Enterprise Final

Project Success, UW-Oshkosh’s program for students with learning disabilities, has been a part of the university for 26 years but has a total graduation rate of only between 250 and 300 students since it’s inception in 1979.

This means that only about 10 students who are enrolled in the program graduate every year.

With these statistics, Project Success seems to be anything but a success.

Because it is such a complicated issue, there has been only minimal research on the success rate of learning disability programs in universities across the state. Although the numbers make Project Success look like a failure, reactions from students who are enrolled in the program tell a very positive story.

According to its Web site, Project Success assists over 300 students every year. Approximately 95 percent or more of these students suffer from language-based disabilities, especially dyslexia.

“This means that they have difficulties with reading words individually, reading rapidly, comprehending written language, difficulties with oral language, written expression and spelling,” Dr. William Kitz said.

About 20 percent of these students also have Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Kitz has been the director of Project Success for 24 years. According to him, UW-Oshkosh’s lower graduation rate comes with a legitimate reason.

“All universities have to offer more time for tests and provide readers during tests for students with disabilities,” Kitz said. “It’s the law. But Oshkosh actually teaches them ways to deal with their problem.”

Kitz also said that the learning disabled students at UW-Oshkosh are more vulnerable because they do not meet standards at other universities.

“We take in a more ‘at risk’ group,” he said. “It’s more about giving people a chance.”

If the admission standards at UW-Oshkosh mirrored those at other universities, “our graduation rate would be fabulously better,” Kitz said. “Many universities have such high admission standards that even students with learning disabilities can do well under almost any circumstance. They get all of the highest functioning people.”

However, many universities are not even keeping track of the graduation rates of their students with learning disabilities. UW-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Stevens Point are a few examples of schools that hold almost zero information on this very complex topic.

“We don’t keep track of that because if disabled students have the same access to things as others do, they have the right to fail just like everyone else does,” a woman from UW-Green Bay’s Educational Support Services said.

UW-Whitewater’s Project Assist is the only program that comes close to Project Success in keeping score of the success of their students.

While it does not record an exact number of graduates per year, Project Assist has an idea of where it stands.

“Our students have a graduation rate of between 12 and 22 percent above the national average of students in learning disability programs,” said Assistant Director Jamie Leurquin. “In fact, students in Project Assist graduate at a rate that is 1 percent higher than their non-Project Assist peers at UW-Whitewater.”

The staff at Project Assist believes the success of their students comes from the services the program provides.

“We are successful because we have a more intensive, one-on-one type of interaction with the students,” Director of Project Assist Nancy Amacher said. “We also have a summer transition program that helps a lot of people adjust to college.”

Amacher said that Project Assist was one of only two UW campuses that offer a separate program with extra services for students.

“UW-Oshkosh’s Project Success is the other one,” she said.

One of the only differences between the two is that Project Assist charges students between $700 and $950 per semester based on the number of credits they have earned. Project Success services are free of charge for all students, regardless of their academic standing.

Another difference between Project Success and Project Assist is that, according to its Web site, Project Assist also requires tutors to “participate in an online training course, which teaches them effective strategies and study skills they can implement with their tutees.”

While its numbers look unimpressive, Project Success is still seen as a vital resource to students who are enrolled in the program.

“Project has been a huge help,” junior Kristin Keck said. “I actually help tutor people in Spanish now. I think that is something they are proud of—seeing their students grow to become able to help other students.”

“It’s a safe atmosphere and it’s the one place that I’ve never been afraid to ask for help,” junior Nichole McCallum said. “I’ve had teachers tell me that I shouldn’t even be in college and that is really discouraging. I just wish everyone knew more about it.”