is getting a makeover… well, a behind-the-scenes makeover. We are using a new program (Qualtrics) to improve what information we collect and how, and that will mean some changes to the database. It’s all good! To those 99 programs who have already responded to the survey: thank you! And to those working on them, we look forward to getting your responses. If you have not received a link for your program, or want to add a new program, contact Matthew McClellan.
We are happy to announce the 2021 Think College Policy Advocates. Teams of one student and one staff person from nine colleges and universities were chosen to learn all they can about disability policy advocacy, attend the 2021 (virtual) Disability Policy Seminar, schedule virtual Hill visits with their representatives, and more. Congratulations to these teams, and stay tuned for more about the Think College Policy Advocates!

  • Briana Kimble & Christi Kasa from University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
  • Marina Martinez & Alexis Szelwach from University of Georgia
  • Brea Rodriguez & Lyndsey Nunes from Westfield State University (MA)
  • Anna Ward & Kenneth Kelty from University of North Carolina
  • Majolyn Nunez & Steve Kleinberg from Hostos Community College/City University of New York
  • Megan Beals & Rachel Najdek from Bowling Green State University-Firelands
  • Elizabeth Stevenson & Jan Goings from University of Cincinnati
  • Hannah Humes & Megan Macon from Vanderbilt University
  • Elise McDaniel & Emma Burgin, PhD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Isaiah Young & Chris Parthemos from Virginia Commonwealth University
Meg Grigal and Clare Papay presented at the Council for Exceptional Children LIVE 2021 conference. For the Think College National Coordinating Center, Meg and Clare presented the session “Preparing Students With Disabilities for College: Recommendations for Educators and Families.” Meg and Clare also presented two sessions for their Moving Transition Forward project: “Identifying the Presence of Research-Based Predictors in Transition Experiences of Students With Intellectual Disability Using NLTS 2012” and “Are Research-Based Predictors of Post-school Outcomes Evident in College-Based Transition Programs?”
Since the last newsletter, we have published two new blog posts. Have you read them? Last month, Matthew McClellan wrote a fascinating post about the intersection of his academic pursuits and the work of the Think College NCC.

More recently, Kathy Becht, our new Technical Assistance coordinator reflected on what "normal" is and what it really means to belong.
The Quick Base Programmer/Analyst oversees database management and development for assigned research projects at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). The individual is responsible for implementing evaluation protocols including longitudinal data collection from multiple sites. The individual is responsible for ongoing development and maintenance of a data collection system in Quick Base as well as extending functionality via integration with external applications and development of mobile system access. Many more details, including required qualifications and how to apply, can be found here.
Are you looking for community? Wishing you could find a group of people who are working together toward similar goals, or share an interest of yours? Look no further! Check out our Affinity Groups and sign up for one (or more!) today. Each group meets at least quarterly via Zoom where they share news, problem-solve together, enjoy invited speakers, and more. Our current groups are: Research, Emerging Advocates, Vocational Rehabilitation, College-based Transition Services, UDL & Technology, State Alliances, and Employment Supports.

All Affinity Group meetings are posted on the Think College Events page, along with other inclusive higher education-related events that might interest you. Bookmark this page for easy reference!
News from other Think College Projects
Future Quest Island-Explorations, a game-based college & career curriculum that focuses on STEAMS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Service/Trade) careers, self-concept, and social-emotional competence is currently recruiting schools to participate in a research study with students in grades 3-5 for the upcoming school-year. To learn more about the curriculum and the study, please visit www.fqie.net.
ATTENTION: Transition Colleagues! Staff from the University of Massachusetts Boston Transition Specialist training program are now recruiting for a new cohort of scholars who will begin their studies in September 2021.

This fully online, 18-month program is an approved transition specialist training program from the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) as well an approved MA DESE course of study for eligible candidates who are interested in pursuing the state’s transition specialist endorsement.
  
We are offering a new informational webinar to talk about the Transition Leadership program on Tuesday, March 23 at 3PM EST. You may register for this session here. We look forward to having the opportunity to answer questions about the program as well as share information about the classes, field work, and tuition and fees. If you have any questions in advance of this session, contact Maria Paiewonsky or Nancy Hurley.
Our March Student Spotlight is Lawrence Sapp...
African American male college student with glasses, smiling at the camera, wearing a University of Cincinnati t-shirt
What is your name, where are you from, and what college are you attending? My name is Lawrence Sapp. I live in Waldorf, MD. I am a freshman at University of Cincinnati right now.
 
What classes are you taking, and which is your favorite? I take Vocational Exploration. Financial literacy is the best [class]. I also take physical conditioning early in the morning on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It’s a fitness class with the Army ROTC. I train for swimming in the afternoons and on weekends.

What do you like to do when you’re not attending class? I like to play video games and just chill in my dorm and relax. I like to play Division 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Batman: Arkham Knight.

What’s it like living away from home? I like it. I travel by myself, so it’s OK.

What’s good about college? I like to go for a walk, swimming, relax on campus with friends, hang in the hammock on the trees, go to the bookstore and browse around and get all the gear you need.

