Other College Staff-Support Services Interview

Social Dynamics, LLC

481 North Frederick Ave., Suite 410

Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Phone: (301) 990-1105

www.socialdynamicsllc.com

OPC/UPEP COLLEGE SUPPORT SERVICES INTERVIEW GUIDE

(e.g First Year Advisory Services Staff, Counseling Services Staff, Job Readiness Services Staff, Remedial/Applied Learning Center Services, Post-Secondary Transition Services Staff,

Section 504 Office of Dis. Services)

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview focused on your involvement with the [Onondaga Pathways to Careers (OPC) Program/Universal Pathways to Employment Program (UPEP)]. This is the college’s name for the Pathways to Careers: Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults, an initiative funded by the Department of Labor. My name is ___________ and I work for a company called Social Dynamics, an independent research firm located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Social Dynamics is acting as subcontractor to Westat, an independent research firm in Rockville, Maryland who is contracted by the Department of Labor to conduct these interviews as part of the evaluation of the program.

As was explained in the initial invitation, your participation is voluntary and you can choose to not respond to any question for any reason. But keep in mind that the information you provide will be kept private to the extent provided by law. The information collected will be analyzed and published in aggregate form and we will not identify any individuals in any report or presentation.

Your participation will help provide valuable information that will assist the Department of Labor in making decisions regarding future program activities and their structure.

The interview will take approximately an hour. We would like to audio-record it to ensure accuracy. Only the team will have access to the recording for analytical purposes and the recording will be destroyed once the project is completed. Do I have your permission to continue?

Today’s conversation is going to focus on a handful of specific topics and activities within the OPC/UPEP. Our goal is to learn more about your office’s role in the initiative, the goals of the program and the students in the program. We may follow-up with you to obtain additional details on these, and additional program topics, at a later date.

Staff Role in OPC/UPEP

Let’s start by discussing your specific role at the college and within [OPC/UPEP].

1. Name of office:___________________________________

2. Briefly describe your role and responsibilities within your office/department.

PROBES (if needed):

• What is your position title?

• What are your responsibilities within your office or department?

Department’s Role in PSCC/OCC

Now I’d like to know more generally about your office’s/department’s role at the college and within [OPC/UPEP].

3. What kinds of services does your office provide?

4. How does your office/department collaborate with other offices or departments at [OCC/PSCC]?

5. In what ways does your office/department interact with college faculty and instructors?

Support for Students with Disabilities

Now I’d like to discuss the services your office provides to students, especially for students with disabilities.

6. In what ways does your office/department interact with students with disabilities?

7. What kinds of services does your office provide to students with disabilities?

8. How are the needs of students with disabilities identified?

PROBES (if needed):

• Do you use IEPs to determine whether disability service needs are present?

• Do you use formal assessments?

• Do you rely on self-disclosure of a disability?

9. What steps does [OCC/PSCC] take when a student with a disability requires an accommodation?

PROBES (if needed):

• What are the student's responsibilities?

• What are your responsibilities as a college staff member?

• Who is involved in determining what accommodations will be provided (e.g., professional staff, family, student, etc.)?

10. Do you think [OPC/UPEP] has had an impact on the way [OCC/PSCC] recruits, screens, and enrolls students with disabilities? Do you think [OPC/UPEP] has had an impact on how their vocational options and skills are assessed?

11. How does [OCC/PSCC] promote appropriate physical, programmatic and communication accessibility?

PROBES (if needed):

• Does the college assess ADA accessibility standards?

• Does the college promote incorporation of UDL standards into course curricula?

• Does the college promote the incorporation of Section 508 accessibility standards when developing of course material?

Interaction with Instructors

Now I’d like to talk about your interactions with the instructors.

12. To what degree does your office/department interact with instructors?

13. What technical assistance and/or training does the college provide to instructors to assist them in making their instruction more accessible to students with disabilities?

14. To what extent do you think instructors are willing to provide course material in accessible formats that support all students?

15. How does your office, and the college at-large, connect college instructors to services that can improve their ability to work with students with disabilities?

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.

16. Are you familiar with the concept of Universal Design for Learning?

17. In your opinion, does the college provide a learning environment that is accessible to all students? Why or why not?

18. To what extent do instructors apply the principles of UDL in their courses? Have you ever heard any feedback from students on those applications of UDL in any of their courses?

19. To what extent does your office work with instructors or promote the incorporation of UDL?

20. Has your office or department made any changes to apply or incorporate UDL?

Challenges and Successes

In closing, I’d like to thank you for participating in this interview. We plan on contacting you in the coming weeks with follow-up questions and additional topics concerning [OPC/UPEP].

21. Based on what you’ve experienced so far, what more is needed for the [OPC/UPEP] program to succeed?

22. From your perspective, what have you observed are the main challenges faced by the community college in getting [OPC/UPEP] up and running?

23. What are some of the promising practices, or observed successes of the program?

24. What do you attribute these promising practices or successes to?

25. Is there additional information you’d like to share with us?

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