This article was written for our sponsor, Louisburg College
Students with disabilities are nearly 33% more likely than nondisabled students to leave college without a degree, according to a 2024 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. This figure reflects a longstanding struggle for disabled students and their families to gain access to academic accommodations.
Programs that deliver individualized support for students with learning differences are relatively uncommon, especially at private colleges. In North Carolina, Louisburg College ensures student success through its Learning Partners program, which offers one-on-one assistance to students with learning differences.
“The Learning Partners program grants students with disabilities the opportunity to work weekly with a Louisburg learning specialist,” says Keyanna Bullock, Director of Academic Support Services. “Launched in 1999 as one of the first of its kind in North Carolina, it has steadily grown in enrollment ever since.”
Learning Partners helps students transition from high school accommodations to college-level expectations by providing out-of-class learning support. It assists students exiting high school with individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans, which provide high school accommodations and curriculum modifications.
“Colleges can’t legally modify curriculum in the same way as an IEP or 504 plan could,” says Bullock. IEPs and 504 plans can offer extended exam times or a self-contained classroom environment, which aren’t applicable in a college setting. “The Learning Partners program allows us to accommodate each student without modifying our curriculum.”
Learning Partners serves students with a variety of diagnoses including anxiety, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. Recently, the program introduced its new motto “Disability Has No Look” to emphasize the acceptance of all diagnoses into the program. “Our learning specialists each have over 20 years of experience working with students with a variety of learning differences,” says Bullock. “We can help meet any student's needs.”
The Learning Partners program is a core component of Louisburg’s inclusive academic support structure. The curriculum teaches self-advocacy, and encourages academic excellence — driving an increased institution-wide demand for tutors. “We have seen that more students are utilizing our academic support services,” says Bullock. “We have had to hire more tutors because students are really seeking out help — a marker of the strong academic community we have built,” she adds.
Bullock has borne witness to the program’s impact through her experiences with her own students. “We had a program participant graduate recently and go on to a four-year institution. He was a public speaking student, and was once very quiet,” says Bullock. “At his new school, he has become involved in theater and advocates for himself. It is a total transformation.”
Bullock, the parent of a child with a speech delay, believes that the Learning Partners program provides crucial guidance and resource transparency for the families of disabled students. Her experience, she says, informs her leadership.
“I would be worried about sending my child to an institution where I was unsure of the resources,” says Bullock. “That is why when we see the application of a parent or student interested in Learning Partners, we reach out to be sure that their questions are answered.”
Louisburg’s personalized approach to learning assistance helps its students thrive beyond the classroom. Participants have become student leaders, and are involved in a range of on-campus activities. Bullock hopes to see more students benefit from one-on-one learning.
“I would love to continue to have our program seen across the state,” says Bullock. “We have made it our mission to accommodate every student, and make sure that everyone feels seen. In the process, we have built a community.”
This article was written for our sponsor, Louisburg College