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In the fall, Texas A&M University will start a new program to . Aggie ACHIEVE will gives these students access to a full university experience 鈥� something not often available to them. They鈥檒l reside on campus, attend classes alongside fellow Aggies, and will have a personalized education plan geared toward future employment.
, assistant professor of special education at Texas A&M's College of Education and Human Development, says Aggie ACHIEVE will be academically rigorous, but will also give students extra support through counselors and peers.
鈥淭he overall objective is for all of our students to exit the program in four years having integrated employment in the community in a meaningful job of their choice,鈥� Gilson says.
Gilson says students will get an authentic college experience. In addition to auditing courses and living on campus, she says they鈥檒l hold internships and participate in clubs and organizations.
鈥淲e use a process called 鈥榩erson-centered planning鈥� where each student has an individualized curriculum that suits their goals, strengths and interests,鈥� Gilson says.
Although the students won鈥檛 receive degrees, they will receive a certificate.
And participants will be paired with fellow students, called 鈥淎CHIEVEmates,鈥� who will work alongside them in their classes.
Gilson says the program is modeled after other inclusivity programs like Next Steps at Vanderbilt University. There are other similar programs in Texas, but AggieACHIEVE will be the first four-year residential one.
Five students will be part of the first cohort in fall 2019. But Gilson says that number could double in the future.
Gilson says the program will make higher education in Texas more inclusive for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And greater diversity will also benefit the rest of the student population.
鈥淧eople with intellectual and developmental disabilities are an important part of our community, but often times, especially in higher education settings, they have been overlooked and living in the shadows,鈥� Gilson says. 鈥淭he A&M students [will] be able to have these opportunities to grow alongside an important segment of our population.鈥�
Written by Geronimo Perez.
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