Assistant Director (Student Support Specialist), Accessible Educational Services and Student Counseling Center

Indiana University; South Bend (IN); On-site; USD 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Tuition subsidy

Paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Indiana University South Bend Campus seeks a career-level Student Support professional to coordinate Accessible Educational Services and the Student Counseling Center, providing disability accommodations and counseling to students and liaising with faculty.

The role emphasizes confidentiality, collaboration across campus, and program development to promote student success, wellness, and equitable access, with salary range $46,000–$53,000 and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's degree in education, public affairs, public health, counseling, social work, business, or related field.
• Preferred: Master's in higher education, student affairs, Counseling, Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, Special Education, or related field.
• 2 years in student services, higher education, social work, counseling, law, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Supports students through Accessible Educational Services and the Student Counseling Center.
• Coordinates disability accommodations and assists students with challenges.
• Provides counseling, case management, and referrals, promoting student wellness.
• Collaborates with faculty and staff to ensure equitable access to resources.

Skills

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Time management

Empathy

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree (education, public health, counseling, social work, or related)

Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, psychology, or related

Job description

Department STUDENT SUPPORT (SB-SUPP-IUSBA)

Department Information The Accessible Educational Services (AES) and Student Counseling Center (SCC) within Student Engagement are committed to promoting student success by providing comprehensive accessibility, mental health, and student support services. Through a collaborative and student-centered approach, the department works to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities while fostering student well-being, resilience, and academic achievement. Staff partner with faculty, administrators, and campus stakeholders to remove barriers to success, coordinate individualized support services, and create a campus environment that empowers all students to reach their educational goals.

Job Summary

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Serves as a key member of the Student Engagement team by supporting students through Accessible Educational Services and the Student Counseling Center.
• Coordinates disability accommodations, assists students experiencing academic or personal challenges, provides counseling, case management, and resource referrals, and promotes student wellness through outreach, education, and collaborative partnerships.
• Works closely with faculty, staff, and community partners to ensure students have equitable access to campus resources that support persistence, achievement, and overall success.
• Serves as a primary resource for students seeking disability accommodations, guiding them through the interactive process and coordinating appropriate academic accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, and university policy.
• Coordinates and supports daily operations of Accessible Educational Services, including intake appointments, documentation review, accommodation implementation, and communication with faculty and campus partners.
• Assists in coordinating services and outreach initiatives for the Student Counseling Center, helping connect students with counseling resources, crisis response services, and wellness programming.
• Provides counseling, case management, and follow-up for students experiencing academic, behavioral, mental health, or personal challenges by coordinating support across campus departments.
• Collaborates with faculty, staff, and university leadership to ensure timely implementation of accommodations and coordinated student support plans.
• Develops and delivers presentations, workshops, and outreach programs promoting disability awareness, student wellness, mental health resources, and accessibility services.
• Maintains confidential student records and documentation in compliance with FERPA, ADA, HIPAA (where applicable), and university policies.
• Assists with assessment, reporting, and analysis of student utilization, accommodation requests, and counseling service trends to support continuous improvement and strategic planning.
• Serves on campus committees focused on student success, accessibility, retention, wellness, and behavioral intervention.
• Assists the Director with policy development, operational improvements, and strategic initiatives supporting Accessible Educational Services and the Student Counseling Center.

General Responsibilities

• Develops and implements programs and initiatives that offer support for students in crisis, facing adversity or challenges, or who belong to an under-represented or minority student population.
• Interfaces directly with students by attending student programming events, advising student organization leaders, meeting 1-on-1 to discuss support needs, and gathering satisfaction feedback from student participants to implement into future student services initiatives and objectives.
• Places an emphasis on confidentiality of student concerns, university policy compliance, and a culture of care within all direct student interactions.
• Collaborates with staff in own department and other departments, as well as academic and campus leaders, on shared student support goals, often coordinating funding to sponsor student programs and initiatives.
• Projects outcomes for support services offered at the program, department/division, or campus level.
• Measures and evaluates effectiveness of student support initiatives against projected outcomes; regularly prepares reports on impact to students and budget and may present to stakeholders on effectiveness and to secure funding for initiatives moving forward.
• Serves on committees and performs student support research across the field of higher education and at peer institutions to identify and recommend best practices.
• Plans and coordinates communications for student support initiatives to ensure student participation, inclusion, and engagement.
• May provide guidance to other student support staff; makes process recommendations to manager for improved delivery of service.

Education

• Required: Bachelor's degree in education, public affairs, public health, counseling, social work, business, or related field.
• Preferred: Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, Counseling, Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, Special Education, or related field.

Work Experience

• Required: 2 years in student services, higher education, social work, counseling, law, or related field.
• Preferred: 3 years of progressively responsible experience in disability services, student affairs, counseling services, behavioral intervention, case management, or a related higher educational environment.
• Experience determining and implementing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.
• Experience supporting students experiencing mental health, behavioral, academic, or personal challenges.
• Experience collaborating with faculty and campus partners to resolve complex student situations.
• Experience planning and delivering student outreach, wellness accessibility, or educational programming.
• Experience analyzing service data, preparing reports, and recommending operational improvements.

Licenses and Certificates

• Preferred: Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Indiana or able to obtain licensure within 2 years from date of hire.

Skills

• Required: Proficient communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority-setting skills.
• Demonstrates a High commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in the area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
• Demonstrates ability to maintain confidential information.
• Ability to simultaneously handle multiple priorities.
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrates customer service skills.
• Knowledge of student development, counseling, or career development theories and practices.
• Knowledge of current needs and trends of student populations.
• Ability to advise students individually and in groups on student-related matters.
• Ability to build strong partnerships with students and other university departments.
• Preferred: Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, and best practices in disability services.
• Understanding of mental health resources, crisis intervention principles, and student wellness programming within higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive situations with professionalism, empathy discretion, and sound judgment.
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills with student populations.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills with experience delivering educational workshops or training.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, healthcare providers, and community agencies.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience utilizing case management, electronic health record, or student information systems.

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Additional Information

• Salary Range: $46,000 - $53,000.00 per year
• Work Location: IU South Bend Campus South Bend, Indiana

Benefits Overview

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: CareerFLSA: ExemptJob Function: Student ServicesJob Family: Student Support

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Employment Opportunity Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

Campus Safety and Security

Campus Safety and Security The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online. You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at [e-mail] or by visiting IUPD.

Contact Us Request SupportTelephone: 812-856-1234