RISE TOGETHER SALT Center Journal 2020 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
RISE TOGETHER TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Welcome from the Executive Director
2 Shifting Our Strategy to Meet the Challenges of 2020 6 Bartlett Labs: A Commitment to Learning
8 Supporting Access Through Scholarships
9 Claire Swartzlander: 2020 David Livingston White Award Recipient 10 Brendan Duffy: Paying it Forward 12 Partnerships in a Pandemic: Expanding Our Reach to Online & Distance Learners 14 Strategic Advances in Mental Health Services 15 Jacob Levy & The Bear Down Network: The Value of Connection 16 Bear Down Arizona: Reflections on Resilience
SALT CENTER TEAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S OFFICE Gabrielle Miller, Ed.D. Daniel Linden III Rebekah Sieker Marcela Delgado Deb Evano Isaac Flater Oscar Lujan BARTLETT LABS Laurel Grigg Mason ADMISSIONS Sarah Sampe Dennis Haymore
STUDENT SUPPORT Claudia Sandoval Caroline Ragano Eleanor Ferguson Emily Pendleton Colin Eischeid Juan Godoy Heather Gallivan Kimberly Valdez Lupe Thompson Natalie Schleining Debra Puccio Emily Bushouse Michael Holm Blake Cesarz Jennifer Hansen Ilyssa Whitehead
©2020-21 The University of Arizona
LEARNING SUPPORT Emily Veres Megan Stibrich Madison Northrop Arielle Ruda Stephen Ferris Jessica Stansel Mary Beth Eustice GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Laura Fuchs Conor Villines PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES Roxana Samaniego, Ph.D. Michael Medrano, M.A. Melissa Garboski, M.A. Hongyi Wang, M.A. FACULTY FELLOW Lisa Elfring, Ph.D.
Designed and produced by West Press for the SALT Center Editor: Isaac Flater Contributors: Blake Cesarz, Marcela Delgado, Laurel Grigg Mason, Jennifer Hansen, Daniel Linden III, Gabrielle Miller, Emily Pendleton, Roxana Samaniego, Rebekah Sieker, Kimberly Valdez, and Conor Villines Layout & Design: Emanuel Nevarez Photography: Isaac Flater, except where otherwise noted
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WELCOME from the Executive Director DR. GABRIELLE MILLER
Greetings from the SALT Center at the University of Arizona!
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ooking back at everything that’s occurred over the last year, I am so grateful to be part of one of higher education’s most supportive and committed learning communities. Early last spring, when the pandemic began to threaten our ability to provide students with the support they require, our parents, alumni and friends began reaching out to make sure our students had everything they needed. As the pandemic dragged on and the nation was rocked by historic social and political unrest, the outpouring of support and concern for our students only intensified. It was truly awe-inspiring. Some of the first people to contact us were our alumni, many of whom recorded inspiring video messages to share with struggling students. Over the summer, we were blessed with parents who hosted a virtual coffee chat session to welcome in the newest members of the SALT Center family. Throughout the year, we even witnessed several brave students turn to social media channels to share their own stories of hardship and success to let their peers know that they were not alone. In the fall, as we commemorated our 40th anniversary and reflected on the life of our founder, we were touched by those who chose to honor Dr. Eleanor Harner’s legacy by contributing more than $30,000 to the scholarship fund set up in her name.
Dr. Eleanor Harner, SALT Center founder and first director Photo courtesy of Amy Davidson
I would be terribly remiss if I failed to recognize the amazing efforts made by my colleagues at the SALT Center. With decades worth of collective knowledge and wisdom, we were able to rapidly adapt our services to an online delivery model and even expand our program to begin offering support services to students enrolled through Arizona Online. Our team also made tremendous enhancements toward promoting students’ emotional well-being to counteract the effects of social isolation and stress, as well as countless other things that I can’t even begin to list. As we embark on this new chapter of our lives, I am confident that we can continue to develop world-class programming for the students we support. From the hardships of the past year, I have been privileged to see first-hand how we can rise together as we look to each other for support and remember that everyone has the potential to grow in ways they never thought possible. Let’s Bear Down and make 2021 an unforgettable year! Gabrielle Miller, Ed.D.
