DSS/SEAS and an Academic Skills Center in Higher Education:

1. DSS/SEAS and an Academic Skills Center in Higher Education: Forming a Partnership Catherine Axe and Jonathan Corey Student and Employee Accessibility Services Brown University Providence, Rhode Island seas@brown.edu

2. Introduction • 2010 Brown University’s Student and Employee Accessibility Services (SEAS) and the Dean of the College Academic Support Center (DOC) decided to use available space in a centrally located campus building where many other student services are provided to give SEAS a more central location to become more visible and available to students to provide better response to service needs.

3. Intended Outcomes • Through collaboration SEAS and DOC intend to improve coordination of academic skills workshops and professional staff in a shared space to enhance support for students, with and without disabilities, who may need additional interventions for success.

4. J Walter Wilson - Houses many student services at Brown University • Mail Services • Card Access • Student Financial Aid • Registrar’s Office • Psychological Services • Academic Support Services • Writing Center

5. Process Discussions took place between SEAS and DOC Spring 2010 to: • describe the available space • arrange for the ordering of new furniture • identify staffing availability and needs The space became available late Summer 2010

6. New Space Logistics Once in the new space, SEAS and DOC shared ideas informally about how to organize the shared space • Furniture layout • Handling of security: keys, lock boxes • Signage • Staffing: DOC student staff across the hall from SEAS student staff. • Parallel staffing - not fully integrated • Sharing information to answer student questions – ad hoc by student staff • Equipment purchases: • Copier/fax machine purchased • Projector screen • White board • Lock boxes for key management • Artwork for walls obtained informally from art students or from other offices with surplus. • Training student staff on functions, phones, and role.

7. New Space Programming Furniture was in place by late Fall 2010. In the interim, workshops were conducted in other campus spaces. Spring 2011: With furniture in place DOC and SEAS coordinated the scheduling and promotion of a series of academic skills workshops in the new space. • Time management • Test preparation • Stress management • Use of assistive software technologies

8. Defining Collaboration • Reciprocity • Common/shared goal • Agreement on process • Written • (Verbal) Source: University of Albanyhttp://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/reports/new_models_wp?chapter=3

9. Models of Collaboration: • Fully Integrated merger • Two organizations become one. • Partially Integrated merger • Each org keeps own identity. • Retains advantages of individual orgs, plus gains benefits or working together. • Joint Program Office • Organizations share an office to run mutual beneficial programming • Joint Partnership with Affiliated Programming • Organizations join operations for programming or delivery of services • This is the model that best fits the collaboration of SEAS and DOC • Joint Partnership with Issue Advocacy • Organizations advocate together on specific issues, but retain separate identities and spaces • Joint Partnership with Creation of New Formal Organization • A new organization is formed out of collaboration with existing organizations • Joint Administrative Offices and Back Office Operations • Organizations only share management and office space for management functions • Confederation: Organizations share a central organization to represent and coordinate them • US system of Federalism: Federal Government and States • National “umbrella” organization with state affiliates. Source: Arizona State Universityhttp://www.asu.edu/copp/nonprofit/conf/coll_models_report_FINALDRAFT.pdf

10. Outcomes of SEAS - DOC Collaboration • Opportunities and Successes • Central campus location for SEAS • Previous location was only in a small, low traffic, building separated from other student services. • Now SEAS has a presence in two locations on campus. • Students “drop-in” with questions and concerns more frequently because of proximity to other student services. • Other student services can refer students “downstairs” to SEAS, rather than send a student across campus. • SEAS staff can readily accompany students to services such as Psychological Services, if needed.

11. Outcomes of SEAS - DOC Collaboration • Opportunities and Successes • Department name change from “Disability Support Services” to “Student and Employee Accessibility Services” to remove “disability” from the name to reduce stigma and potential avoidance by students to contact the department for assistance. • About half of student respondents to an online assessment survey in Spring 2010 indicated support for a name change to remove the term “disability” from the department name.

12. Outcomes of SEAS - DOC Collaboration • Opportunities and Successes • Integration of DOC Academic Support services with SEAS programming • Students who attend workshops may or may not have disabilities. • Access for DOC to SEAS staff expertise and insights into supporting students with disabilities • Access for SEAS to DOC “deans” with insights into student academic histories. • Increased consistency in the place, time and format of shared academic workshops • Improves student understanding of workshop offerings

13. Outcomes of SEAS - DOC Collaboration • Opportunities and Successes • Availability of 1-1 tutors for academic skill development in the shared space • Availability of open study space for students in the shared space

14. Outcomes of SEAS - DOC Collaboration • Pitfalls and Solutions • Unclear communication about staffing during initial discussions led to confusion about how much staffing SEAS would need for its functions at new space. • Written summary of details between SEAS and DSS would have helped to clarify problems sooner. • Ordering of furniture by outside department led to delays and delivery of furniture during Fall Final Exam period. Disrupted work flow temporarily.

15. Open Discussion What model of collaboration fits your experience? What were some successes? What were some pitfalls? What makes collaboration work in practical ways? “Takeaway ideas?” Thankyou!

16. Models of Collaboration: • Fully Integrated merger • Two organizations become one. • Partially Integrated merger • Each org keeps own identity. • Retains advantages of individual orgs, plus gains benefits or working together. • Joint Program Office • Organizations share an office to run mutual beneficial programming • Joint Partnership with Affiliated Programming • Organizations join operations for programming or delivery of services • This is the model that best fits the collaboration of SEAS and DOC • Joint Partnership with Issue Advocacy • Organizations advocate together on specific issues, but retain separate identities and spaces • Joint Partnership with Creation of New Formal Organization • A new organization is formed out of collaboration with existing organizations • Joint Administrative Offices and Back Office Operations • Organizations only share management and office space for management functions • Confederation: Organizations share a central organization to represent and coordinate them • US system of Federalism: Federal Government and States • National “umbrella” organization with state affiliates. Source: Arizona State Universityhttp://www.asu.edu/copp/nonprofit/conf/coll_models_report_FINALDRAFT.pdf