Education for All
By: Kirsten Swanson
A
t its core, Gwynedd Mercy
University is an institution that
values the dignity and respect of each
person and prepares students for
meaningful lives in a global society. The
recently launched Integrated Studies
program underpins the University’s
commitment to academic excellence and
lifelong learning for all.
“GMercyU believes strongly in creating
opportunities for all, and fostering an
inclusive and welcoming community, all
of which aligns with the critical concerns
of the Sisters of Mercy,” Program
Coordinator of Integrated Studies
Ariana Amaya, OTD, OTR/L said.
Integrated Studies is a fully-inclusive,
non-degree certificate program on
GMercyU’s campus, offering two-year
or four-year college experiences for
young adults with intellectual and/or
developmental disabilities (ID/DD) who
otherwise could not attend college.
Students participating in the program
will be active members of the campus
community as they will audit college
courses, participate in community-
based internships, attend sporting
events, eat in the dining hall, and have
the opportunity to live in the residence
halls. Students will earn a non-degree
certificate of Integrated Studies and a
university transcript that includes the
courses and internships completed as
well as a portfolio of highlighted work.
GMercyU is one of only 84, four-year
4
TODAY
“
GMercyU believes
strongly in creating
opportunities for all, and
fostering an inclusive and
welcoming community, all
of which aligns with the
critical concerns of the
Sisters of Mercy.
universities to offer housing as an
option for students with intellectual/
developmental disabilities.
Almost 69.7% of all young adults in the
United States attend college following
high school graduation, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017),
and have more than 7,000 institutions
from which to choose (National Center
for Education Statistics, 2016). By
comparison, 28.7% of young adults with
ID enroll in college post-high school,
with only 278 options to choose from
across the nation (Newman et al., 2011;
Think College, 2018).
“The community’s need for additional
programming for this population is
evident, and the University embraced
the initiative from the very beginning as
it aligned with its Mercy mission,” Dr.
Amaya said.
GMercyU received a start-up grant
from the Pennsylvania Inclusive Higher
Education Consortium (PIHEC) to
launch the program. PIHEC is funded
by the U.S. Department of Education
through the acquisition of a Transition
and Postsecondary Programs for
Students with Intellectual Disabilities
(TPSID) grant.
The Program welcomed its first two
students in January 2020, Nick McGee
and Jasmine Hall. The two are enrolled
in courses and have quickly become a
part of the campus community.
”
- Dr. Ariana Amaya
Nick and Jasmine are paired with peer
mentors, fellow GMercyU students who
provide support both in and out of the
classroom and help them transition to
life on campus.
“Being a part of this program is an
opportunity to continue the mission of
inclusion on this campus. The impact
that this program will make on the
GMercyU community and the workforce
is limitless because of the value of
inclusion and neurodiversity,” said peer
mentor Andrew Harbaugh '20.
Nick often talks about the significance
of paving the way for students with
disabilities at the University. “Once a
Griffin, always a Griffin,” Nick said.
Jasmine says that Integrated Studies
will help her to “be successful and gain
knowledge every day.”
Learn more about Gwynedd Mercy
University’s Integrated Studies
Program.