While only in its Third year, the Faculty Mentorship Program (FMP) for students with disabilities has produced positive results for students and faculty who are participating and has assisted DSD staff in promoting awareness of the role of the DSD office and the services it provides. The purpose of the FMP is to connect new students with disabilities at Ball State with a faculty member in the student's prospective major or area of interest.  This one-on-one involvement with faculty members gives students a sense of belonging to the university community and a better understanding of the academic expectations of students at the university.  In 2006, there were over thirty students and thirty faculty members involved; last year and this year there are approximately forty students and forty faculty members participating.

Year one of the FMP was a success in several ways.  Students who participated in the FMP earned higher grade point averages than those who chose not to participate, and 86% of the students who participated in the program were retained to year two at Ball State.  In addition, faculty who participated were involved in several workshops and meetings that allowed them to broaden their knowledge and understanding of disability-related issues, and thus, better serve students with disabilities in the classroom.

The fall 2007 semester produced even better results.  Students in the FMP had a 2.7 grade point average and 13.3 credit hours earned; students not in the program had a 2.3 grade point average and 10.9 hours earned.  Additionally, students in the FMP utilized DSD and Learning Center services at a much higher rate than the students who chose not to participate.  All thirty-six of the students in the FMP for fall 2007 have returned for the spring 2008 semester.

The program is a collaboration between the DSD office, the faculty members of Ball State, and the Learning Center.  Dr. Taiping Ho of the department of Criminal Justice and Criminology is the faculty coordinator, and Dr. Jackie Harris represents the Learning Center.  Dr. Ho, Dr. Harris, and Larry Markle, director of DSD, worked together to implement the program.

Dr. Harris emphasized the importance of the FMP for both students and faculty members.  "This program is beneficial to everyone involved with it.   The students gather realistic information about professors, departmental majors, support services and the university.  The faculty members learn more about disability issues and student concerns as well as their strategies for adaptations. Additionally, as the students and faculty gain insights into one another, they foster the efforts of the DSD office, Learning Center, and departments across campus." 

Linda Strunck, an instructor of Special Education, has been involved in the FMP both years and has mentored two students each year.  She stated that she participates because she feels faculty mentoring is vital for all students, but especially for students with disabilities.  Strunck added that she is "amazed at how my students and my colleagues' students and the mentors develop a trusting, supportive, and positive relationship which benefits both students and faculty members involved with the program."

Dr. Melinda Messineo, a professor of Sociology, states that she finds the mentorship program to be quite rewarding.  She states "You never know what little piece of information is going to make a difference for your students.  Sometimes it is as easy as connecting someone to the right resources.  If I can help make even these small connections, I feel the investment of time is worth it."

"The key to the success of this program has been the faculty participation," Markle said.  "The forty or so faculty members who are part of the FMP are recognized as some of the best professors on campus.  The fact that they are willing to volunteer their time to help make a smooth transition to college for students with disabilities clearly indicates the type of people they are."

Faculty mentors were trained by the program's founders at its inception, and subsequent training has been provided at the Adaptive Computer Technology Lab and at the Learning Center.  Luncheon discussion meetings with the mentors are held every four to six weeks and give the mentors a chance to learn more about services for students with disabilities on campus and to discuss strategies for how to best meet the needs of the students they are mentoring.

"This has become a great forum for me to get the word out to the faculty about students with disabilities, my office, and the many resources available on campus," Markle noted.  "These faculty mentors are able to better understand students' needs and the role DSD plays on campus.  They also are able to take the information they learn from the program and share it with colleagues in their respective departments.  This has become a terrific way for me to help faculty members to know and appreciate the work we do."