The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1 - 196

Jo M. Hendrickson • Amy Vander Busard • Derek Rodgers • Bethany Scheidecker

CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

Higher education institutions have the expertise and talents of administrators, faculty, staff,
and students that can contribute significantly to
the science that will improve our understanding of how to best impact the learning and life
outcomes of students with ID and their college
peers. There is an urgent need for both qualitative and quantitative research to examine the
many questions that must be addressed to guide
policy makers, administrators, educational practitioners, and family members/guardians. We
strongly encourage individuals and institutions
to work together to establish evaluation designs
and research agendas in concert with the development of postsecondary education options for
students with ID.

All students have the right to an effective
postsecondary education. This is a historical
moment with an unparalleled opportunity for
colleges and universities to expand their educational mission to include serving students
with intellectual disabilities. Our experience at
UI-REACH has demonstrated that an expanded institutional definition of diversity that includes students with ID results in unique and
deeply meaningful learning opportunities for
all students. Providing inclusive residence hall
living to students with ID appears to hold particular promise for the futures of all students
by enriching their day-by-day college life experience and better preparing them for living and
working in diverse communities.

In closing, our experience at UI-REACH
has been a dynamic, iterative process. Staff,
family members/guardians, and students have
all learned and changed along the way. While
it is critical to anticipate and identify the supports, structure, resources, and opportunities
that are required to promote student engagement, social adjustment, and learning, there
is no blueprint for this important work. Although we are at a formative stage in the development of postsecondary education options,
we have found one constant in supporting students in their journey to independence while
living away from home: the centrality of developing collaborative relationships with family
members and guardians.

dents and first-year college students suggest
that both groups are experiencing college and
their adjustment to it in similar ways in terms
of their psychological well-being and openness
to diversity. We hypothesize that this similarity is in part a function of UI-REACH students
living in an integrated residence hall and receiving both systemic support (e.g., specially
trained RAs, weekly advising, mentor-supported activity engagement) and individualized
support (e.g., communication and behavioral
guidance, roommate agreements, stress management strategies, person-centered planning).

We also know that research revealing what
constitutes evidence-based best practices in
inclusive postsecondary education settings for
students with ID is sorely lacking. There is
a dearth of empirical data on the immediate
and long-term outcomes of program components and postsecondary programs in general.
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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
