1. Inclusive higher education: the perspective of professors. A qualitative survey. Sophie Jackmaert Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium Nathalie Heurckmans Steunpunt Inclusief Hoger Onderwijs (SIHO), Belgium 6 July 2011 1

2. SIHO 'Support Centre for Inclusive Higher Education' Supports institutions for higher education:  in order to realize inclusive higher education  to create equal chances and full participation for students with disabilities 2

3. SIHO 3 main tasks:  Provision of services to higher education institutions (consultancy, training,...)  Networking with (inter)national partners in the field of disability studies (which involves several disciplines)  Research 3

4. The perspective of professors  Insider perspective  Good practices  Input for further realization of inclusive higher education ‘How do professors experience inclusive higher education?’  12 professors in the Flemish higher education system  Semi-structured interviews 4

5. Insider perspective professors 4 main themes:  Experiences with students with a disability  Influences on their competences as a professor  Knowledge and experience with disability policy and services  Attitude towards (aspects of) inclusion in higher education 5

6. Conclusions  Broad definition  Diversity  Students with disabilities  Open for inclusion and positive attitudes towards students with disabilities 6

7. “I find it crucial that a student gets all the opportunities that he or she needs.” “I find it important to consider the differences between people.” 7

8. Conclusions  But what with more severe disabilities?  No advantage to other students  Not ‘pampering’ 8

9. Experiences  Motivated students  Positive  Open communication  Positive experience  The challenge of trying to adapt the way of teaching and the course content to the needs of the students 9

10. Experiences  Difficult experiences  Psychiatric disabilities  Students who stop their education before graduating (‘the support couldn’t meet the needs anymore’) 10

11. Experiences  Some of the professors find it difficult to pay attention to students with disabilities in their lessons because of the large groups of students  Some disabilities are only apparent during tasks, exams, … 11

12. Aspects of influence  Another function beside teaching  Education  Previous work  Child with disability  Their character, attitude as a person 12

13. Reasonable accommodations  Willing to make accommodations (also for everyone, UDL)  ‘Little effort’, ‘evident’, ‘part of being a teacher’, ‘can be an extra effort but it is essential’, “We have a policy towards it so it is more then logical that we support these students.” 13

14. Reasonable accommodations  Sometimes the support is only needed during the exams  More difficult for psychiatric disabilities and less notable disabilities 14

15. Professors own support  Reflecting with colleges  Study days “It helps me that I can reflect with my colleagues. ‘What kind of support did they offer?’, ‘Did it work?’ ‘What are their experiences?’,…” 15

16. Influence on competencies  Reflecting on pedagogy  More aware of their lesson “It makes me search for different ways of didactic teaching.” “It makes me reflecting about the way I teach.” 16

17. Influence on person and attitude “What I personally find enriching is that I always experience, at the end of the road, that those students aren’t any different. I see them more and more as a student and not as a person with a disability. That is an enrichment in itself, because it often opens a lot of possibilities.” 17

18. Policy  Positive  Communication and information concerning reasonable accommodations  But services are still very recent (sometimes ‘just in time’ info) 18

19. Needs  Debate/discussion competencies  More than just ‘practical information’  Feedback, info concerning disabilities  Study days, use of cases, testimonies of students who graduated 19

20. SIHO: contact SIHO Sint Jorisstraat 71 8000 Brugge info@siho.be wwww.siho.be