AccessComputing: Universal Design in Academia: A Capacity Building Institute at Auburn University (2012)

file type icon Universal Design in Academia Auburn.pdf

April 11, 2012
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

The goal of this CBI was to bring together a select group of national experts to help Auburn University faculty and staff reduce barriers and optimize levels of challenge and support to meet the needs of all learners. Taking place at an AccessComputing institutional partner, attendees included faculty, staff, and graduate students. In addition, speakers included an AccessComputing project staff member and an AccessComputing student team member from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Participants in this one-day event included student services leaders, administrators, and teaching faculty from Auburn University as well as guest speakers who presented on relevant topics. Sponsored by the University of Washington (UW)'s AccessComputing project, the CBI provided a forum for discussing recruitment and access challenges, sharing successful practices, developing collaborations, and identifying systemic change initiatives for increasing the capacity of Auburn to serve students with disabilities. Specific goals of this CBI were to:

  • gain information about recruiting, serving, and retaining students, including veterans, with disabilities
  • brainstorm ideas for bridging the gap between computing faculty, disability services faculty, and veterans services
  • share information about best practices for serving students, including veterans, with disabilities, funding opportunities, and resources
  • network

The primary goal of Universal Design in Academia: A Capacity Building Institute was to help Auburn University faculty and staff reduce barriers and optimize levels of challenge and support to meet the needs of all learners.

Speakers and panelists were also CBI participants. Many either had disabilities or were practitioners with direct experience in serving students with disabilities. Broad issues that were discussed included:

  • transitions to post-secondary education
  • recruitment and retention of students, including veterans, with disabilities in postsecondary education
  • transition to employment after postsecondary graduation