An examination of community college presidents' knowledge of disability laws in higher education

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

منو

" An examination of community college presidents' knowledge of disability laws in higher education "
Debra J. West J. E. Davis

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	55571
Doc. No	:	TL25525
Call number	:	‭3270475‬
Main Entry	:	Debra J. West
Title & Author	:	An examination of community college presidents' knowledge of disability laws in higher education\ Debra J. West
College	:	Mississippi State University
Date	:	2007
Degree	:	Ph.D.
student score	:	2007
Page No	:	130
Abstract	:	The number of students with disabilities enrolling in college has more than tripled since 1978. Students with disabilities now account for 9.3% of all incoming freshmen, and that percentage is predicted to increase as their high school graduate rates increase and as service men and women injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan begin to claim the education benefits afforded them by the military service. According to the literature, the majority of students with disabilities choose to enroll in community colleges. The increased postsecondary participation of students with disabilities has brought about an increase in the number of formal complaints filed against institutions of higher education. Disability claims now make up 21% of the total number of legal claims brought against colleges by students. Higher education institutions face not only the legal costs of defending themselves, but also the potential loss of their eligibility to receive federal financial assistance, including federal student aid. Therefore, it is important for community college leaders to be knowledgeable about disability laws in order to maintain their institution's eligibility for the federal funding; to protect themselves, their faculty and their institutions from liability; and to lead their institutions in a manner that will ensure the continuation of community colleges' egalitarian legacy of accessible programs and services for students with diverse backgrounds and needs. The focus of this study was to examine community college presidents' knowledge of federal disability laws in higher education. Specifically, the study utilized an established assessment instrument to examine whether community college presidents have an acceptable knowledge of those laws. The study also examined whether there were significant differences in knowledge based on personal characteristics of the presidents, such as gender, educational attainment, and years and type of higher education experience, and whether there were significant differences in knowledge based on their institutions' characteristics, such as type, size, geography and location by state. The results of this research suggest that community college presidents do not demonstrate a high degree of knowledge of disability law. Further, no significant differences in knowledge were found based on either the personal characteristics of the presidents or the characteristics of the institutions in which they serve.
Subject	:	Education; Community college presidents; Disability laws; Higher education; Presidents; Community colleges; School administration; 0275:Community colleges; 0514:School administration
Added Entry	:	J. E. Davis
Added Entry	:	Mississippi State University