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STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
Dr. Mojca VrhovskiFaculty of Education, University of Ljubljana
HOW LONG IS "A MINUTE"?
"There is no doubt that the realization of inclusive higher education requires considerable efforts regarding time, energy, human and financial resources for a longer period of time.“
(Memorandum, The Bruges Conference “From Bologna to Bruges and far beyond. Equal opportunities for people with disabilities”, Bruges, Belgium in December 2008)
WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS?Normative aspect: HOW IT SHOULD BE?
Positive aspect: HOW IT ACTUALLY IS? HISTORICAL GENESIS of social care for people with special needs.
SOCIAL (economic, social, political, ideological, cultural etc. interests) and THEORETICAL (SCIENTIFIC) issues.
DEFINITION (words, terms, concepts) and CLASSIFICATION of "normal" and "not normal" as well as determining the boundary between them (equal-fair, equal opportunities-equal standards etc.)
DIFFERENT MODELS (e.g. focusing on potentially problematic relations between the individual and the environment and (not only) on biological, medical and psychological paradigms).
Implementation of different social trends and DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF UPBRINGING AND EDUCATION (e.g. focusing on capabilities/opportunities (instead of) deficiencies.
WHERE DO VARIOUS DILEMMAS ORIGINATE?From "reasonable adaptations" to
"universal model"...
"If you don't have to wonder about adjustments, you're already adjusted. And if you still wonder about them, then there are too many adjustments for you and you definitely have to choose something else." (D. 2007, 10 years)
HOW SUCCESSFUL COULD (WILL) WE BE AT INTRODUCING CHANGES?
RESOURCES
VISION
VISION
VISION
VISION
VISION
SKILLS
SKILLS
SKILLS
SKILLS
SKILLS
INCENTIVES
INCENTIVES
INCENTIVES
INCENTIVES
INCENTIVES
RESOURCES
RESOURCES
RESOURCES
RESOURCES
ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN
CHANGE
CONFUSION
ANXIETY
GRADUAL CHANGE
FRUSTRATION
FALSE STARTS
Timothy P. Knoster,Managing Complex Change, 1993.
Promotion of inclusive education is a part of deeper change, which requires a paradigmatic modification (modificating beliefs and mental models as well as developing new competences).
ACTION PLAN
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
Informal forms of support (reaching way back) Designating "authorized persons for working with students with special needs" at university members (March 2007)Proposal for regulation of the issue and the position of students with special needs – advisory office (January 2008)Request for proposals for setting minimal standards for people with special needs – UNICA (September 2008) Meeting with coordinators for students with special needs (October 2008, UL members: FU, VŠZ, FGG, NTF, MF, TEOF, VF, FF, AGRFT, BF, FA, FKKT, FDV, PeF; UL-VPIS, DŠIS, ŠOU, DSS)Meeting with the UL rector Andreja Kocijančič (January 2009)Presentation of the issue at UL Senate (January 2009) and designating a Commission for students with special needs (February 2009)Important conclusions from the conference of university rectors (July 2009)
FREQUENTLY RAISED DILEMMAS AND PROBLEMS AT UL MEMBERS
Increasing number of students with special needs (with or without the status)
Allocation and definition of the status of a student with special needs (who gets the status, when and for how long, who can decide about it, basing on what kind of documents)
Deciding on applications for repeating, pausing, special admission procedure, extra deadlines, transition from one semester to another etc.
Current situation at UL members (what adjustments are on offer in terms of mobility, communication, study programme realization (e.g. field work, laboratory exercises), knowledge examination and evaluation)
Adjustments needed (students: what adjustments are needed and possible to realize; teachers: acting on one's own judgement – work instructions for various groups)
Funding
PRIORITY TASKS
1. Formation and designation of the commission for students with special needs at UL – Article 51 of the UL Statutes (coordinating service?).
2. Designing the UL Rules on Students with Special Needsdefining who are students with special needs; how the status is acquired (even during the study); what are possible adjustments in the realization of lectures, seminars, training, knowledge examination and evaluation; what kind of support is on offer (e.g. tutoring, career counselling); what are the student’s rights and duties, how to process data and documentation at universities etc.
3. Proposing necessary legislation amendments (guidance procedures, support continuity, higher education legislation and the status of a student with special needs, interdepartmental cooperation).
4. Attending to:- proper implementation of procedures for gaining the status,- keeping appropriate records and - arranging support and special adjustments at UL and its members (situation analysis – national survey (UL, UM, UP, DŠIS); identifying basic points for establishing accessible, stimulative and effective study conditions and enforcing equal opportunities (strategic and action plans of the members; instructions for non/pedagogical staff etc)).
5. Striving for permanent funding (ministry of higher education, science and technology and other ministries).
6. Establishment and realization of various forms of cooperation (“a network of services") among:
• - university services (office for quality and services for students, UL career centre, international office etc.)
- UL members (coordinators),• - external institutions (institutes, associations, centers
etc),• - individual experts (for particular special needs) and• - students with special needs and students tutors.
By linking various actors, proper cadre and services as well as additional funding can be ensured (consequently increasing the quality of work and services).
UL services and commissions
UL coordinating body
Experts
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Coordinators at UL members
Institutions
Associations and informal groups
Fund
Provider
Fund
Provider
EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE
Active participation of students with special needs (cooperation and employment)
Universities playing a key role (promotion of equal opportunities and inclusivity, accepting and respecting diversity, appropriate evaluation criteria, implementation of innovative and proactive strategies, thus making a step forward from existing regulation).
Integrated approach, based on collaborative effort of all university/member actors: ranging from teachers, associates, students, student organizations to administrative and management personnel and, if required, immediate and wider social community.
Universal teaching mode (individuals with completely different abilities; all students benefit from inclusive strategies).
Career counselling (preparation for transition from secondary school to university, preparation for studying (tutoring, mentoring), preparation for transition from school to work (continuation of support).
THANKS…
"The world we have made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them."
A. Einstein
YOU + I = TOGETHER…