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SHIFTING OUR STRATEGY to Meet the Challenges of 2020 B Y K I M B E R LY V A L D E Z Student Support Specialist
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his past year has been a time of true selfreflection on who we are as people. As challenging as this time has been for the SALT Center staff and our students, we have remained connected and have continued to strengthen our relationships in the face of the global pandemic. The SALT Center has continued to thrive and provide thoughtful and personalized service to each of our incredibly resilient students. While our services have continued unimpeded in the virtual environment, there have been several strategic changes to programming, including a necessary shift in focus on the mental and emotional health of our students as well as on technology and virtual academic resources and support. Caroline Ragano and Stephen Ferris have worked at the SALT Center in various capacities for many years. Caroline has been with the SALT Center for 26 years and began her career as an ASL tutor, then became an Instructional Specialist working with students on academic probation, and finally became a Student Support Specialist. Stephen Ferris has been with the SALT Center for 9 years and is now an Academic Intervention Coordinator. Both were interviewed and shared their experiences over the last year.
The Switch to Virtual Services Regarding the SALT Center’s transition from a completely in-person service model to a virtual one, Stephen said it best, “The first couple weeks were obviously pretty hectic, and a lot of work had to be done behind the scenes to make it work, but now that it is working, it works very well.” The Learning Support Services team continues to work tirelessly to improve the execution of our online services. They have created virtual waiting rooms for our Reading and Writing Lab and Math and Science Lab, as well as virtual one on one sessions with Student Support Specialists, Academic Intervention Coordinators, and tutors. Stephen shares, “There was an initial learning curve for all of us, but I was impressed at how much people were able to make everything function virtually overnight…it has made it possible for us to continue most of our operations unimpeded at a time when it simply isn’t practical to be in the office.”
Despite all this support and the myriad of success with the transition, the virtual service model presents its own unique challenges. Caroline aptly remarked that, “In some ways, not seeing students directly was the greatest challenge. It’s harder to read things like nuances of body language and facial expressions.” A lot of work completed by Support Specialists and Academic Intervention coordinators is intuitive, and while it’s not impossible to pick up on emotional distress or anxiety online, a limited view of students makes this more challenging. When asked how the transition to a virtual environment progressed for Support Specialists, Caroline felt, “For Specialists, it was an easy transition because we’re talking. It’s still the connection with people.” Overall, Specialist appointments have not changed all that much. Stephen shared, “If somebody had told me that we’d be doing this a year ago back in November 2019, I would have thought it would have taken us weeks to make this work and, in fact, it happened very quickly and works very efficiently. Ultimately, things have changed a lot, but at the same time have not really changed all that much. We are still delivering the same services we have for years, it’s just in a slightly different format.” Despite the challenges posed by the switch to a virtual environment, the transition has also introduced the SALT Center to new opportunities. These include increased access to even more potential students across the United States through virtual means as well as a burgeoning partnership with Arizona Online. Our partnership with Arizona Online allows us to continue to serve an increasingly diverse population of students with learning and attention challenges nationwide. The pilot program began in Fall 2020 with five students, who were impressed with the solid framework of the program and the quality support services provided. We expect to have nine students in the program in Spring 2021. We are also extending services to distance learners as well, encompassing an even larger group of students who are taking University of Arizona classes on other college campuses around the country. The anticipated growth in this area of our services is an exciting next step for the SALT Center. continued on next page
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With the switch to a virtual environment, the SALT Center has been pushed into a new era and our staff has had to be adaptable and efficient in the acquisition of new skills. On this subject, Stephen commented, “I would hate to see all the resources, skills, strategies, and approaches we have developed over the past year go away because I think in the future more people are going to be looking towards the online environment as a way to go to school.” Moving forward, there is an interest in providing staff with even more opportunities to increase knowledge of online and virtual learning tools, not just so they are able to share more resources with students, but also for their own use and increased productivity. Caroline shared another challenge SALT Center staff have witnessed firsthand with the switch to a virtual environment, that of, “watching students miss out on the typical college experience, as well as rites of passage like a typical graduation ceremony.” While students are receiving the same services from us that they would in person, they are missing out on other typical facets of the college experience, from basketball and football games, to piano recitals in the Fred Fox School of Music, or fraternity and sorority rush. The emotional impacts of missing out so broadly have come with a muchneeded focus on mental and emotional health.
