STATE Program on Learning Disabilities

Generously funded by Mickey and Debbie Stern, the Stern Tutoring and Alternative Techniques for Education (STATE) endowment began providing innovative and important assistance for MSU students with learning disabilities in the spring of 2004. The program provides a structured environment, effective learning strategies, academic tutoring and other forms of academic support for students with learning disabilities. Beyond traditional accommodation concepts, STATE provides new disability-specific instructional, tutorial, and peer-mentoring components.

This donor-supported program provides awareness and expanded opportunity for persons with disabilities. You can help support this initiative or find out more about other RCPD programs and giving opportunities by visiting the Financial Contributions page.

STATE Program Components:

Seminar (Constructing Success: Foundations and Bridges): The heart of the STATE program is a seminar required of program students to provide direct instruction on successful learning strategies and information on how to utilize other support services for life long impact. Dr. Timothy Goth-Owens leads a personalized experience that fosters growth and achievement of goals. Regular meetings with program staff occur throughout the semester creating opportunities to evaluate the efficacy of the seminar and to integrate all components of the program.
Tutoring Program: Another important component of the STATE program focuses on tutoring in courses for which individual tutoring is not already available through other departments or if a student needs more intensive tutoring than what is already available at MSU. Student participants are urged to report course difficulties early so that tutoring connections can be set up before an academic problem becomes unmanageable. In addition to tutoring, students are empowered to meet directly with their professors. STATE students who struggle in math receive enhanced opportunities through math enrichment course sections.
Peer Mentor Program: Each program participant is matched with another student who also has a learning disability to act as a peer mentor. The student mentors are chosen based on their history of academic success. A relationship is built over the course of the program as mentors learn about mentees while sharing ideas that they have found to be successful for themselves. This unique helping relationship is utilized in conjunction with traditional services to help STATE program participants develop awareness, acceptance, thinking skills, habits, and structures necessary to be successful in college. Peer Mentors are trained to build on what the student already knows and given a packet of materials to share with their mentees. STATE program students may eventually become a peer mentor, an experience that will further develop their own leadership skills.
Assistive Technology: Program participants are introduced to various assistive technologies such as Kurzweil 3000, AlphaSmart, Dragon Dictate, electronic books, and electronic spellers. Individual assessments for appropriate assistive technologies are available through the Assistive Technology Specialist. Students receive instruction in the use and application of assistive technologies that improve reading and writing performance.

As a result of participation in the STATE program, students gain a better idea of the types of study strategies required to be successful as a college student. They are also more keenly aware of what behaviors and attitudes they need in order to accomplish their educational and life goals. Students with learning disabilities participate by completing an State Program Application and are chosen based on a CGPA at MSU of less than 3.0 as well as evidence of strong motivation to adopt changes in order to improve their academic achievement. Participants are expected to attend a weekly seminar and to meet periodically with a peer mentor. Additional expectations for STATE participants include utilizing all appropriate support resources available and applying the principles and strategies suggested to their own learning. For more information contact your Disability Specialist.

Make a gift to the STATE Program on Learning Disabilities