Cleveland State Students Benefiting From Local Partnership

Monday, August 31, 2020 12:00 AM
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A partnership between the Bachman Foundation and Cleveland State Community College is benefiting all students as the institution’s Fall 2020 semester gets underway.

A $10,000 gift from the Bachman Foundation has made the purchase of a two-year license for the Kurzweil Software System possible. The new system is helping Cleveland State Community College assist all students, including those with learning disabilities and other obstacles this semester. The gift also helped purchase Echo Livescribe smart pens which assist students with note taking.

The latest research shows that 1 in 5 collegiate students have some sort of learning disability. However, three out of every four students with a learning disability do not report it to the college they attend. However, this latest purchase by Cleveland State will not only assist those with learning disabilities. It has something to offer everyone. “This text-to-speech software, that was only available to students with disabilities, will now be available to all Cleveland State students,” said Juliann Mathis, Cleveland State Disability Services Coordinator.

A CSCC sophomore from Cleveland, Tennessee who is using the new software says it’s all about the details. “The Kurzweil software helps me by making sure that I do not miss any important details in a question while I am taking a test,” said the student. “This is a very important factor for me.”

The Kurzweil Software System provides features to assist English Language Learners, those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other learning disabilities to succeed alongside their peers. Additionally, the system also has tools to help those battling other obstacles. From college students with very busy schedules beyond their coursework and studies, to military veterans who have needs not seen in typical adult students returning to the classroom, this is a gift that will impact many at CSCC.

“The tools this software provides to Cleveland State will help our students with, as well as without, learning disabilities," said Mark Wilson, Cleveland State Director of Counseling and Career Services. “This will truly be helpful to so many students who come to Cleveland State. Basically, this gift from the Bachman Foundation will make a powerful impact for so many.”

From assisting those with reading disabilities in taking examinations to effectively allowing learners to read, comprehend and demonstrate knowledge independently, the Kurzweil Software System can be of assistance to any collegiate student.

For more information on Cleveland State, you can call the college at 423.472.7141 or visit the college at ClevelandStateCC.edu. Students are currently enrolled online and on-campus through the CSCC main campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as CSCC’s Athens Center in Athens, Tennessee and Monroe County Center in Vonore, Tennessee.

CSCC earned the Tennessee Board of Regent’s 2019 College Of The Year. CSCC directly serves Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, and Polk Counties in Tennessee. The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving more than 140,000 students.