Strengthening Mental Health Mental health has taken a front seat this past year with the increased stress of a drastically different learning and working environment as well as the inevitable social isolation the pandemic has caused. Stephen, who is also part of the Wellness Team, a group that helps ensure both students and staff have access to and are fully aware of resources to help them cope, summarized that “We worked a lot on getting out the right message, making sure the students were familiar with various kinds of selfhelp techniques, and various kinds of methods for helping them manage stress and dealing with the various challenges of the pandemic.” For the past four years, Caroline has worked with the Mindfulness Matters group, which offers students other tools to cope with stress. The group is focused on teaching simple techniques to help reduce anxiety and helps students build healthy habits that can positively influence their mental and emotional health. Student participation at these events has drastically increased. As the isolation caused by COVID-19 continues, the sense of community this group engenders is perhaps more important now than ever.
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Forming Meaningful Connections In this current environment, forming and maintaining meaningful connections with students has been extremely important. As Caroline shared, “This was a concern in the beginning. First, how will I form a meaningful connection with a student I have never met before in person? Second, how will I maintain a meaningful connection with my returning students?”. While connecting looks different today, connection itself has remained just as meaningful, and through all our efforts in our continued work with students we have been able, “to connect in a disconnected world,” as Caroline put it so eloquently. Technology is what has ultimately allowed us to maintain our relationships with each other, no matter the distance, and through these relationships, and in the context of COVID-19, we have all learned the value of human connection. While the relationships students form with support staff are extremely important, the relationships students form with each other are also a vitally important aspect of the SALT Center experience. To that end, our Student Engagement Team has worked tirelessly to create virtual activities during the fall and spring semesters. Caroline explains, “Although we cannot have a group of people that hang out at SALT physically, we can create a sense of community and show students there is still a place where they belong.” The work of the Student Engagement Team is just another way we continue to provide opportunities for our students to connect with one another, and with staff.
Looking Forward Our students and staff have seen many changes throughout our 40 years at the University of Arizona, especially this past year. No matter what lies ahead, our resilience and dedication will always be at the heart of a bright future. We know that with hope and hard work, we will continue to see positive transformations that will carry us forward into the next 40 years.
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BARTLETT LABS: A Commitment to Learning BY LAUREL GRIGG MASON Director of Bartlett Labs
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n our second year of operation, the SALT Center’s Bartlett Labs has continued to prioritize applied research and assessment. Through partnerships, research projects, and outreach, we have bolstered innovative approaches and programming helping to affirm the SALT Center’s position as one of the nation’s most impactful support programs for college students with learning and attention differences.
PARTNERSHIPS
University of Macerata
Bartlett Labs’ relationship with the University of Macerata in Italy has blossomed! Last year, we hosted doctoral candidate, Noemi Del Bianco, as a visiting scholar. This year, we formalized an agreement which will enable us to host scholars and practitioners from Italy, and in turn, send scholars and professionals from the University of Arizona to learn from and collaborate with our colleagues there.
College STAR Network
We are also thrilled to be affiliated with the College STAR Network, a project with partner organizations across the nation seeking to make postsecondary education more welcoming and supportive for individuals with learning and attention differences. This network allows us to share our expertise, learn from other campuses, and have an impact beyond our individual institutions. Not only do these partners promote best practices in supporting students at the college level, together we are actively working on joint research and outreach efforts to increase college-going rates and success outcomes for this student population.
Arizona Online
Macerata, Italy
Our recent partnership with Arizona Online has provided promising results for the SALT Center Online pilot program. After surveying student participants and staff, we have received positive outcomes in terms of process and quality of programming. Bartlett Labs will continue to be the assessment and research unit where all of the SALT Center’s pilot programs begin.
