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h3. Name of Concept: Addressing needs for Oral/deaf and Hard of hearing students


h3. Overview

I believe that RIT should have an office devoted to deaf/hard of hearing students that are mainstreamed/cross-registered within the other colleges of RIT (not including NTID).  There are many hard of hearing students that do NOT identify themselves as a part of NTID and not accepting of their "deaf identity."  Could there be an office or person that could connect them with an "NTID representative/liasion" to offer support, advocate for them, etc. within the RIT side of campus?  One could offer workshops geared/aimed towards oral deaf students to help them discover and accept who they are as a person.  They feel stuck in-between two worlds - deaf OR hearing.  They are not culturally deaf but may struggle with communication with hearing students.  They may not be comfortable approaching their academic advisor (who are hearing) or approaching an NTID counselor, who may only use ASL to speak with them.  I would like to see this as an office balancing both worlds, a bridge to help these students build confidence in themselves.

Some ideas: offer advising, workshops, mentorship programs with other oral/hard of hearing folks, roundtable discussions to help ease them in being aware of their deaf/hard of hearing identity and to answer the question "Where do I fit in?"

h3. How this idea leverages current areas of RIT expertise

We have RIT and we have NTID - but I don't see how our mainstreamed/cross-registered students that are also oral/hard of hearing are being serviced well - especially if they do not want to learn sign language or hang out with other deaf/ASL students here on campus.  Let's provide a resource for them to address this overlooked population of students.

h3. Main RIT on-campus champion(s) for this idea

I believe the best fit would be to create a position staffed by an oral-deaf/hard of hearing person.  Maybe this person could be housed within the NEWLY formed RIT Deaf Studies and ASL Center.  We need to remain sure that the students can get support...I know the folks mentioned below, being in the Student Affairs division and aware of the challenges of mainstreamed/cross-registered students, would understand.  David Hazelwood is a faculty member who is a strong oral/hard of hearing person that works within the NTID Art programs.

h3. Additional on-campus champions willing to collaborate with this individual and take a lead role in driving the idea

Kim Kurz, Mary Beth Cooper, Dawn Soufleris, David Hazelwood

h3. Are you aware of another university that is working on a similar idea?

No.

h3. How you envision this idea advancing RIT's national or global stature in an important or emerging field

I believe that offering support to this critical group of students will aid in retention and be a model for meeting our students' communication needs.  We are not just deaf OR hearing - but one must take into consideration the gray areas: cued speech, oralism, hard of hearing, cochlear implants - they may not yet know ASL or comfortable using sign language.  With the rise of cochlear implanted students enrolling at RIT/NTID - MANY have not had the exposure to other deaf students or learned sign language.  They may not be ready.  This is an emerging field because we will experience a rise in oral/hard of hearing students that will not be aware/comfortable with their deaf identity.

h3. Why you believe RIT has a unique opportunity or an ability to differentiate itself through this idea

Where else would a university have 1400 deaf/hard of hearing students with a wide array of communication modes?  We pride ourselves on offering superior support services to those who need/request it.  However, with the growing recognition of RIT and NTID and more and more hard of hearing students enrolling at RIT, requesting cprint/notetaking services - we need to be able to meet their social/emotional needs as well.  There is really no one central place/office for a student with this particular need to be addressed.

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