The 2021-2025 Accreditation workgroup has been convened by the National Coordinating Center (NCC) to support the development of a program accreditation process for college programs for students with intellectual disability. Past workgroups developed, field tested and refined model program accreditation standards. The current workgroup, under the leadership of Dr. Martha Mock of the University of Rochester as chairperson and Stephanie Smith Lee as past chair will support the NCC as they draft, pilot, refine and implement a program accreditation process so that the program accreditation standards finalized in 2020 may be used to accredit college programs.
The assembled workgroup represents a wide array of stakeholders, bringing expertise in college programs for students with intellectual disability, higher education accreditation, employment of individuals with disabilities, disability policy and higher education administration.
Think College National Coordinating Center Accreditation Work Group, 2021 – 2025
Chair
Martha Mock, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor, Warner School of Education
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Past Chair
Stephanie Smith Lee
Senior Policy Advisor, National Down Syndrome Congress, Charlotte, NC
Members
W. Drew Andrews, Ed.D.
Assistant Director and Technical Assistance Coordinator, Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Carol Britton Laws, PhD, MSW, FAAIDD
Assistant Clinical Professor in Disability Studies; Director, Destination Dawgs Inclusive Postsecondary Education at UGA; Institute on Human Development and Disability/UCEDD, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Mary Judge Diegert, MS
Assistant Director, Center for Disability and Education
Warner School of Education
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Jon Fansmith
Director, Government Relations, Division of Government and Public Affairs
American Council on Education, Washington, DC
Therese Fimian
Director of Operations, Marc Gold & Associates, Vienna, VA
Wilbert (Wil) Frances, MBA
Project Director, Open the Doors to College, University of California-Los Angeles
Tarjan Center, Los Angeles, CA
Debra Hart, MS
Principal Investigator, Think College National Coordinating Center
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
William (Bill) Loyd, Jr.. PhD
University of Iowa REACH Director, College of Education, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
David Mank, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Cynthia (Cindi) May, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
Michelle Mitchell, MEd, CRC
Professor and Learning Specialist, Disability Support Services
Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, PA
Tracy Rand
Managing Director, Disability Services, Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ
Linda Rhen, EdD
Associate Teaching Professor, Associate Chair of Assessment & Accreditation
Director, Career Studies Program
Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg, PA
Terri Shelton, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement, Carol Jenkins Mattocks Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC
Chrisann Schiro-Geist, PhD
Professor and Director, University of Memphis, Institute on Disability, Memphis, TN
Sean J. Smith, PhD
Professor, Department of Special Education, School of Education and Human Services, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Stephan Smith
Executive Director, Association on Higher Education and Disability, Charlotte, NC
Madeleine Will
Policy expert and advisor, Washington, DC
Ex Officio Members
Meg Grigal, PhD
Principal Investigator, Think College National Coordinating Center
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Cate Weir, MEd
Program Director, Think College National Coordinating Center
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
cathryn.weir@umb.edu