Conference Will Educate Baylor Faculty and Staff About the Impact of Physical, Psychological and Learning Differences

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The third annual Bear the Difference conference will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, on the fifth floor of Cashion Academic Center. Baylor faculty and staff, as well as other institutions in Central Texas, are invited to participate and learn about the impact of various physical, psychological and learning differences on students.

The event is hosted by the Baylor Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA), the Paul L. Foster Success Center, the Baylor Counseling Center and the Heart of Texas Counseling Association. Online registration is required, and lunch will be provided.

This year's keynote speaker will be Dr. Alan Lefever, a lecturer at George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Lefever has lived with a physical disability since birth and will discuss overcoming obstacles.

Other speakers sharing their knowledge and experience from their respective fields will include:

' Disability Services Through the Years (Session 1A, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.): Dae Vasek, director of OALA at Baylor, will discuss how disability services have changed over the last decade. She will share statistics on the students OALA serves on Baylor's campus today.

' College Student Mental Health in the Age of Millennials (Session 1B, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.): Dr Jim Marsh, director of the Baylor Counseling Center, will offer a session that looks at the psychological history and concerns of today's college students.

' Accommodation of Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in the Wake of Virginia-Tech (Session 2A, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and Session 3B, 1:15-2:15 p.m.): Chris Holmes, assistant general counsel at Baylor, will review what higher education institutions, including Baylor, are doing to address and accommodate students with psychiatric disabilities.

' College Students with Asperger's Syndrome (Session 2B, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and Session 3A, 1:15-2:15 p.m.): Dr. Tamara Hodges, lecturer in the Baylor department of psychology and neuroscience, will address the challenges students with Asperger's face and how teachers can respond.

There also will be a panel discussion and question-and-answer session.

All sessions and the keynote speaker have been approved for CEUs. Participants can earn a maximum of four CEUs at the conference.

The Cashion Academic Center is at 1400 S. Fourth St.

For more information or to register, click here.

by Katy McDowall, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805