Think by the Bay (TBTB) is a new program at Cal State East Bay (CSUEB) that launched in August 2023. The mission is to provide an inclusive, two-year college experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Dr. Talya Kemper, associate professor of teacher education and TBTB team lead, attributes her interest in establishing an inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) program at CSUEB to her time as a special education teacher in San Francisco. “There was nowhere for these students to go after leaving high school. The only options for them were programs that were very segregated.”
Dr. Sara McDaniel, assistant professor of special education and Dr. Sarah Taylor, professor of social work, round out the TBTB team. Says McDaniel, “While we believe that the academic component is incredibly important, a college experience is so much more than that.
‘There was nowhere for these students to go after leaving high school. The only options for them were programs that were very segregated.’
Dr. Tayla Kemper
“There is such an awakening that happens for a young person when they are able to spend time on a college campus with peers,” McDaniel adds. “They get to explore socially, meet new friends and exchange ideas with people who they might never have met otherwise. IDD students are almost always left out of these opportunities.”
IPSE programs for IDD students have been gaining popularity in the U.S. since 2008, when Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) that boosted IPSE funding.
In October 2023, Governor Newsom signed AB 447, which authorizes and encourages the California State University (CSU) system to implement inclusive programs, building upon existing state laws that require universities to provide “educationally equitable environments.”
IDD students usually receive a certificate of completion upon graduation from high school, or a diploma for an alternate pathway, neither of which qualify as a traditional high school diploma that four-year universities require for admission. The TBTB program provides an alternate pathway. Says Kemper, “We want to give them an experience that we feel is the right of everyone.”
TBTB students do not follow a typical degree track, but take a variety of mainstream courses that interest them, usually one to two classes per semester. Program completion requires 15 units, with an estimated total cost of $14,000 (not including meals or transportation). Registration and billing are handled by University Extension. The TBTB program is affiliated with CSU East Bay’s Center for Disability Justice Research (CDJR).
TBTB students do not follow a typical degree track, but take a variety of mainstream courses that interest them, usually one to two classes per semester
At the beginning of the school year, Kemper and her colleagues meet with each student to identify their needs and reach out to the professors to help set up a customized curriculum and modified grading rubric. TBTB students also take classes that teach independent living, working and socializing skills.
A small but dedicated band of peer mentors help TBTB students navigate campus, support them in class and guide them through new experiences, like going to a basketball game or eating in the dining commons.
Diona Tran, one of the five TBTB students admitted in 2023, says, “I made a lot of new friends. I also worked as a research assistant answering questions and sending out flyers. And I went to a soccer game and a volleyball game and had a lot of fun!”
Taylor declares the program a win-win for all involved. “IPSE programs really benefit the whole community. They provide an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to get to know a population that many are not familiar with.” Data from National Core Indicators, a nonprofit research group, shows that IDD students who enroll in IPSE programs become more confident, socially aware and are much more employable.
Kemper, Taylor and McDaniel hope to grow the TBTB program, despite recent budget cuts and lack of funding. It’s their passion project, after all. “A program like this normally takes years to develop,” says Kemper, “especially considering the policies and bureaucracy of the CSU system.” The three have worked hard, scrambling to meet deadlines. Taylor describes the whole experience as “building a plane while in flight.”
The inaugural cohort of five students were admitted in fall 2023, with three of them becoming the first-ever IDD students to graduate from CSUEB this past May. An amazing achievement, not only for the students themselves, but for the TBTB team and all involved.
In a controversial and ironic move, CSUEB denied a request by the TBTB program to include these three grads in commencement ceremonies, despite a petition in support of the idea that garnered over 1,000 signatures. Instead, the TBTB program recognized the achievements of their inaugural graduating class through their own special reception. The students also took part in the inclusive performance graduation ceremony of the theatre and dance department.
For more info, visit csueastbay.edu/cdjr/think-by-the-bay.html.
