G.O.A.L.S: A Workshop Series For Students with DisabilitiesKristopher Robinson, Student LEADS Support SpecialistMaryanne Sackarnoski, Disability Accommodation SpecialistGuttman Community College

CUNY LEADS (Linking EmploymentAcademicsand Disability Services)

• CUNY LEADS is a program established to facilitate successful career outcomes for students with disabilities enrolled in CUNY programs

• Academic advisement• Career counseling• Interview preparation• Resume & cover letter

assistance• Internship & job-seeking

assistance• Self-advocacy skills &

professional communication

• Workplace accommodations & disclosure training

What is G.O.A.L.S?Growing, Outstanding, Academic, Leadership, Skills• The G.O.A.L.S. Workshop Series at Guttman Community

College is an initiative to prepare students with disabilities for learning and leadership in all settings, both inside of the classroom and outside of the classroom

• The purpose of the sessions is to provide 1st and 2nd year-plus students with the skills and tools necessary to thrive in their curricular and professional endeavors, whether it’s at an internship site, a part-time job, or a work-study placement

• The focus of these sessions is not to enhance student’s specific academic proficiencies in certain subject areas, but to help build noncognitive and executive functioning skills (such as self-discipline, teamwork capability, organization, and confidence, among others) that can enhance their potential for academic and career success

G.O.A.L.S = Community

• Another core objective of G.O.A.L.S. is fostering community and building connections at Guttman. Students will form crucial supportive relationships, while also strengthening their ability to successfully engage in the co-curricular learning activities required of them as a part of Guttman’s curriculum and empowering them to engage in additional opportunities through Guttman and beyond

Background: Why Do We Have G.O.A.L.S.?

NATURE OF GUTTMAN MODEL

NEEDS OF OUR OVERALL STUDENT POPULATION

CONSIDERATION OF BARRIERS STUDENTS

WITH DISABILITIES FACE IN ACADEMIC AND

PROFESSIONAL SETTINGS

What We Know: Students With Disabilities and Degree Attainment• Biggest disparity between students

with disabilities and students without identified disabilities is at Bachelor's level (13% vs 31%)

• Hispanic/Latino students and Black/African American students fall behind most in Bachelor's degree attainment; Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American students with disabilities have the lowest educational attainment (9%)

What We Know: Students with Disabilities and Employment• Individuals with disabilities who

attain higher levels of education are more likely to experience positive employment outcomes. Nevertheless, employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities are not commensurate with those of individuals without disabilities who have comparable educational attainment*

2018• Only 33.1 percent of New

Yorkers with disabilities were employed

• In comparison, 75.5 percent of New Yorkers without disabilities were employed**

* Students with Disabilities and Post-College Employment: How Much Do We Know? Elizabeth Kutscher, Lauren Naples, and Maxine Freund Volume 2, Issue 1 (March, 2019)**2018 Annual Report on People with Disabilities in America – Institute on Disability/UCED - University of New Hampshire

Barriers Faced By Students With Disabilities At Institutions

*NCCSD Research Brief Access and Participation in Higher Education: Perspectives of College Students with Disabilities, April 2019

G.O.A.L.S. Structure

Five bi-weekly interactive sessions 90 minutes Varied recruitment

methods

Mid-session and post-session assessment and feedback

Incentives to attend –4/5 sessions – certificate and materials received

1-2 Facilitators per session

G.O.A.L.S. Program Learning Outcomes

As a result of G.O.A.L.S., students will:1. Cultivate necessary executive functioning skills in order

to be better able to meet the personal, professional, and academic expectations of the Guttman experience

2. Learn essential values, practices, and behaviors that will prepare them to represent themselves and Guttman positively in a variety of situations

3. Foster a greater understanding of their own needs and learn essential ways to advocate for themselves

4. Comprehend the structure and expectations of the Guttman model and the resources available within the Guttman community

5. Develop skills enabling them to work more effectively collaboratively in academic and professional contexts

Session 1 – Learning Style Assessment and Strengths

• elements of personal work styles that contribute to effective use of timeIdentify

• current allocation and usage of energy and timeAnalyze• a collection of tools and strategies used to take control of timeAssemble• an action plan for identifying and accomplishing goalsCreate

Session 2 – Networking in Academic and Professional Settings

• the elements of an effective deliveryLearn• how a speech or presentation is properly conductedUnderstand• potential networking events to attendIdentify• skills for forming effective relationships with academic and

professional constituentsDevelop

Session 3 – Workplace and Classroom Finesse

• civility and civil behaviorsDefine• familiar with Guttman Community College's Code of ConductBecome• between civil and uncivil behaviors on campus and in work settingsDistinguish• how civil behaviors foster communityExplain

Session 4 – Personal Presentation: Impress For Success

• best practices for professional profiles on social mediaIdentify• how to best represent themselves on and off the computer screenDiscuss• ways to develop a personal brandStrategize• appropriate attire for a variety of settingsConstruct

Session 5 – Effective Interviewing and Communication

• effective interviewing skills in an environment similar to an actual interviewDemonstrate

• interview questions and interview etiquetteRecognize• discussing issues of navigating disability disclosure in

the workplace and how to request accommodationsBegin

Examples of Activities

Presentation (Facilitators)

Small Group Discussions Share-Outs

Individual Presentations Work Sheets

Assessment

Pre/Post TestsEach session will utilize a pre/post test assessment relevant to and reflective of the stated learning objectives of each session. These “mini quizzes” will feature 3-5 questions that students will be asked to answer that will allow the collection of data aimed at illustrating students’ comprehension of key concepts presented in each session

DemonstrationsStudents will participate in interactive activities during the sessions after information has been presented to them by the facilitators, giving them the opportunity to crystallize their understanding of the information and practice implementing skills in the appropriate context

PortfoliosStudents will create a SMART Goal Plan to utilize in their classes and worksites. This plan will include Guttman resources that students plan to make use of, specific methods of organizing themselves and completing their assignments, and goals they wish to accomplish at the end of the semester and upon graduation

Personal ReflectionsStudents will be given a journal at the beginning of the program and allowed time at the end of each session to reflect on what they learned and how they can potentially apply it in the future

Sample Assessment

Post-Test Using Microsoft Forms

In Their Words: Student Reflections

"One thing I've learned in today's session is to have more

confidence and believe in myself more. I can apply this to my

academics by pushing myself more and believing that I can rise

to any challenge that is thrown my way."

" I learned about how to behave at a job interview and on campus at Guttman and I can apply this stuff when I get an interview or job or when I'm on campus at

Guttman"

"One thing I learned from the GOALS workshop was proper and

professional ways for sharing information about myself, what to share, and what not to share to an employer. I learned what information is considered too personal to disclose during an

interview. What I learned will be helpful when speaking to

professors about my accommodations. I better

understand what information is necessary for certain individuals to know and for what purpose."

Facts About G.O.A.L.S.

Average attendance of 10-15 students

Refreshments provided at each session

Recipient of internal Guttman grant

Future G.O.A.L.S.

EXPAND PARTICIPATION

INTEGRATION OF WORK TRY-OUTS

TOURING OF WORKPLACES

Activity: Discussion• What opportunities are there on your

campus/in your program to implement initiatives to help improve the outcomes of people with disabilities?

• What are some considerations you have about working with this population and what resources would be helpful to address your concerns?