University of Texas at El Paso
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

The Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CASS), is UTEP’s department to support students with disabilities. It also has two student organizations affiliated with the office. The first is the Miner Diamonds, for student support, service and mentoring. The second, is a UTEP Chapter of Delta Alpha Pi, the first International Honor Society created for students with disabilities. A brief overview of both follows.

Miner Diamonds:
This organization was started in 2008 as the first student organization for students with disabilities. It was established with the commitment of serving students with disabilities on this campus. The main goal is to make campus staff, students, and faculty aware of the issues and concerns. It was also developed to encourage people to become more respectful of those with disabilities, not just on campus, but within the local community as well. It does this by raising awareness and increasing the self-esteem of disabled students by supporting the membership in their development of leadership skills.
As an official student organization, Miner Diamonds established the following five goals for the organization
To generate disability awareness on campus and in the community.
• To be able to build social networks with peers to able to become more confident as individuals and be advocates for one another.
• To create a social support system for students with disabilities.
• To establish a means for students with disabilities to make their voices heard on issues relating to disability.
• To provide leadership experiences and involvement opportunities for students with disabilities that is dedicated to creating a truly inclusive community on the campus.
This student organization strives to foster a sense of community on campus for students with disabilities, as well as begin to break down the barriers that “ableism” creates in the context of the larger campus community and society as a whole. Apart from that, it aims to enhance the understanding of disability as part of diversity, and provides non-disabled student allies with the opportunity to gain access to disability-related cultural knowledge. Since its inception in 2008, this organization has been able to take action and implement their purpose with the help of their staff advisor and active members. This organization was officially accepted as a student organization in 2008 with five students. To date, there are thirty students officially listed, and has a full governing board consisting of a President, VP of Internal Affairs, VP of External Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, Campus Activities Board (CAB) Representative and Activities Coordinator.
Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society, Beta Phi Chapter:
Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society was founded in 2004 at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and is open to undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities. Students initiated into Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society must meet the following criteria:

All students must:
• Present with a documented disability and work with one of the faculty or staff members in the Office of Disability Services
• Demonstrate an interest in disability issues.

Undergraduate students must have:
• Completed a minimum of 24 credits
• Earned an overall Quality Point Average of 3.10 on a 4.00 scale.
Graduate students must have:
• Completed a minimum of 18 credits
• Earned an overall Quality Point Average of 3.30 on a 4.00 scale.

Purpose: Because of the negative stereotyping associated with disability, students have been reluctant to identify themselves publicly. Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society presents an opportunity to change that perception by recognizing students with disabilities for their academic accomplishments. In addition this Honor Society facilitates development of skills in leadership, advocacy and education for participating students.

Delta – D for Disability, but also the triangle, symbol of strength. Members of Delta Alpha Pi demonstrate strength as leaders on campus to help break down the barriers of negativism. Also, they serve as mentors and role models for other students with disabilities.
Alpha – A for Achievement. Alpha is the beginning and academic achievement must come first. But also for advocacy because students must advocate for themselves before they can advocate for others. Members of Delta Alpha Pi enhance advocacy skills for themselves and for the rights of all individuals with disabilities to be included fully in society.
Pi – P for Pride, pride in academic achievement and in other accomplishments, not just as students with disabilities but as members of the university community. Pi is a mathematical symbol that we all learned to use in elementary arithmetic classes. So Pi is an appropriate symbol for education. Members of Delta Alpha Pi participate in activities designed to educate the community and society regarding the need to apply the principles of universal design in learning.

UTEP’s Beta Phi chapter is the 69th created in the United States in 2012. There are now 102 chapters on college campuses across the country.

This chapter sets forth the University’s policies concerning equal opportunity, affirmative
action, and non‐discrimination, in compliance with Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1972, Education Amendments, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Veterans Act of 1974, Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, Title II of the Genetic Information Act of 2008, Department Of Labor Order No. 4, Executive Order 11246, as amended, and Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code. 1.2 Scope This policy applies to students, staff, faculty, job applicants, applicants for admission, and other beneficiaries of the programs, services, and activities of the University.

We currently offer apartment style housing that can meet the needs of a wide variety of students. We have single, two bedroom, and four bedroom apartments. We have apartments with shared bedrooms and apartments with private bedrooms. We do not specify housing for transgender and transitioning students, but we ask if a student needs special accommodations. If a student identified to us that they were transgendered or transitioning, we would do our best to meet their needs. Currently we only offer single sex housing.

Other information: Nationally the U.S. Census Bureau indicates 18% of the U.S. population are people with disabilities. In terms of students with disabilities as of 2012 it was 11% of the total student body, up from 6% in 1999. In addition, of the total student body 3.5% seek classroom accommodations in exchange for disclosing their disability. CASS currently serves 860 students with disabilities, or approximately 4% of the total student population, which includes 15% of all veterans on campus.

In terms of underrepresented groups there are others that could be listed. The Lesbian/Gay student population, older students, veterans, and black, Asian, and Native American students all could be referenced. Mr. Corey Bailey. Director of the Student Engagement and Leadership Center (SELC), could offer information on the LGBTQ students and on students of color. He is also a member of UTEP’s Diversity task force. He might also have information on the older student as well. In terms of veterans (approximately 4% of the student population), Nadia Munoz is the Director of the Military Student Success Center (MSSC).