moving from the transactional to the transformational student: lessons learnt from the trinity...

Moving from the transactional to the transformational student: Lessons learnt from the Trinity College Disability Service three phased transitional student journey strategy

Declan TreanorDirector, Disability ServiceTrinity College Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Pathways to TrinityThe Disabled Student Journey

The Disability ServiceStrategic Outreach, Transition, Retention

and Progression Plan


Student Journey…

Engages students across 3 phases of their Higher Education journey:

• Pre-entry, admission and the first year experience

• Building and maintaining a college career

• Progressing through college to employment


Philosophy…• Proactive strategy as opposed to traditionally reactive models

• Each phase is supported using a model that facilitates the acquisition of skills such as self-awareness, self-determination and self-advocacy, which are transferable across the entire student lifecycle

• Aims to move from a transactional service delivery model, to a transformational resource

• Support a dialogue with the disabled individual in the acquisition of transferable skills that can be developed across all three phases of the student journey

• Student at the center


Evidence Research based…• Potential to help bridge the research-to-practice gap and improve

student outcomes

• Methodological inferences based on the framework of a transformational ethos reveal the potential strength of combining qualitative and quantitative methods

• A qualitative dimension is needed to gather community perspectives at each stage of the research process

• Quantitative dimension provides the opportunity to demonstrate outcomes that have credibility for community members and scholars

• Transformative mixed methodologies provide a mechanism for addressing the complexities of research in culturally complex settings that can provide a basis for social change


Phased approach

Disability Service defined and based on which phase activity is within

Staff assigned to deliver within each phase and set KPIs reporting on set and measurable objectives

Funding targeted to achieving phased objectives

Students understand the ‘student journey approach’


Phase 1: Pre-entry and first year experience

Tell students what Trinity and courses are really like…

Get students connected well before they come to Trinity

Prioritise those identified with greatest needs

Transition planning

Entry schemes clear and accessible

Communicate with students and parents

Keep connected in the first year


Pathways Transition Planning Tool


Orientation programmes


Ambassador Programme

• A programme to develop disability leaders who will act as role models for potential entrants to Trinity

• Visits to secondary schools, to encourage pupils with disabilities from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds to study in TCD working in conjuciton with Trinity Access Programme and target schools

• Represent Trinity at revelant events

• Develop skills that can assist students as the progress to employment


Phase 2: Retention & progression

Rationale for all reasonable accommodations set out

Engage students in needs assessment process

Involve parents in understanding the role of the Disability Service

Redesign of Disability supports services

Retention issues for students with disabilities


Phase 2

DS Quality Review 2014-2015

– Redesign of DS

– General ‘A’ and specialist ‘B’ supports

– Communication of changes

– Mainstreaming

And the Pareto principle:


A and B defined by: A = Low level of need B = High level of need

Entry Route CAO merit, PG, Mature

DARE (big pts reduction), TAP, Mature

Course Non-professional courses Professional courses

Personal circumstances

Good supports with little or no difficulties

Difficulties with accommodation, finances, family etc.

Defining A’s and B’s

Considerations that might make an ‘A’ a ‘B’ or a ‘B’ and ‘A’


Ahead participation report 2013/14


Assumptions (to be challenged) about students with disabilities:

Students with disabilities:

• Are educationally disadvantaged

• Are under-represented in Higher Education

• Have increased participation rates in HE mainly due to Access programmes such as DARE

• Seek and receive support from Disability Services

• With supports, do as well or better than their peers

• Progress at the same rate as other students


HEA Facts and Figures 2013/14 page 27:


National trends – Ahead and HEA:

• The participation rate of SWD in HE is increasing annually

• 8.9% responded to the HEA Equal Access Disability Survey

• 6.6% of all New Entrants declared a disability in 2013/14

• 4.2% of all HE students were registered with a disability service in 2013/14

• 3.3% of all New Entrants required support in 2013/14

• 15% to 30% of SWD register ‘later’ and are often continuing students

• This leads to questions about how SWD are counted in HE and how they progress in HE and what their outcomes are in comparison to peers


Retention: Withdrawn by disability type 2003 to 2013

ADDASD

Blind VI

DCD

Deaf HI

Mental

Health

Physica

l SO

I

Spld

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

6 84 3

20

91

17 26

102


Withdrawn students (%) by disability type 2003 to 2013

Disability Type ADD ASD Blind/VI DCD Deaf/HI MH Phys SOI Spld

277 6 8 4 3 20 91 17 26 102

% 2.1% 2.9% 1.4% 1.1% 7.2% 32.8% 6.1% 9.4% 36.8%


Outcome (%) by entry route 07, 08 & 09 students (%)

1 & 2.1 2.2 & 3 No Result or Current

Withdrawn / Fail

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

5044

29

1412

46

35

9 10

28

42

15 15

Merit 416Supp 114Mature 99


Students with disabilities in Trinity:

• Are not all disadvantaged and those that are - are not equally disadvantaged

• Do not always enter with a disability or support need but these can emerge at any time prior to graduation (a drop in grade outcome is more likely for this cohort)

• Are choosing to disclose more often than students did 5 to 10 years ago (especially those with Mental Health difficulties)

• Do better academically when they register for support early (use or uptake of support varies considerably)

• Often take longer to progress through HE compared to students without disabilities (medical repeats or time off)

• Sometimes have no need to be represented in Higher Education (as having a disability or needing support)


Phase 3: Transition to employment - contextLeonardo Project-'Univers’ Emploi’- need to support transition to employment for graduates with disabilities

AHEAD- 70% of graduate sample were employed. 59% in full-time employment whilst 18% were part-time

80% of those ‘seeking employment’ do not always disclose their disability when applying for jobs

Most common reason for working part-time was that graduates wanted to but were unable to find a full-time job

Only 23% of the respondents had participated in any form of specific job-preparation training

Work experiences essential in influencing the employment prospects of graduates with disabilities


Increase in the number of students with disabilities entering college

Support at 3rd Level provided = greater progression & retention

Educated Graduates seeking employment

Difficulties making the transition to employment


Career Pathways…1. Developing a clearly delineated individual process comprising three stages https://www.tcd.ie/disability/career/Pathways/3stages.php

2. Development of an ePortfolio system containing both Careers and Disability Specific resources

3. Development of peer-workshops for students to discuss topics such as disclosure and reasonable accommodations

4. Providing workshops to Careers and Disability Service staff with the HEIs involved

5. Establishing connections with employers to ensure timely provision of information on equality application routes and policies

6. Development of an ambassador programme, for graduates with disabilities to act as mentors to current students

Phase 3

https://www.tcd.ie/disability/career/Pathways/3stages.php

https://www.tcd.ie/disability/career/Pathways/3stages.php


Process

Exploring a Career

Building a Career

Launching a Career


Lessons learnt…

Three phased approach works

Strategic and focused

Specialist and evidenced based

Transactional approach is reactive and not good for student development

Transformational student is complex and not straight forward

Thank You

moving from the transactional to the transformational student: lessons learnt from the trinity...

Documents

university of dublin

student journey student

trinity visits

student journey approach

year slide

transformational student

employment slide

center slide