How to review a student’s candidacy with a diverse background, in this instance, a learning difference.

Rose Llanos

Admission counselors face a predicament when working with applications where students with diagnosed learning differences indicate in their application their interest in a support service program that is structured to assisting students with diagnosed learning differences. Since counselors are many times the first point of contact for the student, admission counselors are privy to their learning difference which plays as an important context when recommending an admission decision after reviewing their file. How can then admission counselors adequately prepare themselves to be equipped when reviewing an application to confidently recommend a decision when a student’s learning difference or disability is indicated on their application? What legal barriers are there that inhibit counselors from exceptions as it relates with students with needs?

With more students with disabilities accessing higher education, there is a need to provide access where students can succeed at the university. Currently, there exists great discrepancy between the laws in K-12 setting and in Higher Education as far as the type of support provided. While the office of admission, communicates the program information so families and students are aware of the services available, there is a discretion in how students with learning differences are considered in their admission to assess fit.

There are two different types of overreaching law that serve as a guideline to differentiate the services available to students in K-12 and higher education. With IDEA/504 law, core material and modification is required so that students are able to demonstrate growth. All members of the school are expected to have knowledge of the students’ disability and to interact with and provide services according to the plan. In Higher Education/ADA law, accommodations/modifications are provided while maintaining the fundamental nature of the curriculum. The student has the responsibility for disclosing their disability. The ADA Office does not provide information regarding students’ disabilities to other members of campus. Students therefore require independent learning to succeed in higher education.

Therefore, to best support staff and encourage professional development during the admission process, it is essential to help each admission counselor understand how implicit bias can affect their decision making in the application process. Utilizing a universal design learning approach and maintaining a focus on the UN’s sustainable development goals for reducing inequalities and quality education, admission counselors can impact a student’s potential in applying an equity lens in the process.

References

CAST. (2018) Legal obligations for accessibility. http://udloncampus.cast.org/page/policy_legal

UDL AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION (ALIM, ET AL., 2017; WAITOLLER & THORIUS, 2016). HTTPS://FILES.ERIC.ED.GOV/FULLTEXT/EJ1347749.PDF

UN Releases Baseline Report on Disability Inclusion (2020). http://sdg.iisd.org/news/un-releases-baseline-report-on-disability-inclusion/

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (2021). TITLE IX AND SEX DISCRIMINATION. HTTPS://WWW2.ED.GOV/ABOUT/OFFICES/LIST/OCR/DOCS/TIX_DIS.HTML.