Photo courtesy of Regione Marche Tourism Board “Macerata: Veduta” licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 flickr.com/photos/turismomarche/9682823031
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RESEARCH PROJECTS
College STAR Workforce Readiness Study
Our current study on students’ perceptions about the transition to the workforce continues. Over 80 students who receive academic support from 8 different programs across the nation participated in the research, many from Arizona and the SALT Center. We are working on a manuscript to highlight our initial results and have follow-up studies in the development stage. We plan to explore, in more depth, several aspects of why (or why not) an individual might choose to disclose their disability in the workplace. From the experiences of both alumni and current college students, we hope to learn more about the decision-making process regarding disclosure in employment settings as well as the process through which individuals make a disclosure and what impact they feel their decision has had on their workforce experience.
Self-Authorship Study
In collaboration with University of British Columbia doctoral candidate, I-Chen Wu, we are exploring the development of selfauthorship in students in relation to their engagement with the SALT Center’s support services. Marcia Baxter Magolda defines self-authorship as, “The internal capacity to define one’s own beliefs, identity, and social relations.” This has several implications for decision-making related to all areas of life, from choice of major, career, and even interpersonal relationships. Over 40 students enrolled in the SALT Center completed a pre-test / posttest survey, and we are excited to learn how our support services may influence the development of self-authorship.
OUTREACH
THE BARTLETT ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER The University of Arizona’s burgeoning Student Success District recently saw the addition of a newly constructed four-story building just south of Bear Down Gym called the Bartlett Academic Success Center. This state-of-the-art building is the new home of various student support and engagement programs as well as a new satellite location for the SALT Center. Sharing a building with campus partners committed to academic success will afford our students greater opportunities to collaborate and engage with these offerings and help meet their academic, social, and personal needs. The space is flexible and allows for different configurations to encourage learning in different ways for a variety of subject areas and learning styles. It’s hard to contain our excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead! Thank you to long-time supporters of the SALT Center, Patricia and Bruce Bartlett, for making this dream a reality!
Promoting Self-Advocacy: Building Essential Skills for the Transition to College Claudia Sandoval and I gave this presentation at the annual conference of the Association of Educational Therapists and at the College STAR Conference in October 2020.
Post-Secondary Options for Students with LD/ADHD/ASD
I participated in this panel discussion with representatives from other college support programs at the Independent Education Consultants Association fall conference. We addressed the changes we had to make to support students in the virtual environment due to COVID-19. This group delivered a similar presentation at the Learning Disabilities Association of America annual conference, expanding the reach to parents and other educators. S A LT C E N T E R J O U R N A L | 7
SUPPORTING ACCESS Through Scholarships BY DANIEL LINDEN III
Director of Student Support Services
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he SALT Center is proud to offer needbased scholarships to help cover the fees associated with participating in our programs. Our scholarship awards are funded by donations from our generous supporters who believe in our approach of helping as many students as possible with the greatest financial need. Over the past 11 years, we have been able to award over one million dollars in scholarship funds to students in need. Nearly 60% of our current scholarship recipients also qualify for Federal Pell Grant funds which help offset university costs. Pell Grant recipients are typically undergraduate students who have a high degree of unmet financial need.
Our goal is to provide SALT Center scholarships, which cover 100% of program fees, to all Pell Grant eligible students enrolled in the program. We know what the impact of receiving financial support can mean to students; not only does it reduce the financial burden students and families experience, but it also provides greater opportunities for students to focus on their academics and life goals. The SALT Center is also prioritizing scholarship distribution for our newest populations enrolled through Arizona Online and the Arizona Near You Network (distance education). While this newest program offering is still in a pilot phase, we know the need exists and we encourage students to apply in order to have their fees offset with financial support from our donors.
