Page 27 - 2024 June report

SUSF ANNUAL MEETING REPORT (7)
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROJECT
Bea and King gave an update on the GWU research project, noting that the project would not have been possible without the assistance of the disability professionals in the room. The final report from GWU had been circulated prior to the meeting. For years, JSF had been discussing ways to improve the employment prospects of students with disabilities. During a Convening on this topic, several research articles had been reviewed, including a brief by GWU researchers. That led to JSF’s engagement with GWU to conduct a project in partnership with the SUSF institutions. GWU hoped the disability offices at the schools would provide students and alumni for the GWU researchers to interview. In practice, that proved extremely difficult as the offices did not have a mechanism for tracking students post-graduation. Ultimately GWU interviewed 7 current students and 5 graduates. Because that was not a large enough sample size for a research study, JSF decided to end the project early.
Overall, the findings confirmed what many already knew.
• JSF funding made a tangible impact on graduates’ and current students’ ability to persist in their studies.
• State-level policies focused on career development are not necessarily trickling down to students.
• Disability services professionals are the right lever for reaching college students with disabilities and for campus-wide change regarding disability, but they are already stretched thin.
• Implementation factors outside of the Foundation and disability service professionals’ control may be impacting the reach of the scholarship.
• The Covid-19 pandemic may have a lingering impact on professionals, graduates, and students attending SUSF institutions.
Education / A Powerful force for change Page 25