The primary findings were constraints on funding and staffing negatively
effecting support for students with disabilities. In addition, participants felt faculty and
administrators lack sufficient knowledge concerning specific disabilities and need to
learn new ways to work with students with disabilities in and out of the classroom. Other
findings included faculty participants‘ frustration with a variety of issues students bring
to the classroom such as high levels of immaturity and overly intrusive parents
intervening with faculty. Faculty participants also expressed dissatisfaction with a
variety of erroneous beliefs; for example, some students expect services identical to those
they received in high school. Moreover, faculty were dissatisfied with inadequate skills
exhibited by colleagues when working with students with disabilities, such as providing
excessive assistance to students and thereby setting unrealistic standards for future
v
faculty. Administrators also reported students often experience inconsistent intervention
strategies in working with different faculty members.
Exploration of effective intervention methods used by faculty and administrators
revealed the application of specific behavioral strategies, relationship focused
communication, and individual creativity in teaching and communication strategies.
Many of these strategies do not involve a large cost to the institution, but faculty and
administrator training is needed to make better use of current campus resources.
Conclusions drawn from the research suggest that administrators need to clarify
the responsibilities both faculty and administrators have in working with students with
disabilities. Moreover, faculty and administrators need to take greater responsibility in
serving these students, and not rely solely on the college‘s Disability Services office to
provide all of the support. In order to accomplish this transition, more disability specific
training for faculty and administrators is necessary. Finally, a pedagogical paradigm shift
should be examined at the institution to better address the needs of students with
disabilities, particularly in view of the current funding environment. Also, the needs of
students should be included in short term operational and long term strategic planning at
the college.