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Oliver Beglinger, SALT Center Scholarship Recipient
“The SALT Center is the main reason why I’m attending college at the University of Arizona. The scholarship relieves a huge burden from my shoulders financially. The SALT Center is a huge reason why I’m succeeding at the UA and I wouldn’t be able to do college without them, and that is why I’m so thankful that I was able to receive this.” – Oliver Apply for SALT Center scholarships at: financialaid.arizona.edu/scholarshipuniverse
CLAIRE SWARTZLANDER: 2020 David Livingston White Award Recipient BY REBEKAH SIEKER Executive Assistant
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ach year, the SALT Center recognizes one graduating senior who has exhibited great perseverance and determination with the David Livingston White Class Ring Award. Our 2020 award recipient is Claire Swartzlander who graduated in May after earning a degree in just 3 years, a goal she set for herself at the start of college. From the onset, Claire knew that reaching this goal would be challenging, but never imagined the many obstacles that would arise along the way. While at Arizona, Claire’s studies were repeatedly interrupted by a series of surgeries to address old sports injuries followed by ongoing physical therapy and follow-up appointments. These events often required her to leave school and travel back home for long periods of time. After one procedure, she was bedridden for 3 months and had to do all her studies and an internship entirely online, preCOVID-19! When asked what receiving the class ring symbolized to her, Claire responded,
“My hard work and the strength it took to buckle down in school. I have never been a huge fan of school, in general, and school was always a bit challenging. I did not always do the best, especially with a learning disability, and being able to graduate in 3 years, despite having to work internships, part-time jobs, and all while undergoing multiple surgeries and going to all those medical appointments… It really symbolizes my journey.” Claire credits her time at the SALT Center and her involvement with Emily Pendleton, her Student Support Specialist, as being a key to her success. Emily provided Claire with valuable encouragement and help to plan out her assignments, stay organized, and find unique workarounds to accomplish all she wanted to each semester. The weekly meetings with Emily provided Claire the tools and structure to keep up with a busy schedule and maintain her grades. Claire’s advice for students who learn differently is to recognize that even though you have an issue or a hardship, it does not define you. You are way more than how you learn and how your brain works. Use it to your advantage as you keep pursuing your dreams. Do not compare yourself to other people or their experiences because everyone’s college experience is going to be different. Knowing she was getting an education to do something she really loved and was passionate about kept her going through all the different trials.
Photo courtesy of Liv Lawler
Since graduating, Claire has been putting her degree in Information Science and e-Society to work as an associate producer on the HGTV show, House Hunters where her determination and passion for marketing and media are serving her well. Congratulations, Claire! S A LT C E N T E R J O U R N A L | 9
Photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics
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BRENDAN DUFFY: Paying it Forward BY BLAKE CESARZ Student Support Specialist
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he year 2020 wasn’t the year anyone hoped for. An unprecedented period in our nation’s history, and in the world’s, this past year has shown us both our collective best and our collective worst. It has tested us, challenged the boundaries of normalcy, made us think, reevaluate, and reconsider. Though the year certainly closed its fair share of doors and put some things on hold, it surprisingly also created opportunities we would not have otherwise had; the opportunities to grow, to reconnect, to reaffirm frayed or fraying bonds, to practice empathy, revisit old passions, or discover new ones, to contribute to a cause, and to become, perhaps, more than we were. Brendan Duffy, a senior studying communication and political science who utilized SALT Center services during his time at the university, has faced quite a few of his own challenges amidst the pandemic.
“Everything changed from Photo courtesy of Paxton Tomooka the moment we went online…my whole routine has changed; the way I feel, have to learn, and participate. It’s more difficult to find motivation. Also, not having that face-to-face time with your teachers and classmates is very difficult. Jennifer Hansen, my Student Support Specialist, helped me out a lot, and I think a lot of other students at SALT have had that support from their Specialists. Jennifer especially does a really good job with that.”
To overcome these challenges, Brendan not only sought out support through the SALT Center, but he also decided to fight the pandemic firsthand by taking on the role of a COVID Ambassador within the University’s Local Government and Community Relations department, for which he had interned this past summer. Brendan has been no stranger to campus engagement, having participated in the Honors College as well as in the Athletics department, where he served for a time as the University’s mascot, Wilbur T. Wildcat. However, it is this most recent role as a COVID Ambassador of which he seems most proud. “When we got started, it was basically just me, another intern, and my boss’s son who were the only COVID Ambassadors. We had one golf cart between us, and our goal was to handout masks around campus, and direct the flow at campus testing centers. We also had info cards to tell people the regulations for campus and for the city. The education aspect was extremely important, and the first week of school, I really thought we had our work cut out for us because not a lot of people were wearing their masks. But, week by week, as we got more people on our team, and the more people saw us around campus…there’s a big change from the first week of school to now.
