Executive Summary
This project aims to create possible content for a new code of practice to support disabled students in their academic learning experience and broader student experience. This code of practice will guide staff in creating inclusive curricula, pedagogies and communities. We will develop clear standards for inclusive provision for disabled students, supported by case studies of good practice from the Warwick community. This code of practice will be co-produced with disabled students and in partnership with other key stakeholders across the university. The final code of practice for disabled students is being developed by the new WIHEA learning circle, “Inclusive Policy and Practice for Disabled Students”.
Methods
Two student researchers will hold three workshops with key stakeholders to generate content for the code of practice. Key stakeholders are disabled students and staff from departments across the university who have expertise and interest in inclusive practice (e.g., EDI officers, disability co-ordinators, disability mentors, academics, professional services) These workshops will help create knowledge and practical guidance for the code of practice. We will run separate workshops for staff, students and student-staff, to discuss indictive areas for the code of practice. The workshops will be held on TEAMS or co-production space in the library. The workshops will be organised into three core themes below.
1.Inclusive curricula: what disability is, models of disability, legal requirements for reasonable adjustments, support required for students to obtain reasonable adjustments, disclosure, and the roles and responsibilities of individuals/teams/departments for supporting disabled students.
2.Inclusive Pedagogies: how to best create and provide provisions for reasonable adjustments for disabled students for their learning and teaching, assessment and coursework, pastoral provision (e.g., personal tutor, senior tutors), placements, and project supervision.
3.Inclusive Communities: how to support disabled students with their wellbeing and any mitigating circumstances. How to create inclusive events and departmental student experience initiatives.
To run effective workshops, 6-8 people are needed per workshop, and the workshops will last up to two hours. Participants will work on questions on the indictive areas above, co-produced by the project team and stakeholders. By the end of workshop, participants will come up with specific recommendations that we will be collated. Student researchers will analyse the findings, and recommendations for content for the code of practice will be made. After, project completion, we will send the code of practice back to workshop participants for their comments.
The code of practice will also be supported by student case studies of inclusive best practices drawn from the University community. Already, identified areas of good practice include WIHEA learning circles, committees (such as the disability task force), departments, the Student Union (ASD@Warwick and ENABLE societies) and professional services.
The new learning circle will use the recommendations for content from this project to enable them to create a new code of practice for disabled students. Once the code of practice is developed, we will socialise the code with relevant committees and task forces. We will evaluate the success of the code of practice by its implementation as a code of practice at the university level and its ongoing engagement departmental level via TEG and ITLR meetings. We hope the code of practice helps improving student progression and student experience.