Beacon College faculty and staff have been working on developing programs that will extend the College’s reach nationally and even internationally. Several programs are in the developmental stage currently, and details will be released as soon as they are confirmed. These inaugural programs will be piloted employing the proven model of academic success developed at Beacon. The online course offering, Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities in the Writing Classroom, will introduce for the first time an online presence for the College during the spring semester and will serve as the start of additional programming options offered by the College to a wider audience.
Beacon’s faculty are assuming the leadership in reaching ever new audiences, with the introduction of the College’s first online offering. In their years of experience working with students with learning disabilities and ADHD, Beacon College faculty have discovered many strategies for better accommodating this student population while ensuring that key course concepts are learned and retained. English professors Dr. Nesbitt and Dr. Le have decided to share their knowledge through the popular forum of the online course network Canvas. This free course is open to anyone interested in learning more about how best to support students with learning disabilities specifically with their writing skills. Dr. Chandler, Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs, notes, “With our faculty instructing an online course, we will reach a larger audience, helping more students with learning disabilities with the writing process.”
English Professors Dr. Caroline Le and Dr. William Nesbitt have designed this Internet-deliverable course, Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities in the Writing Classroom, using their shared knowledge and experience teaching and working individually with students at Beacon College. The pair decided it was important to share their experience with others. Dr. Le commented, “Dr. Nesbitt and I created this course to share our knowledge gleaned from years of hands-on experience working with students with learning disabilities.”
The Beacon community understands that we have, over our history, created a model of teaching, learning, and support that uniquely fosters the academic success of students with learning disabilities and ADHD at the undergraduate level. In keeping faith with the College’s distinct mission, we will continue to support our core operation by extending our influence, reputation, and good work to current and new audiences in tangible ways.
In undertaking this mission-appropriate expansion in reach locally, regionally, nationally, and globally, we are mindful that the true foundation for each of these new programs is our core undergraduate curriculum, and the students that we educate and serve on the Leesburg campus each semester. With each new initiative, the question is and must be asked, “How does this new effort or facility enhance the Beacon experience overall, and ensure that our students are better served today and tomorrow?” We are called, as a community, to meeting this test forthrightly.