Influence of Social Factors on Student Satisfaction Among College Students With Disabilities

A significant body of research on student retention reflects that social and environmental factors influence continued enrollment in post-secondary education and academic success. Yet, for students with disabilities, more emphasis is placed on accommodations, access, and support services without sufficient attention to the social aspect of the student experience. In this study, we investigated belonging as a primary contributor to student satisfaction and examined the degree to which other social factors modified this relationship among a sample of students with disabilities attending public, 4-year universities. A higher sense of belonging was associated with greater student satisfaction in our sample. Through multiple mediation modeling, we found that self-advocacy and perception of the campus climate toward students with disabilities independently modified the relationship between belonging and student satisfaction. These results have important implications for understanding the influence of belonging and student satisfaction, and supporting and retaining students with disabilities

Syntheses, structures and redox properties of tris(pyrazolyl)borate-capped ruthenium vinyl complexes.

Reaction of RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)3 with aryl alkynes HCCC6H4R-4 [1: R = N(C6H4Me-4)2 (a), OMe (b), Me (c), CO2Me (d), NO2 (e)] gives the five-coordinate vinyl complexes Ru(CHCHC6H4R-4)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2 (2a–e). Reaction of 2a with excess PMe3 gives crystallographically characterised Ru{CHCHC6H4N(C6H4Me-4)2-4}Cl(CO)(PMe3)3 (3a), whilst reaction of 2a–e with KTp affords Ru(CHCHC6H4R-4)(CO)(PPh3)Tp (4a–e) bearing the facially capping Tp− ligand. Electrochemical and spectroelectochemical properties of 4a–e are consistent with substantial redox activity associated with the vinyl ligand, and these properties have been satisfactorily modelled by DFT based calculations of electronic structure

Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals' Identified Transition Competencies: Importance, Frequency, and Preparedness

148 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009.Services and programs for transition-age youth with disabilities have been fragmented and inadequate (Noonan, 2004; Oertle & Trach, 2007; Sitlington, Clark, & Kolstoe, 2000). These often-ineffective services have contributed to the sizeable gap betweens students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities in employment and other aspects of community engagement (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996). Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) professionals are increasingly involved with transition-age youth as the only link that school programs have to post school environments and the reality of employment. It is critical that these professionals are continuously learning and evolving with the ever-changing fields of rehabilitation and special education. However, it is uncertain if state VR professionals have the knowledge to contribute to the transition process in a way that maximizes post-school outcomes for students. The purpose of this study was to identify VR professionals' perceptions of the most frequent and important transition competencies, and how prepared they report to deliver transition services. A web-based survey revealed that state VR professionals in Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin consistently identified that they are not performing many transition activities that they perceive to be extremely important. Also, a significant difference was found between general VR counselors and transition-focused VR counselors across level of preparedness, perceived importance and perceived frequency of delivering activities. Suggestions for further research into VR transition services are discussed.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

Opportunities, Satisfaction, and the Importance of Leadership Development and Mentoring Among Community Rehabilitation Professionals

People with disabilities (i.e., consumers) who are seeking employment, but experiencing barriers, often turn to the services of the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) system to achieve their employment goals. Within this system, VR counselors commonly rely on community rehabilitation providers (CRPs)for the delivery of employment services, making CRPs an integral part of the VR system. As a whole, there has been limited research on leadership development and mentoring in rehabilitation and even less attention has been paid specifically to CRPs, despite their role in rehabilitation services delivery. In this exploratory study, CRPs\u27 perspectives on their leadership and mentoring opportunities, satisfaction, and its importance are described. CRP professionals rated leadership development and mentoring as very important. Yet the majority of CRPs reported not having leadership opportunities nor being involved in mentoring. Implications for practices and directions for future actions are provided

Exploring Special Education and Center for Independent Living Professional Beliefs on Collaboration and the Value-Based Principles That Drive Secondary Transition Service Delivery

The importance of interagency collaboration to support the postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities is underscored in many ways. Perhaps one of the most important among them is the place of interagency collaboration as an evidence-based predictor of postschool success. Although Centers for Independent Living (CILs) receive U.S. federal funding to serve people with disabilities across the lifespan, little research exists to map the nature of their collaboration with local education agencies (LEAs) to this end. The current survey-based study examined perceptions of professionals in both settings (i.e., LEAs and CILs) on their current level of collaboration with one another and the value-based principles they believe influence their work as they support transition-age youth with disabilities (n = 581). Findings indicate a widespread belief in the importance of CILs in youth transition service delivery, a stark contrast between CIL and school-based transition professional perceptions of current collaboration, and a dynamic landscape of shared and divergent ratings of importance across value-based principles of transition practice. Practical implications are outlined to inform CIL and LEA collaboration to support youth with disabilities alongside directions for future research

Secondary Transition Planning and Services for State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Counselors will (1) learn the background, law and rationale explaining why vocational LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Counselors will (1) learn the background, law, and rationale explaining why vocational rehabilitation counselors must be involved with transition-age youth as they plan to enter adult life; (2) review the essential competency domains of secondary transition from a vocational rehabilitation purview; and (3) learn how to approach various activities as they work with secondary transition teams. LESSON ABSTRACT: Moving from high school to adult life can create anxiety among youth and their families. This transition can be even more challenging for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities lag behind their peers without disabilities in several post-school outcome areas (e.g., employment, postsecondary education, and community participation). A comprehensive team is required to execute a myriad of transition activities to facilitate a seamless transition out of high school. One key professional on this team is a vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselor. VR involvement in secondary transition has received increased attention in recent years. This lesson introduces a VR transition framework that general and transition-focused counselors can use to understand various roles and responsibilities for supporting student transition

Student Voices: How Colleges and Universities can Support Students with Disabilities Better.

Students with disabilities represent a growing population on college campuses for whom specific needs and preferences are associated. Student supports have increased in response to these changing student needs and demographics. Yet, campus-wide responsiveness to inclusion and actions that promote self-advocacy are needed to increase the rates of persistence and graduation among this underrepresented student group. For the present study, we asked students registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at three large, public universities to suggest how colleges and universities could better support students with disabilities. Comments from 132 students were downloaded verbatim and analyzed via a content analysis approach by a three-member research team. Students expressed both satisfaction and dissatisfaction with several aspects of their university experiences, including disability and other campus services, faculty and advisors, and their perceptions of inclusion. Recommendations ranged widely, with comments on campus resources, academics, and the more general campus climate and levels of accessibility. These students provide concrete suggestions for colleges and universities who are interested in improving the experiences of students with disabilities and supporting their persistence to completion