I think this period is going to be talked about for a long time, even when it’s all over, and I’ll be able to say I was one of the people who was out there trying to make a difference.” Brendan’s commitment to his fellow students during this unprecedented time is a shining example to us all. In a time filled with a blaring fever pitch of confusion, and so very many voices clamoring to be heard, it is with a quiet dignity, and a gentle hand, that Brendan and his fellow Ambassadors entered the fray to provide a symbol of safety, personal responsibility, and security for our campus community. From it all, Brendan not only shared that he grew in the role as a leader, he also shared his big take-away from the whole experience:
“Kindness really does go a long way. It’s been a scary time, and an election year, so everyone has been a little more on edge. I think when someone’s kind to you you’re more likely to respond in kind, because it’s important to pay it forward.”
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PARTNERSHIPS IN A PANDEMIC: Expanding Our Reach to Online & Distance Learners B Y J E N N I F E R H A N S E N, Student Support Specialist & I S A A C F L A T E R, Marketing Specialist & Journal Editor
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rom sit-down restaurants offering curbside pickup to physicians making diagnoses via telemedicine, the pandemic has forever changed the way organizations serve their clients and the SALT Center is certainly no exception. When COVID-19 abruptly forced us to operate remotely in the spring of 2020, we knew we couldn’t simply hunker down and wait out the storm. Early on, we began strategizing and realized the pandemic had afforded us an amazing opportunity to transform our in-person services into a viable online delivery model that could support not only our current students during the pandemic, but also a separate population of students enrolled in classes through Arizona Online, the university’s fully online campus.
semester, we officially launched SALT Center Online as a pilot program. Many of the students we supported that first semester had previously been enrolled through main campus but chose to switch over because of the flexibility built into the Arizona Online experience.
Turning this vision into a reality required tremendous research and preparation with close collaboration and support from our colleagues at Arizona Online and our dedicated research division, Bartlett Labs. Our primary concern throughout all of this was to ensure we could offer students in the online campus the same level of individualized support we have been able to offer in-person students for the past 40 years.
Regarding the collaboration, Carmin Chan, Director of Online Student Success for Arizona Online, shared:
In the spring of 2020, Bartlett Labs began conducting surveys and interviews collecting information from students about how the transition to an online platform was affecting them and their learning. This information, coupled with feedback from staff and data on student engagement, emotional wellbeing, and academic performance, strengthened our resolve that we could indeed serve Arizona Online students without compromising the integrity of our program. Having made the decision to move forward, our preparations continued into the summer as we deepened our understanding of the Arizona Online service model and its unique learning environment. As an entirely separate campus distinct from the main campus, a majority of Arizona Online classes are offered in an accelerated asynchronous format consisting of two 7.5-week sessions per semester. This is a major draw for those within the Arizona Online community, as many of them balance employment and family obligations while also attending school. With these details in mind, we designed a customizable menu of coaching plans intended to be flexible enough to meet the varied needs of online learners. Then, at the start of the fall
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While many students thrive in the fully asynchronous online environment, it is important to note the Arizona Online campus may not be the best option for every student with learning or attention differences. Participating students must be self-driven and highly motivated to succeed in accelerated online classes, especially without the benefit of in-person interactions with faculty and staff.
“With the recent challenges presented by the rapid shift to remote learning, we believe it is more critical than ever to partner together across campus units and statewide locations to provide fluid options for all UArizona students. By offering robust online student support programming – like the services now offered by SALT Center Online – we are able to support all Arizona Wildcats in reaching their academic goals.” Evie S. is a student who used SALT Center Online services during the program’s first fall semester. Evie opted for the Arizona Online campus due to the pandemic and remained in her home state of North Carolina, where she has been able to balance work, school, and multiple volunteer commitments.
“Arizona has always been my top choice of universities, because of the SALT Center,” Evie
shared. As a transfer student, Evie made the final decision to attend Arizona Online because we could still provide support services to her while she remained at home. In particular, she has found our comprehensive tutoring, including our one-on-one and drop-in options, to be particularly helpful.
