Special Education Faculty Involvement with College Students with Disabilities

Abstract

It has been proposed that special education faculty may have a valuable role to play in providing support to college students with disabilities, but little information exists about how special education faculty are currently interpreting this role. A national survey of special education faculty was conducted to obtain information on the extent and nature of involvement, beliefs about this role, and the rewards and incentives available for participating in activities in support of college students with disabilities. Results indicated that special education faculty are involved in formal support programs and other activities on a widespread basis although time commitments are minimal. Findings suggest a need for improving communication with formal campus support programs and for realigning institutional reward systems to address faculty interests and campus needs.