Universally Designing Student Services What are we doing right? What can we do better? How?

1. Universally Designing Student Services What are we doing right? What can we do better? How? Kirsten Behling, MA Tufts University Jennifer Williams, PhD East Carolina University

2. CollegeStar and Tufts University CAST UDL Think Tank in 2018: • A focused conversation about UDL in higher education – how do we make it last? • Diverse group of professionals (DS, faculty developers, faculty, etc.) • Recognition that DS providers need to be in the conversation. • Focus of the conversation was initially on UDL and college courses. • “Ah ha” moment around UDL and Student Services. • College STAR was already implementing the “Champions” program but was seeking additional collaboration opportunities to integrate UDL within programs and offices in the postsecondary setting.

3. College STAR and Tufts University Kirsten Behling • Director of Student Accessibility Services • Tufts – 4 yr. private school in MA • Positioned within the Division of Dean of Students Jennifer Williams • UDL Faculty Fellow and College STAR Network Director • East Carolina University – 4 yr. public school in NC • College STAR (Supporting Transition Access and Retention) – OAK Foundation Funding

4. Universal Design in Student Services:The Next Logistical Step 2001 United States Department of Education Grants: Goal – Determine how to bring inclusive design to higher education • Universal Design for Learning • Universal Design for Instruction • Universal Instructional Design • Universal Course Design UDL is in higher education! To varying extents but the evidence exists.

5. STAR Learning Communities (SLC’s) about best-practices is working to develop initiatives focused on helping postsecondary campuses become more welcoming of students with learning and attention differences. The creation of partner constellations of campuses, people, & organizations. Focuses are specific to the constellation and may include: • Collaborations among student support programs, • Research projects with student support methods, • Development of resources to promote and support infusion of UDL principles, • Collaborations between K12 and Postsecondary settings for research or resource development, • Research projects among UDL.

6. Why the shift in UDL focus now?

7. What do we mean by student services? Any non-classroom/course-specific student touch point: Counseling Services Financial Aid Admissions Health Services Religious Services Athletics Veterans Services Career Services What else??? • Registration • Advising • Dining • Residence Life • Student Activities • Library Services • Health Services • Tutoring Services • Cultural Centers

8. It’s already being done!

9. Our Vision

10. Goals for the Project • Create a UDL self-assessment tool that offers a chance to reflect on how student service professionals do their work. • Offer easy-to-implement strategies reflective of today’s student needs. • Encourage offices and programs to complete the reflection annually with staff members completing it from their prospective. • Encourage offices and programs to create a roadmap towards increased UDL implementation. What it is NOT: An evaluation of how good a program or office is.

11. Our Process: • Review the literature – has this work been done before? Kinda, • Identify themes consistent across student services offices, • Develop UDL self-assessment tool with a research and evaluation consultant, • Conduct cognitive interviews (2 times), • Tweak surveys based on the cognitive interviews, • Develop scoring mechanisms, • Identify UDL resources that needed to be developed, • Pilot the UDL self-assessment tool with others, • Continue to build and highlight examples of great UDL strategies, • Finalize the UDL self-assessment tool & UDL resources for student services.

12. What Others Are Doing/ Have Done • Do-IT – University of Washington • EnAct – Sonoma State University • CAFÉ – Durham College • ACCESS – Colorado State University • RI Educator – RI Dept. of Education New questions based on the missions of student services offices.

13. UDL Self-AssessmentToolDevelopment Goal: Each UDL principle should be represented: • Representation • Engagement • Action and Expression

14. UDL Self-Assessment ToolDevelopment Identify Common Activities within Student Services: • Overview/ Awareness • Advertising/ Communication • Event Planning • Forms • One-on-one and Group Meetings • Evaluations

15. Cognitive Interviews x 2 Round One: • Residential Life • Student Activities • Intercultural Affairs • Academic Success Center (student tutoring) Round Two: • Disability Services • Student Learning Center (executive functioning) .

16. Results of Cognitive Interviews • Question wording was tweaked, • Additional response options added, • The flow of the tool was evaluated, • Additional questions were added based on the experiences of those interviewed.

17. UDL Self-Assessment Tool Feedback • What is your profile for use of UDL within your office/program? • What is your office program doing well? • Where are supports needed?

18. UDL Tools for Student Services The themes we are developing UDL tools for: • Advertising/ Communication • Event Planning • Overview/ Awareness of Diverse Needs • Inclusive Forms • One-on-one and Group Meetings • Effective Evaluation Strategies

19. UDL Resources are Being Developed with the + 1 Approach

20. UDL Resources in Multiple Formats • Digital Handout • PowerPoint • Glogs • Google Slides • Prezi • Digital Audio File • Voice Recorder Apps • Podcast • Video • UDL 3-2-1 Video • 2-D Video (PowToon, Animaker) • Other formats??

21. Event Planning https://tinyurl.com/UDLeventplanning Scoring: • Give yourself 1 point for each time you selected “yes” • Give yourself 2 points for each time you selected “always” • Give yourself 1 point for each time you selected ”sometimes” Results: Max number of points possible: 19+10 = 29 If you scored 22-29 points, your status is “Exemplary Use of UDL” If you scored 21 points or less, your status is “Developing Use of UDL”

22. Event Planning Resources Checklist for Planning an Inclusive Event Top 10 Things to Remember When Planning Events Best Practices for Event Planning

23. Advertising/Communication https://tinyurl.com/UDLcommunication

24. Advertising/Communication Resources Newsletters in Multiple Formats Tips for Using Social Media to Engage w/ Students UDL Micro Minutes

25. Where we are now… • Draft UDL Assessment Tool is finalized based on cognitive interviews. • Piloting tool at various sites to detect variation and differentiate which resources are needed, and to determine what constitutes “Developing” and “Exemplary”. • Collecting and creating resources in multiple formats to support UDL self-assessment tool themes.

26. What we have learned so far… • Our colleagues in student services are very receptive. • Many are already using UDL strategies naturally  which gives us a base to build on. • We share common goals  student well-being outside of the classroom. • There are common points of interest which we can build on.

27. Next Steps • Seeking piloters… • Contact Kirsten Behling, Kirsten.Behling@tufts.edu • Refining of self-assessment tool, • Continued development of resources, • Roll out to our student services community.

28. Questions? Comments? Kirsten Behling Kirsten.Behling@tufts.edu Jennifer Williams williamsj@ecu.edu

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