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Rachel Kruzel discusses how technology helps students with disabilities at Augsburg

Rachel Kruzel, head of the Augsburg College CLASS Office’s Groves Technology Lab, recently wrote an article for HigherEd Tech Decisions that discusses how Augsburg is embracing technologies that help students with learning disabilities. In the article, “How Augsburg College Helps Students Disabilities Take Better Notes with Technology,” Kruzel states that Augsburg has begun offering a software package that helps students record and organize audio of their lectures in lieu of traditional written notes, which can be difficult for students with dyslexia or ADHD.

Kruzel shares that about 5 percent of students at Augsburg have some type of learning disability. She hopes that this technology will help students perform at a level that more accurately reflects their capacity.

“These students’ level of intelligence may be above average, but because they struggle with the traditional college notetaking format, they may fail to reach their potential,” she writes.

Success story: Nicolas Adducci ’15 featured by Everyday Health

For Nicolas Adducci ’15, studying at Augsburg College has meant finding resources to meet the challenges he faces as a student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In the Everyday Health article, “ADHD and College Success: Nicolas’ Story,” Adducci discusses how the support he receives from Augsburg’s Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS) allows him to double major in business management and psychology with minors in economics and political science.

During his time at Augsburg, Adducci has made the dean’s list with a 4.0 grade-point average and has shed much of the stigma associated with having a learning disability.

CLASS specialists guide students to appropriate accommodations such as extended time for exams, note takers in classes, and recorded or electronic books, and help with time management and organizational skills, learning strategies, and compensatory techniques.

These accommodations, Adducci said in the Everyday Health article, make all the difference when paired with a helpful staff and faculty networks. He has gained confidence and learned how to communicate his needs with Augsburg professors.

Adducci also was featured in the summer 2012 Augsburg Now article, “A new approach to learning.”

 

Welcome the new Gage Center for Student Success

gage_centerOver the winter break, several departments moved into the Gage Center on the second floor (link level) of the Lindell Library. This change will provide greater accessibility to services for students and will allow for enhanced communication between departments.

The programs located in the Gage Center are:

CLASS—Regina Hopingardner, Sheila Fox Wassink, Rick Gubash, Barbara Harvey, Rachel Kruzel, Anne Lynch

– Access Center—Sadie Curtis

– TRiO/SSS—Kimberly Bestler, Kevin Cheatham, Melody Martagon-Geiger, Aly Olson, Sherron Reese

– Academic Skills Office/Tutor Center—Annette Carpenter, Debbie Shapiro, Benjy Kent Continue reading “Welcome the new Gage Center for Student Success”