A Qualitative Case Study of Land-Grants and Retention of Students with Disabilities - Students with invisible disabilities are enrolling in public universities at increasing rates due to various statutes that sponsor greater accessibility to education. Calling all disabilities services administrators to participate with a purpose. Explore types of learning disabilities and identify the effects of learning disabilities in adults such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, and the often co-existing conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

1. Students with disabilities are enrolling in public universities at increasing rates due to
various statutes that sponsor greater accessibility to education. Notably, public land
grant universities are focused on practical education for the working class and are
funded to advance industrial and political policy outcomes (Knight, Wessel, & Markle,
2018). Elevating educational access for underserved communities increases retention
challenges for university leaders and the need for competency development. The
researcher uses a qualitative collective case study design to examine how land-grant
leaders relate strategies to enable their support staff to help students be self-
determined in their academic progress. This project aims to identify some emerging
best practices in public land grant institutions.
INTRODUCTION
THEORY
There is considerable evidence that the conceptual framework of self-determination
is effective to increase student success, particularly for students with learning
disabilities (Hu & Zhang, 2017; Ju, Zeng, & Landmark, 2017; Newman et al., 2019;
Wehmeyer & Little, 2013; Deci & Ryan, 2002). Wehmeyer and Little’s (2013) theory of
self-determination for students with disabilities refers to a combination of skills,
knowledge, and beliefs that promote goal-directed, self-regulated, and autonomous
behavior (Newman et al., 2019). Black students attending historically Black
universities further emphasized a need for more research on the benefits of self-
determination (Banks & Gibson, 2016) from the perspective of racial and social bias.
METHODOLOGY
Collective Case Study Design
Compares multiple cases within the land-grant system to provide insight into the
issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Cross-case analysis bound within the Southern
region of the land-grant system guides the
exploration through a deep dive into
the historical context of educational
segregation in the South.
A unique segment of the U.S. land
grant education system exists in pairs
-- a historically Black college and uni-
versity and a predominately White
institution -- due to historical segrega-
tion in the United States’ southern region.
It is currently unclear why Black students
with disabilities continue to lag behind their
White counterparts (Banks, Ellis, & Palmer, 2016).
There is limited research exploring this disparity and
how leaders with decision-making responsibilities for students with learning
disabilities from diverse backgrounds describe strategies to assist those students with
persistence and retention.
Elevating the issue of educational
access for underserved
communities increases retention
challenges for university leaders
and the need for competency
development.
LaRachelle Samuel-Smith, PhD Candidate
Catharine Penfold Navarro, Doctoral Advisor
Capella University, December 2021
A Qualitative Case Study of Land-Grants and
Retention of Students with Learning
Disabilities
The role of land-grant university leaders in the strategic
planning of a campus environment that fosters intrinsic
motivation in students primed with self-determination
is paramount for retention and academic progress in a
society that aims to maintain its global preeminence
through the opportunities that a quality education
provides.
Due to historical segregation both HBCU and PWI co-exist creating a unique
phenomenon in the Southern Region of the Land-Grant University System
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