The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1 - 174

Patricia Barrett Malik • Patricia Wolfe Anton

physical disabilities. The support provided by
these programs and physical features not only
increased the independent living knowledge
and skills of those with disabilities, but also improved the knowledge, interaction, and awareness of residents without disabilities. The vision
for this partnership involved much more than
building a state-of-the-art physically accessible
residence hall. It was also about social integration and relationship building within a residential community among a diverse group of
residents, some of whom had not been served
by University Housing in the past.
The purpose of this article is to (1) describe the approach taken to establish the University Housing and DRES partnership, (2)
highlight the accessible features and support
services of Nugent Hall, (3) explain the processes and approaches utilized by Beckwith
Residential Support Services (BRSS) and University Housing that support the unique needs
of students with severe physical disabilities, and
(4) highlight the current best practices of DRES/
BRSS that have led to consistent positive academic outcomes. This partnership allows opportunities for a multitude of experiences that
best serve those with severe physical disabilities
while providing a diverse and inclusive community, ultimately enriching the lives of all those
living and working in University Housing.

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been a pioneer since 1948 in supporting students with a variety of disabilities.
Illinois was the first major university in the
nation to create a means by which students
with severe physical disabilities could move
away from home and the support of family to

174

pursue baccalaureate and advanced degrees
(Lewis, 2007). A severe physical disability, as
defined by Guralnik (2006), is one that causes
an individual to require “help with three
or more of the six [activities of daily living]
(eating, dressing, bathing, transferring, using
the toilet, and walking across a small room)”
(p. 162). Those with severe disabilities are generally assisted in these activities by their family
members, and they face many challenges when
they move away from home to pursue a degree
(Hedrick et al., 2012). Illinois has responded by
providing away-from-home caregiver support
since 1959 within a variety of environments,
including a wing in a long-term care facility, a
modified rental house, and an independent residence hall operated by DRES. This independent
residence hall, Beckwith Hall, was not part of
the University Housing system and operated
from 1981 until spring 2010.
In the fall of 2010, Illinois once again established a first as University Housing and DRES
actively partnered to support students with
severe physical disabilities when the newest residence hall on campus, Timothy J. Nugent Hall,
opened. This partnership was initiated for a
variety of reasons: primarily because University
Housing, a department within student affairs,
wanted to serve all Illinois students, including
those with the most severe disabilities. Second,
Beckwith Hall was an aging building, and there
was uncertainty about how long it could adequately house this resident population. Finally,
University Housing was strategically planning
for redevelopment of the Champaign campus
residence hall facilities. As University Housing
planned for new residence halls, the timing
was right to discuss how this department could
provide residential services to all students on

The JourNal of College aNd uNiVersiTy sTudeNT housiNg
The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1
