The field of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) for students with intellectual disability has continued to grow over the past two decades, largely due to the work of Think College. Think College has supported hundreds of college programs, state alliances across the country, newly established regional alliances, and state funded technical assistance centers. With this growth comes the need for a membership organization that provides a central hub for those involved in postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability.
A membership organization is an organization formed by individuals, programs and other organizations who share common interests, goals, or professions. Members pay fees to join and gain access to resources, networking opportunities, advocacy, and support provided by the organization. Through the work of the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network, the membership organization formation team, led by Susana Miller-Raines, has been creating the groundwork to incubate such an organization for the field of IPSE.
Below you can read more about the relationship as well as the similarities and differences between Think College and the newly named membership organization, Inclusive Postsecondary Education Association (IPSE Association).
Think College: Home to two Federally Funded Technical Assistance and Dissemination Centers
Since 2008, Think College has been a leader in postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability, focusing on expanding options and improving program quality.
It makes sense that Think College would serve as a thought leader and incubator for a new membership organization for the field of IPSE. Think College is a national technical assistance, research, and evaluation center located at a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), at UMass Boston. It is dedicated to research, technical assistance, training and resource development, and dissemination in service of developing, expanding, and improving postsecondary education options for students with intellectual disability. Think College carries out this work through various funding sources, including contracts and federal grants, which evolve over time.
Currently, Think College operates two federally funded technical assistance and dissemination centers; the Think College National Coordinating Center and the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network. Project-specific scopes of work allow Think College to address areas of critical need for the field. The staff and projects of Think College will continue their work, as funding allows, researching best practices, disseminating information and guidance, and providing technical assistance and training on postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability. Past projects have been focused on secondary transition, college based transition services, and college and career readiness for students with intellectual disability.
The focus of Think College’s work is expanding and improving postsecondary education for people with intellectual disability.
IPSE Association: A Membership Organization
The IPSE Association, once established, will serve as a hub for professionals and advocates in IPSE, fostering idea-sharing and advocacy for this critical area of higher education. It will be a membership organization of professionals and advocates committed to the inclusion of people with intellectual disability in postsecondary education.
The purpose of the IPSE Association is to increase access to quality inclusive postsecondary education for people with intellectual disability by building community, advancing knowledge, supporting advocacy, and developing leaders in the field.
The mission of the IPSE Association is to build a community of professionals and advocates that advances policy and practice to expand opportunities for inclusive postsecondary education for people with intellectual disability.
The vision is that people with intellectual disability are included and supported at all colleges and universities to pursue their desired life goals
Some key aspects of the IPSE Association will be:
- Building Community: creating a strong community of professionals and advocates on international, national, regional and state levels; creating a space for professionals within the field of IPSE to share and learn with each other.
- Fostering Partnerships: cultivating partnerships between organizations and initiatives to foster collaboration that advances equitable higher education for people with intellectual disability.
- Providing Professional Development: providing professional development, including training and mentorship, to those whose work impacts higher education for people with intellectual disability
- Advancing Leadership and Advocacy: advancing the capacity of community members to advocate for needed change and provide leadership in their local, state, regional, and national networks related to higher education for people with intellectual disability.
Conclusion
The new membership organization, IPSE Association, will strengthen connections among those dedicated to expanding higher education access for students with intellectual disability and will advocate for policies and practices that ensure sustained growth in the field. As a university-based center, Think College will utilize grants and other funding to continue research, technical assistance and dissemination to improve the field of IPSE. Together these two entities will ensure that postsecondary education is an option available to all students with intellectual disability who wish to pursue it. Both of these entities, the IPSE Association and Think College, will work alongside each other to advance the field of inclusive postsecondary education.