An Alumni Association is a helpful resource to have at an institution, and it is useful for an admissions representative to be familiar with its membership, a list of alumni benefits that grads get, how grads can attend social events, where the Alumni Association is located at my institution, and other details.

I learned that though there are similarities among institutions as they are governed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, each institution has its own format for presenting the policies and procedures. Also, marketing strategies can vary as long as they adhere to Fair Consumer Practices.

I learned that it is important to check the Florida Commission for Independent Education website about once a month for announcements of any updates to rules and/or statutes so that I can be in compliance with these updates.

I learned that to be eligible to function as an Admissions Staff for a graduate school in the state of Florida, I need to annual complete the CM201 course on the FAPSC online training center. I also learned that an organized notebook is a useful tool to learn and reference the important material in this course, which includes terms and definitions that are useful to understand in order to function as an admissions staff member.

confidentiality is key

All students have the right to privacy and information should not be discussed even with family members who are not in FERPA

I have come to know the significance of not making any assumptions or stereotypes about disabled students, and of keeping in view the issues of their confidentiality. Moreover, I have come to realize that my job is to make sure that I am giving correct information and focusing on the strengths of the student and the program requirements, instead of discussing anything disability related.

In terms of the accommodations themselves, I have learned that they are intended to provide equal access, not success, and are considered on a case-by-case basis. In addition, I am familiar with the role of Universal Design in facilitating greater accessibility. Moving forward, I plan to put this information into practice through my focus on eliminating obstacles and refraining from making assumptions.

Disabilities can affect students differently, as well as functional difficulties being more important than simply diagnosing the disability. Also, it was highlighted that it is essential to understand the unique needs of the students as well as to make appropriate adjustments for them. This knowledge will be applied by not making any assumptions, but paying attention to the particular obstacles faced by a student.

Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act are interested in the issue of equal opportunities and access for students with disabilities. I have found out that it is important to provide accommodations depending on individual functional limitations, not on students’ diagnoses. I will try to do this through being fair and using established procedures of accommodation.