Momentous Change in Accessible Education 

Alumna Karen Wickerson ’87 creates faculty grants to fund course-based universal design strategies intended to support diverse student learning needs and address barriers to learning.  

The Centre for Teaching and Learning and Student Accessibility Services at Trent University announced the Wickerson Found­ation Fund for Educational Leadership and Universal Design on Thursday, January 24, 2019. This fund provides two faculty grants of $4,000 each to design and implement course-based universal design strategies that support diverse student learning needs and address’ barriers to learning.

“I want to give back to Trent as a token of deep gratitude for the assistance I received as a Trent student,” said Ms. Karen Wickerson ’87 during the announcement in the new Deborah Berrill Design Studio in Bata Library about why the donation is so important to her. “I want to help create a way for more students to unlock, unleash, and actualize their full potential. I can only imagine what these students can accomplish when barriers to learning are taken out of the equation.”

Dr. Gillian Balfour, associate dean of teaching and learning at Trent says that this grant will help further support the professional development opportunities that the Centre for Teaching and Learning offers to faculty. “This award recognizes that faculty at Trent always have and will continue to transform their teaching practices to meet the diverse needs of their students in ways that are empowering and inclusive.”

More information about the grants and how faculty can apply will be available on the Centre for Teaching and Learning website.