Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once, either in-person or remotely, and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To at David.Alcorta@austintexas.gov or by phone at 512- 972-5042. contact David Alcorta by register please email COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING APRIL 8, 2022 AT 3PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS ROOM 1001 301 W. 2nd STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Lira Ramirez, University of Texas at Austin (Chair) Pete Cervantes, St. Edwards University (Co-Chair) Tatum Owens, University of Texas at Austin (Secretary) Andrea Danburg, Austin Community College Justin Parker, Austin Community College Isaiah Smith, Austin Community College Kylee Canode, Concordia University Todd Clayton, Huston-Tillotson University Miles Diggs, Huston-Tillotson University Kennedy Fears, Huston-Tillotson University Esther Heymans, St. Edwards University Ethan Tobias, St. Edwards University Edwin Bautista, University of Texas at Austin AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2. ANNOUNCEMENTS & COMMISSION UPDATES The commission’s staff liaison and commission leadership will have the opportunity to share any pertinent announcements relevant to Commission business. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Recommendation – Disability & Remote Higher Education Access The commission will review and consider passage of a recommendation seeking to ensure remote access to higher education as a disability right. b. Discussion – Proposal to Revise to the University Neighborhood Overlay The commission will discuss a draft of a recommendation proposing revisions to the University Neighborhood Overlay, designed to address a lack of affordable college student housing in the West Campus neighborhood. No action will be taken on the recommendation during this (4/8) meeting. 4. OLD BUSINESS a. Working Group – Housing Update from the Housing Working Group on actions taken to research and promote student housing access, security, and affordability. b. Working Group – Mental Health & Accessibility Discussion of issues related to mental health services, accessibility, and disability issues on Austin-area college campuses, with consideration of possible action. c. Working Group – Transportation Update from the Transportation Working Group on actions taken to research and promote student transportation, with consideration of …
College Student Commission Recommendation Draft (20220408-3a): Remote Higher Education Access Authored by: Esther Heymans (St. Edward’s University) & Lira Amari Ramírez (University of Texas at Austin) WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes that students with disabilities have historically been excluded from higher education, both through explicit means and implicit bias. The Commission further acknowledges that this historical exclusion has current ramifications. WHEREAS, disability services and accommodations are necessary to counter historical discrimination and provide equal access and rights to disabled students. WHEREAS, about 5% of students enrolled at UT Austin in the 2020-2021 school year were registered with UT’s disability services office.1 2 About 10% of the St. Edward’s University Student body used St. Edward’s Student Disability Services in Spring of 2021.3 About 7% of ACC students are registered with Student Accessibility Services each semester.4 About 7% of Concordia students currently use accommodations.5 6 WHEREAS, after the United States declared COVID-19 a national emergency, remote learning rapidly grew as a way to accommodate the need for students to shelter in place. 1 “SSD Data.” Services for Students with Disabilities. University of Texas at Austin, 2021. https://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/ssd-statistics/. 2 “Interactive Common Data Set.” Institutional Reporting, Research, and Information Systems. University of Texas at Austin. February 2, 2022 https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures 3 Vasquez, Candice. “Accommodating Students with Disabilities at St. Edward’s University.” Student Accessibility Services, St. Edward’s University, July 30, 2021. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10x5NxQ4Y60CiDaYEHiRG_leSmlfBXtRy/edit?usp=sharing&ouid =111953376538798849781&rtpof=true&sd=true 4 Student Accessibility Services. “SAS Statistics.” Austin Community College. Email. March 3, 2022. 5 “Fast Facts.” Concordia University Texas. https://www.concordia.edu/about/fast-facts.html 6 Spiegel, Rhea Ann. “Statistics Request - Services for Students with Disabilities.” Academic Support Center. Concordia University Texas. Email. April 3, 2022. WHEREAS, as the pandemic has continued, Austin-area higher education institutions have begun to offer increasingly fewer online classes, despite fluctuations in Austin’s COVID transmission rates and risk based staging guidelines.7 8 WHEREAS, Austin’s colleges and universities have not instituted adequate safety precautions to protect all and especially high-risk students from infection, while mandating in-person attendance. WHEREAS, remote access offers students the ability to attend classes from any location, providing students with access concerns an equitable and safe learning environment, and therefore serves as an invaluable resource for students with disabilities. WHEREAS, diminishing options to access classwork remotely uniquely affects immunocompromised, high-risk, and disabled students, furthering historic exclusion and inaccessibility for disabled college students. WHEREAS, all colleges represented by the College Student Commission are required to provide accommodations to students with …
College Student Commission Recommendation (20220408-3a): Remote Higher Education Access Authored by: Esther Heymans (St. Edward’s University) & Lira Amari Ramírez (University of Texas at Austin) WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes that students with disabilities have historically been excluded from higher education, both through explicit means and implicit bias. The Commission further acknowledges that this historical exclusion has current ramifications. WHEREAS, disability services and accommodations are necessary to counter historical discrimination and provide equal access and rights to disabled students. WHEREAS, about 5% of students enrolled at UT Austin in the 2020-2021 school year were registered with UT’s disability services office.1 2 About 10% of the St. Edward’s University Student body used St. Edward’s Student Disability Services in Spring of 2021.3 About 7% of ACC students are registered with Student Accessibility Services each semester.4 About 9% of Concordia students currently use accommodations.5 6 WHEREAS, after the United States declared COVID-19 a national emergency, remote learning rapidly grew as a way to accommodate the need for students to shelter in place. 1 “SSD Data.” Services for Students with Disabilities. University of Texas at Austin, 2021. https://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/ssd-statistics/. 2 “Interactive Common Data Set.” Institutional Reporting, Research, and Information Systems. University of Texas at Austin. February 2, 2022 https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures 3 Vasquez, Candice. “Accommodating Students with Disabilities at St. Edward’s University.” Student Accessibility Services, St. Edward’s University, July 30, 2021. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10x5NxQ4Y60CiDaYEHiRG_leSmlfBXtRy/edit?usp=sharing&ouid =111953376538798849781&rtpof=true&sd=true 4 Student Accessibility Services. “SAS Statistics.” Austin Community College. Email. March 3, 2022. 5 “Fast Facts.” Concordia University Texas. https://www.concordia.edu/about/fast-facts.html 6 Cooper, Ruth. “Statistics Request - Services for Students with Disabilities.” Academic Support Center. Concordia University Texas. Email. April 6, 2022. WHEREAS, as the pandemic has continued, Austin-area higher education institutions have begun to offer increasingly fewer online classes, despite fluctuations in Austin’s COVID transmission rates and risk based staging guidelines.7 8 WHEREAS, Austin’s colleges and universities have not instituted adequate safety precautions to protect all and especially high-risk students from infection, while mandating in-person attendance. WHEREAS, remote access offers students the ability to attend classes from any location, providing students with access concerns an equitable and safe learning environment, and therefore serves as an invaluable resource for students with disabilities. WHEREAS, diminishing options to access classwork remotely uniquely affects immunocompromised, high-risk, and disabled students, furthering historic exclusion and inaccessibility for disabled college students. WHEREAS, all colleges represented by the College Student Commission are required to provide accommodations to students with disabilities to …