Can you share anything about how COVID has affected your college experience, like maybe you learned something new, or overcame a challenge to attend virtual classes? I had to quarantine in September because my roommate’s mom tested positive for COVID. It was terrible. That was hard. For my classes, I have one class online, in the morning. Then I have some classes in-person, especially the fitness conditioning. Outside I can take my mask off, but in the rec center I leave it on. Fingers crossed it’s different in the fall.

What do you hope to do after college, after you graduate or get your certificate? I want to live and train at the Olympic Training Center with my TeamUSA (swimming) teammates, and be in the 2024 Paralympic World Games. I am competing this year, in 2021! If I get a job, I could be a lifeguard at the Rec center in Cincinnati. Really, anything to do with swimming.
 
What advice do you have for young students with disabilities who aren’t sure about college? I would give them a tour. I could be nice to them. I am older, so I would be nice. And I would recommend they go to college.

Who helped you decide about college? My coach and my parents helped me decide to go to college. And I wanted to go to college. I looked at so many schools in my junior and senior years of high school—Arizona, University of South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, University of Delaware, Ohio State, and Cincinnati, and several D1 schools. I will always do my best in the four years at Cincinnati.

So why did you pick UC? Because of the swimming program. Because it’s my goal to have a swimming career and that’s my future. And I’ve been going to Ohio since I was young.

Finally, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Spain with some of my friends, or on vacation. Or Australia. Or Universal Studios.

Thanks to Lawrence for his willingness to spend time talking with me and sharing about his college experience. (Thanks also goes to Sadie Everett and Jan Goings for connecting us!)
What's going on in Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability around the US...
Are you a program director or coordinator at an inclusive postsecondary education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities? Are you a faculty/staff member to one of these programs with extensive knowledge on sexual health education (SHE)? If yes to either or both of these questions, we want to hear from you! 

Researchers and practitioners have partnered from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Virginia Commonwealth University to acquire a greater understanding of SHE curricula offered to college students with IDD attending inclusive higher education programs in the United States. 
 
We are currently recruiting participants to complete a short survey, which can be accessed here. This survey should take approximately 20 minutes. The information you provide will help us better understand what SHE curricula looks like for students with IDD at the post-secondary level. 
 
Participants must be 18 years or older and be an inclusive higher education program faculty/staff member. We request only one completed survey per program. Please identify the most appropriate faculty/staff member with knowledge regarding SHE curriculum offered in your program to complete our survey.
 
Please contact Margaret DeRamus for questions or concerns.
Save the date: the Southeastern Postsecondary Education Alliance, or SEPSEA, annual meeting will be May 19-21, and it will be completely virtual. Details are forthcoming regarding the agenda and registration. Get updates by checking the SEPSEA website or following SEPSEA on Facebook.
Applications for Ruby’s Rainbow Scholarships are now being accepted! There are lots of details about who can apply, how to prepare the application, and more on the Ruby’s Rainbow website. The deadline for applications is April 18.
Are you or someone you know looking for work in inclusive higher education? There are numerous positions currently posted on the Think College website in a variety of states around the US, and several colleges are advertising multiple opportunities. The Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston is also hiring for multiple positions!

(If your program is hiring, please send us the posting and we will gladly share!)
Share your story for AUCD’s 50th Anniversary. Do you have an interesting image, video or story that relates to AUCD's history? We are calling on persons with disabilities, our network centers, and affiliated partners to share stories related to your and AUCD's past. These can be important milestones, celebrations and hallmark moments that impacted people with disabilities and their families. AUCD will feature some of this content at the Virtual Gala and in other ways throughout the year as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. 

AUCD joined the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN), a national COVID-19 network to build resilience against pandemic among the disability community. Nearly 40 national partner organizations are banding together to bring communities culturally appropriate information and health services to inform community-driven response, recovery, and resiliency strategies for addressing the impact of COVID-19 on communities. In response to the needs of the disability community, we have established a communications strategy to support the development of linguistically and culturally competent messaging and materials by representing plain language as an accessible format and bringing awareness of COVID-19 vaccine information.
The 2021 Equity & Excellence: Access in Higher Education conference is happening LIVE (and virtually) in Austin, Texas on July 19-23. Registration information is on the website now and will open on April 1. More details about the conference schedule and agenda will be available soon. (Note: there will be a virtual conference follow up July 28-30.)

Some of the Spring 2021 Webinars are yet to come! Visit the website to register for upcoming webinars or access recordings of past webinars. They cover a variety of topics from technology applications, to faculty and administrator relationships, to accommodation decision-making, and beyond. Use the webinars as professional development for yourself and your staff or share them with others on campus to foster dialogue about accessibility as an institutional priority. Review the entire list of 11 webinars, get presenter bios, and register here.


Do you have news or an update to share?
It could appear in the next newsletter.
Please get in touch!


Rebecca Lazo
Knowledge Translation Associate
Think College National
Coordinating Center
Institute for Community Inclusion