Although there are challenges associated with residing across the country in a different time zone, Evie reflects, “I have been very impressed
with communication from SALT [Center] tutoring and I have benefitted from having a point person to talk to, even being so far away.” Because of the early successes we have been having with students in the Arizona Online campus, we are now proud to announce that additional distance learners enrolled in classes through the University of Arizona’s “Near You Network” will also be eligible to apply for our services. This developing partnership is yet another symbol of our enduring commitment to supporting students who learn differently, regardless of where they are in the world. With the heavy toll the pandemic has taken on everyone over the last year, we hope our experiences in actively finding opportunities to grow and serve others in the face of adversity will provide an example of how Wildcats can work together to bear down and shine when things turn dark. For more details on SALT Center Online, visit saltonline.arizona.edu
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STRATEGIC ADVANCES in Mental Health Services BY ROXANA SAMANIEGO, PH.D.
Director of Clinical and Wellness Services Photo courtesy of Frank Cone
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ollege mental health is an ever-changing field that continually evolves in response to trends in university settings. Over the years, the SALT Center’s Psychological Services team has filled a unique role providing mental health support to help students enrolled in our program overcome challenges and fulfill their academic ambitions. We have frequently collaborated with the support staff to quickly identify and implement needed resources and engage in problem-solving. This year, however, all college support professionals have had to adapt even more quickly, respond to new stressors never encountered before, and provide effective services to students in a new virtual space. At the SALT Center, we saw a need to devote more resources and respond in innovative ways. To meet the needs in this changing landscape, our department was expanded to Psychological Services and Wellness at the SALT Center. Our leadership team acted swiftly, and I am excited to report that my role as Director of Clinical services was expanded to oversee both Psychological and Wellness teams and to devote more time to building both high-quality mental health care and broader wellness programming. The multidisciplinary Wellness team was created for the purpose of engaging and informing students about dimensions of wellness through small and impactful messaging. The team focuses on integrating university wellness initiatives with local programming and adapting it to suit the needs of our students. While there are many dimensions of wellness, our team focuses on academic, emotional, and interpersonal wellbeing. This includes building resilience, accessing university resources, formulating a selfcare plan, and empowering people to seek help. Additional educational groups were created to help students learn to thrive in a world where so many elements are beyond their control. We engage students with social media, groups, oneon-one meetings, and providing relevant information to the Student Support Specialists so they can support their students
more effectively. Our virtual workspace has also allowed for greater collaboration across the campus, which has produced additional resources for our students. We recognize that staff health is vital to the ongoing work of the SALT Center, and we have implemented programming to address staff wellness as well. The Psychological Services team has also adapted to provide increased flexibility and accessibility for our students. Telehealth (aka telepsychology), though at the forefront of service delivery for some time, was not frequently used prior to last spring. With this opportunity to transform our services, we transitioned to a completely online secure platform with virtually no interruption. We took up the challenge to increase our skills in telehealth, and I am happy to report we can provide secure, effective psychological care for students. Our data show that students are accessing our virtual services more frequently than ever before, and we plan to continue to have telehealth as an ongoing option for any student who may prefer or require it. Despite our distance, we have strengthened our commitment to supporting students through these stressful times. We know that there may be unanticipated challenges ahead, but we will constantly strive to implement creative and effective solutions with an eye to empowering our students through education and quality care. We are honored to work with so many students who display incredible resilience, and to be on a small part of their journey.
