In the midst of a both campus-wide and national uptick in students requiring disability accommodations services, the Drake University Office of Access and Success’ longtime director is leaving, and the school is on the search for new leadership.
Director of Student Disability Services Michelle Laughlin announced in an email on March 12 that she will be leaving Drake University after more than 20 years at the University. This email was sent only to students currently receiving accommodations from the Office of Access and Success. Laughlin stated that when she started here, she had “84 students, and now I’m up to over 300, almost 350.”
The office offers support for students with a variety of needs through academic coaching, disability services and tutoring. Its goal is to offer personalized support to students who need it and to help them navigate college with effective academic strategies.
However, students have voiced complaints to The Times-Delphic that the office has not met their needs.
One student, who requested to remain anonymous, cited communication as their biggest issue. This student required testing accommodations for an external exam not associated with Drake, and they said the required paperwork was never filed.
The student said they received no communication after the exam had passed. This student reached out to Jenny Tran-Johnson, associate provost for academic excellence and student success, who “really seemed to care” about the issues they brought up.
“I’ve had other issues with Access and Success and I think other people have as well, but she didn’t know any of these issues were going on, so I think it was great that I was able to bring that to her attention,” the student said.
This student later received an apology from both Laughlin and Tran-Johnson, but stated there was nothing that could be done at that point.
Another student, who also requested to remain anonymous, said they struggle with communication barriers and “unprofessional behavior” with the office.
“Things that shouldn’t take more than a couple of days have been taking, like, a week or more,” the student said.
The student said their experience with Access and Success had been positive until the past year or so.
“I’ve spoken with a lot of other people who use that service, and we’ve all agreed that it’s not very accessible nor successful at the moment,” the student said.
The student also mentioned that up until recently, Laughlin had been handling a majority of student disability accommodations. Laughlin has taken on the majority of the students who need accommodations and was the only person working in that position for a long while.
Before becoming the Office of Access and Success that students know today, the office was originally just Disability Services, according to Laughlin. Disability Services aimed to help students with disabilities get accommodations that would allow them equal access to education.
Laughlin said it wasn’t until 2020 that the department hired another person. That was when they no longer focused primarily on students with disabilities, but opened their doors to academic accommodations for those without diagnosed disabilities. This, according to Laughlin, “bridges the gap between academic achievement and disability services.”
Both students said they use academic accommodations every day, so they rely heavily on Access and Success.
Laughlin said that with her departure, accommodations will not “automatically go away,” due to the continued need. However, she is prepared to hand over those responsibilities.
“It’s been a very fulfilling career,” Laughlin said. “I’ve loved every second of it, but I needed to start focusing more on prioritizing me. It’s just time for me to let somebody else have an opportunity.”
Laughlin said that the position will be filled, leaving no gap in services for students.
“Stay diligent, know that if you need something that there are resources available for you. Learn those advocacy skills because there may not always be a Michelle Laughlin there to make sure you get what you need,” Laughlin said. “But more importantly, just know that students with disabilities have so many dreams and their dreams are forever. No matter what they are, whatever they think they can do, they can do it.”
Drake’s Disability Coalition released a statement in response to Laughlin’s departure.
“We wish Michelle all the best in her well-deserved retirement after serving the disabled students of Drake University for over 20 years,” the statement read.
