Next Steps at Vanderbilt Report

Next Steps at Vanderbilt Promoting excellence in scholarship, in education, and in inclusion and equity 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary.................................................................. 3 Excellence in Scholarship ........................................................ 6 Excellence in Education .......................................................... 11 Excellence in Inclusion and Equity ......................................... 17 History of Next Steps at Vanderbilt .......................................... 20 Disseminating New Knowledge Locally and Nationally ....... 22 NEXT STEPS AT VANDERBILT | 2018 3 Edward Nesbitt, Next Steps Graduate Class of 2011 Going to college made me a better person. I used to rely on my parents a lot, but now I do a lot more on my own. I make my own decisions and make my own choices. Executive Summary Next Steps at Vanderbilt is a nationally recognized The development of an exemplary program—one inclusive higher education program of Vanderbilt that defines and reflects best practices in inclusive University. The four-year program supports college higher education—provides us with a context for students (ages 18-26) with intellectual disability carrying out compelling scholarship, leadership, to participate in the breadth of learning and living and training that can lead this new field forward. activities that comprise a typical undergraduate Our program builds upon and extends a long legacy experience—coursework, extracurricular activities, of scholarship at Peabody College focused on the service projects, recreation endeavors, internships intersection of disability and inclusive practices. The and employment, and, eventually, residential early leadership and research of Nicholas Hobbs, experiences. Launched in 2010, we have 34 alumni Susan Gray, and other Vanderbilt researchers and currently enroll 29 students (see History of Next dramatically changed the ways in which preschoolers Steps at Vanderbilt). We have since developed into and children with intellectual and developmental one of the leading programs in the country and the disabilities were viewed and educated all across very first at a top-20 university. Our students are the country. That legacy of high expectations and thriving on campus and graduating to a future of inclusive practices that began 50 years ago at flourishing in the workplace and in their communities. the Peabody Experimental School has now made its way into higher education. We are invested in Through Next Steps at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt supporting the success of Next Steps at Vanderbilt University is becoming a national leader in and ensuring it furthers Vanderbilt’s mission as a scholarship on postsecondary education and “center for scholarly research, informed and creative disability, an exemplar of excellence in inclusive teaching, and service to the community and society higher education, and a catalyst of diversity and at large.” equity on our campus. In 2015, we received a five- year, $1.94 million grant from the U.S. Department In this report, we illustrate the numerous ways of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. in which Next Steps at Vanderbilt is promoting Our funding has focused on expanding to a four-year (a) excellence in scholarship, (b) excellence in program, increasing access to a broader range of education, and (c) excellence in inclusion and equity. university activities and experiences, developing We offer a brief summary of each of these areas new residential options, spurring the growth of below. new programs in the state, and implementing an influential program of rigorous research. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NEXT STEPS AT VANDERBILT | 2018 4 • Our research is already shaping the direction of the rapidly expanding, national inclusive higher education movement—indeed, Vanderbilt is seen as the leader in this area of scholarship. EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION • Hundreds of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students have already served as Ambassadores (i.e., peer mentors) to students enrolled through Next Steps at Vanderbilt. These sustained relationships are shaping their views of diversity, their commitment to inclusion, their attitudes toward disability, and EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP their professional pathways. • The Next Steps at Vanderbilt program • Many other Vanderbilt students adopt formal provides a context for cutting-edge scholarship support roles within the courses that students addressing the design, delivery, and impact of from Next Steps audit or within on- or off- inclusive college experiences for students with campus internship sites. intellectual disability. • A growing number of departments and • Present and planned studies are addressing programs across campus offer practicum the impact of this program on students with experiences or course activities that connect intellectual disability, on other Vanderbilt their students to Next Steps at Vanderbilt, such undergraduates who serve as peer mentors as Engineering, Nursing, Special Education, (i.e., Ambassadores), on faculty who teach Theatre, and the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND. those inclusive classes audited by the students, • Engagement with the Next Steps at Vanderbilt on the employers with whom the students work, program and its students primes Vanderbilt and on the families of students. students to be future leaders and change • Collaborative studies that cross multiple makers who see people with disabilities as departments and several universities indispensable and valued members of their are engaging multiple faculty in research workplaces and communities. addressing different aspects of the program. • The reach of the program provides numerous EXCELLENCE IN INCLUSION AND EQUITY opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and • The Next Steps at Vanderbilt program professional students to undertake theses, embodies Vanderbilt’s commitment to equity dissertations, and specialty projects addressing and inclusion and affirms our recognition of practices and policies related to inclusive higher disability as a key dimension of diversity. education. • The program places Vanderbilt at the forefront • Our research and program innovations are of the inclusive higher education movement disseminated widely at state and national nationally and solidifies our leadership among conferences, as well through consultation with top-ranked universities in this area. numerous other programs around the country. • Staff and students from Next Steps at Vander- • With multiple studies already published, in bilt have been an integral part of accessibility process, or planned, we are now well positioned and diversity-related conversations on campus, to pursue additional external funding to support including the Advisory Accessibility Task Force, additional research endeavors. the Presidents’ Roundtable, and many others. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NEXT STEPS AT VANDERBILT | 2018 5 • Likewise, Next Steps at Vanderbilt is helping • The influence of the program has been build capacity and commitment among recognized through numerous awards, including individual faculty, departments, and campus the Perry Wallace Courage Award, the Arc programs to better support the presence and Tennessee Inclusive Employer Award, the participation of an increasingly diverse student VALE Best Diversity & Inclusion Program body. Award, and induction into the National Disability Mentoring Coalition Hall of Fame. ABOUT NEXT STEPS AT VANDERBILT Next Steps at Vanderbilt holds the distinction of being a federally approved Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP). The following elements comprise this innovative program: q Academic Coursework: Students audit Vanderbilt courses rather than taking them for credit. Each student takes 1-2 courses per semester and has an individualized learning agreement that addresses how their involvement is supported. Over 100 faculty have had students from Next Steps at Vanderbilt participate in their classes. q Supplemental Seminars: Students take up to three Next Steps at Vanderbilt seminars each semester that are taught by program staff and graduate students. These seminars address topics such as independent living, self-determination, health and wellness, and career technology. q Career Development: Our career-related programming is driven by each student’s interests, future career plans, and identified learning needs. Throughout every semester of their program, students participate in job shadowing experiences, internships, or on- and off-campus jobs designed to prepare them for an enviable job after graduation. q Campus Life: Students participate in any of the wide range of student organizations, service groups, and campus activities available to any Vanderbilt student. In addition, they are involved in orientation activities and Vanderbilt Visions during their freshman year. q Residential Living: Although most students presently live with family at home, some current and former students live with roommates in off-campus apartments and housing. Future plans include establishing additional housing options for students who come from out-of-state or who want to live more independently. q Advising and Planning: All students receive weekly advising and participate in annual “person- centered planning” meetings. Through these meetings, students set short- and long- term individualized goals that inform their selection of courses, internships, work experiences, campus activities, social connections, seminars, and other experiences. q Graduation: At the end of the four-year

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