“As a Student Support Specialist, having the psychological services available to our students at the SALT Center has been an enormous asset that is hard to put into words. This service is essential given the stressful environment these students are operating in and I am very grateful for this support, and I know many students are as well.” – Natalie K. Schleining, M.S. Student Support Specialist
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JACOB LEVY & THE BEAR DOWN NETWORK: The Value of Connections B Y E M I LY P E N D L E T O N
Alumni Coordinator & Student Support Specialist
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or more than 40 years, the SALT Center has been playing a vital role in helping students with learning and attention challenges graduate from the University of Arizona and successfully launch into the working world. We deeply appreciate when our alumni ask how they can reconnect and give back to the program that changed the trajectory of their lives. Recently, we had the chance to hear from one such graduate, Jacob Levy ’05, about his entrepreneurial efforts toward supporting those with disabilities. Within the past several years, Jacob started his own consulting and career coaching business, catering to students and professionals with learning and attention challenges. He helps his clients master the art of content creating and adding value on LinkedIn to get their profiles in front of top recruiters and solidify job matches. Jacob recently shared his LinkedIn expertise with students at the SALT Center through an online workshop as part of our annual Life After College career readiness event. Now, more than ever, we need to keep our students engaged and connected with alumni. Alumni occupy a unique position in their understanding and experiences that can truly resonate with current students. The value of our alumni is immeasurable as they often make ideal mentors and are perfectly placed to help our students start building a professional network of contacts.
Photo courtesy of Jacob Levy
In partnership with the University Alumni and Development Program, the SALT Center has partnered with the Bear Down Network. This online platform allows for us to accomplish our goal of helping current students make connections with other Wildcats, especially SALT Center Wildcats. As we know, taking that first step into the working world to find a job can be a very scary proposition for any student, but particularly so for those with a disability. Like Jacob, many alumni often ask us what they can do to give back and help our students and this is the ideal way to take that first step. It’s simple to create a free profile on the Bear Down Network and join the SALT Center Group. The platform allows students to connect with alumni who are in their target industry and allows alumni to designate their desired level of availability to help with things like networking and mentoring. It’s a great tool to help current students connect with professionals who have stood in their shoes and an easy way for alumni to pay it forward. Join the Bear Down Network at beardownnetwork.com
Photo courtesy of Chris Richards/Alumni Association
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BEAR DOWN ARIZONA: Reflections on Resilience “Embrace failure. You won’t be successful at everything you do, but you’ll never know until you try!” EMILY VERES
Assistant Director, Learning Support Services
“We often describe students as hard workers, but what does that mean? It means that they ask for help, spend the time necessary on studying or completing assignments, review consistently, and most importantly stay positive, even when times are tough.” SARAH SAMPE
Assistant Director, Admissions and Engagement
“To meet students where they are, provide guidance and support in becoming the best version of themselves they can be, as a student and a person, is a role to treasure.” NATALIE SCHLEINING
Student Support Specialist
“Watching students get excited about what they are learning is inspiring. It’s this motivation and determination that I see in students that makes me feel like I’m where I need to be.” CLAUDIA SANDOVAL
Assistant Director, Student Support Services
“Working with college students is extremely rewarding because it provides the opportunity to not only help students build confidence in themselves and their abilities, but also get to know each of them individually and share in the ups and downs that each week and semester brings.” ELEANOR FERGUSON
Student Support Specialist
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“It is quite possible that many students using SALT Center services will enter the professional workplace and use the skills they have acquired during this unprecedented time. Basically, they are currently experiencing a possible future.” MICHAEL HOLM
Student Support Specialist
“When life seems overwhelming, perseverance helps to overcome obstacles. You don’t have to do it all at once. Take it twenty minutes at a time. I hear about procrastination, but we all have the power to slowly take our foot off the brake.” LAURA FUCHS
Graduate Assistant
“Everyone is struggling these days with the pandemic and other crises. The SALT Center’s students have to contend with all of those same difficulties as well as their own personal learning challenges and they do this every day. Their will to persevere and thrive is inspiring.” MICHAEL MEDRANO
Psychological Services Intern
“What motivates me to work with students is that I know exactly the position they are in as an alum of the SALT Center. I have sat in the same chairs and have worn the shoes they have. With the hard work that students put forward and the tools and support the SALT Center offers, I know that students can be successful within their own journeys.” EMILY PENDLETON
Student Support Specialist
Photo courtesy of Jacob Chinn/Alumni Association
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The University of Arizona Patricia A. Bartlett Building Patricia A. Bartlett Building PO Box 210136 PO Box 210136 1010 N. Highland Avenue 1010 N. Highland Avenue Tucson, AZ 85721-0136 Tucson, AZ 85721-0136 1705300 1705300
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