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Emerging Practices for working with Graduate Students: Relationships, Structure, Appropriate Accommodations
37th Annual AHEAD Conference
Sacramento, CA July 18, 2014
Who are we?
• Barbara Hammer• University of Missouri
• Neera Jain• University of California, San Francisco• Auckland Disability Law Centre, New Zealand
• Jane Brown• University of Connecticut
What do we mean by graduate students?
• PhD and masters students
• Generally students in non-professional graduate programs (e.g. no clinical rotations, fieldwork, etc.)
What is unique about these programs…
… and what are some of the opportunities and pitfalls?
Opportunities
• Chance to focus their study on their true area of interest
• Less rote requirements• coursework/schedule can be more flexible• less lecture classes
• Less focus on “time sensitive” tasks• less exams, more papers
The vulnerable graduate student
Potential Challenges
• Less of a roadmap
• Writing and independent reasoning become more critical
• Managing one's dissertation committee
Potential Challenges
• Teaching requirements
• Hidden Curriculum
• Issues of funding, what it means to take “time off”
• Academic, departmental culture• Relationships become more critical and tend to be murky
Approaches to teaching…
Case Examples
What are you seeing on your campus??
What can DS do?
• Your approach is governed by:• When the student comes to your attention• What the presenting issue is• Who are the personalities involved• How dire is the situation?
Program expectations can be grey…
Untangling the Christmas lights…
• Has the program/school followed their published policies and procedures?
• Is it a disability issue or a standard grad student concern?
• Is there an accommodation that would help (modification of policy or procedure)
Active supports
• Understanding student’s unique circumstances
• Helping students understand program requirements
• Peer mentor
• Social Interpreter and Coaching in Soft Skills
• Formal Accommodations
• Disclosure
Creating Systemic Change
• Outreach to Programs and Students
• Building relationships and developing liaisons/champions
• Program structure and requirements
• Policies are clear and easy to find
Small victories
Questions?
• Barbara Hammer: [email protected]
• Neera Jain: [email protected]
• Jane Thierfeld Brown: [email protected]
