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Jennifer Wright, Special Projects Consultant
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The Stern Tutoring and Alternative Techniques for Education (STATE) Program wrapped up a successful Spring 2023 semester. As one of the Signature Programs for RCPD, STATE provides critical support for students who are struggling academically.
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Tyler Smeltekop, Assistant Director of Assistive Technology Innovation
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Michigan State University's Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) Stern Tutoring and Alternative Techniques for Education (STATE) program is an innovative initiative that aims to help MSU students with learning disabilities who are on academic probation or at risk of falling on probation.
Tower Guard, a sophomore student volunteer organization, celebrates their success of another year of service and community building. Tower Guard's vice president, Sakari Wilcox, summarizes their year and the memories they made together.
Spartan Ties is a fun, interactive weekly meet-up hosted by MSU’s Tower Guard student volunteers in partnership with the RCPD, providing an opportunity for students registered with the RCPD to meet new friends and try new things. No specialists, no advisors, just students! Events will cover a range of topics and locations, such as meals, casual conversation, and stress reduction.
On January 19, 2023, just as the new semester started, Tower Guard announced a new event for RCPD students called “Syllabuster.” This event was created for RCPD students to help break down the new semester's class syllabi and help set students up for a successful semester. This event was hosted at the MSU main library in the evening and welcomed any students. There were a few Tower Guard members there to help assist in any way.
Spartan Ties is a fun, interactive weekly meet-up hosted by MSU’s Tower Guard student volunteers in partnership with the RCPD, providing an opportunity for students registered with the RCPD to meet new friends and try new things. No specialists, no advisors, just students! Events will cover a range of topics and locations, such as meals, casual conversation, and stress reduction.
Spartan Study is back! Join Tower Guard for study sessions both in-person and via Zoom. In-person sessions will be in the Main Library room E118. Please see the below schedule for more information:
Announcing Spartan Study sessions for Fall 2022 This is an opportunity for RCPD students to find tutoring and study assistance with their classes from other MSU students in a peer-educator/study group format. Hosted by members of MSU's Tower Guard honor society, these weekly study sessions will cover various commonly requested subjects, outlined below.
Emma Bush, MSU senior, Tower Guard alumna, and president of the Council of Students with Disabilities, recently spoke at the Cystic Fibrosis Education Night hosted by the University of Michigan
Shantele Wilkinson, front desk reception assistant for the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, was awarded the MSU Student Employee of the Year Award on April 12, 2022. Shantele has been a front desk student receptionist for the RCPD since September 2019 and has served as a pillar of support for anyone who has entered the office doors.
Every year, the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities recognizes the dedication and leadership of notable alumni who have made significant contributions to their field. The achievements of these alumni represent the importance of education and innovation. This year, Dr. Chad Klochko, M.D., was nominated by Virginia Martz, RCPD Ability Access Specialist, to receive this prestigious award.
Mandy Zuckerman, Tower Guard alumna from the class of 2020-2021, will be receiving the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities 2022 Student Leadership and Service Award for her contributions towards making Beaumont Tower more accessible.
MSU students take large strides in advancing technology for the ALS community. The team, consisting of Claire Kendell, Jessica Stevons, Sean Arnoldt, Don Gorton, Nicholas Boblet, and Brennan Koehler, sought to upgrade the original MSU SCATIR (Self-Calibrating Auditory Tone Infrared) Switch. The team was led and sponsered by Stephen Blosser, former RCPD employee.
The Futures Collection is a novel approach to note-taking and study skills. Comprised of three specialized notebooks, this system is designed to address barriers that students face as a result of their learning or psychiatric disabilities. Leah Ellis, founder of the LeahMonet Philanthropic Foundation, felt that creating an organizational system that focused on habit development, experiential learning, and conceptualization would guide student success. We are pleased to announce that the Futures Collection is now widely available at the MSU Student Book Store (SBS)!
Michigan State University’s mission is to advance knowledge and transform lives. One Spartan, through her participation and dedication, decided to uphold this university mission and take it another step further. From Tower Guard executive board member to co-president of the Council of Students with Disabilities (CSD) to a member of the Honors College and Social Science Scholars program, Jasmine J. has continued to focus on the intersectionality of racism and ableism, fighting for a higher quality of student lives and social environments here at MSU.
Leah Ellis remembers exactly what inspired her. “As a single mother and returning student going back to school, I noticed that when taking all the information in, it was insane. How are all these kids sitting here and looking at all these notes? I couldn’t keep up. I had to figure out a way to separate these notes.” This moment is what influenced Leah to create the Futures Collections, the next generation of educational tools to suit all course needs.
When MSU transitioned to online learning in the spring of 2020, the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) sought to create an experience to virtually build a supportive community for students with psychiatric disabilities. Shelby Gombosi and Lindsay Hill, RCPD’s Ability Access Specialists, answered the call and created the Community Groups program, an opportunity for students to connect with other RCPD-registered students and stimulate conversations regarding the prevailing issues affecting their daily lives.
Michigan State University is an institution that strives for diversity and inclusion both at home and abroad.
With the help of the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities and an MSU Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant, one recent MSU graduate was able to contribute to these efforts by designing an improved method of teaching English to students with visual impairments. A recent MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate and Columbian Fulbright scholar, Maritza Medina G. faced difficulties as a blind student when learning phonetics. She received a Tinker Field Research Grant from the MSU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and wanted to conduct her thesis research on phonetics through assistive technology’s universal design.
Tradition is a foundation of Michigan State University. Despite all the uncertainty, cancelled events, and difficult times of the past few months, the MSU Homecoming tradition remains an important facet of the Spartan experience. For the past 70 years, having the opportunity to represent MSU as a member of the Homecoming Court has been considered one of the highest honors for graduating seniors. The members of the 2020-2021 Homecoming Court were carefully selected from a highly qualified group of candidates and we are excited to share three special individuals with the Spartan community – Jasmine J., Kellie W., and Jordan P.