Director, Student Accessibility Services

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 84,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

St. John's University seeks a Director, Student Accessibility Services at the Queens Campus. The role provides leadership, budgeting, and program oversight to ensure accessibility, compliance, and robust support for students with disabilities.

Responsibilities include developing data systems, supervising staff, and coordinating services with campus partners to promote inclusive education and universal design.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or JD required; doctoral degree preferred in related fields.
• 7-8 years of leadership experience in disability-related services.
• Proven track record of innovative programs improving services for students with disabilities.
• Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Sections 504 and Amendments.
• Understanding of physical, cognitive, and emotional/mental impairments.
• Ability to interpret psychological assessments and determine accommodations.
• Awareness of best practices of adaptive technology.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in administration, organization, and daily operations of SAS office; scheduling and records.
• Set up and maintain a database to monitor student needs and service effectiveness.
• Direct supervision of staff including student workers and GAs.
• Plan and implement policies to improve services and ensure compliance with laws.
• Promote understanding of programs and inclusivity including Universal Design.
• Develop disability awareness curriculum for faculty and staff.
• Develop and implement plan to promote ODS programs to students and parents.
• Review disability documentation and recommend accommodations for academics and housing.
• Oversee Emotional Support Animals and Committee on Service and Assistance Animals.
• Coordinate services and equipment for accommodations with third-party vendors.
• Identify assistive technology resources to ensure access to curricula.
• Develop orientations and transition activities for students with disabilities and parents.
• Collaborate with public/private entities providing disability services.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Communication skills

Diversity inclusion

Collaboration

Education

Master's degree or JD

Doctoral degree preferred

Job description

Director, Student Accessibility Services

St. John's University

Salary: $84,000.00 - $95,000.00 Annually

Job Type: Full-Time Administrator

Job Number: 202600045

Location: Queens Campus, NY

Department:

Closing:

St. John's, established in 1870, has two New York City campuses;international locations in Rome, Italy; Limerick, Ireland; andParis, France; and study abroad locations around the world. ThePrinceton Review and other top rankings consistently recognize theUniversity's outstanding academics, diverse student body, dynamicinternship, and volunteer opportunities, focus on student life, anddiverse study abroad offerings. St. John's University offers morethan 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in its six collegesand schools, with a growing number of programs offered online. TheUniversity is accredited by the Middle States Commission on HigherEducation and 12 other major academic and professionalassociations.

A dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart ofour mission.? As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St. John'sis committed to institutionalizing practices of inclusiveexcellence to ensure that we welcome and celebrate the intrinsicworth of all members of our community.? We will become an evenstronger university as we enhance equity at every level of ourinstitution.?Our graduates will excel in the competencies andvalues needed for leadership and service in a rapidly evolvingworld.

Job Summary

Reporting to and in consultation with the Assistant Vice Presidentof Student Wellness, this position provides overall leadership,planning, and supervision for the disability support servicesfunction to ensure compliance in accordance with applicable stateand federal laws and regulations (e.g., Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Actof 1990). The Director is responsible for designing and managingthe data information systems, directing, and evaluating programactivities, developing disability awareness curricula for facultyand staff, supervising professional and support staff, maintaininga caseload of students, and collaborating with all areas of thecollege. Responsible for managing the annual departmentalbudget.

The ODS is housed within the Department of Student Wellness at St.John's University. The Department of Student Wellness engages in anintegrated approach to wellness that fosters collaboration betweenStudent Health Services, Wellness Education and Prevention, Centerfor Counseling and Consultation (CCC), Office of StudentAccessibility Services (SAS), Campus Recreation, and Sexualviolence Outreach, Awareness, and Response (SOAR). The Directorwill be based on and provide leadership and oversight to the ODSoffice on St. John's flagship campus in Queens and oversee servicesfor students attending its Staten Island campus.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in the administration, organization, and dailyoperations of the SAS office, including but not limited to thescheduling of service provision, and the maintenance of records andtracking systems.
• Set up and maintain a database system for monitoring andreporting on the number of students with disabilities, their needs,and the effectiveness of service delivery for program improvementpurposes.
• Provide direct supervision of management of staff includingstudent workers and GAs.
• Plan and implement effective policies and procedures to improveservices and ensure compliance with state and federal laws andregulations pertaining to the rights of students withdisabilities.
• Promote understanding and awareness of programs, needs, andinnovative services in the field of disability including but notlimited to Universal Design; maintain current knowledge oflegislation and technology related to disabled students' programsand services.
• Develop a disability awareness curriculum for faculty and staffpromoting enhanced disability inclusion, community awareness, andretention for students with disabilities.
• Develop and implement a plan for promoting ODS programs andservices to students, parents, and faculty including thedevelopment of marketing materials, updating the website, socialmedia, etc.
• Review documentation of disability, including psychological, medical, academic, and educational assessments, and recommendreasonable accommodations for students for both academic programsand residence life housing needs.
• Oversee requests for Emotional Support Animals and manageCommittee on Service and Assistance Animals.
• Coordinate services and equipment necessary for reasonableaccommodation, as well as work with third-party vendors whenrelevant to providing assistive technology, note-takers, transcription services sign language interpreters, etc.
• Identify and implement assistive technology resources to ensurestudents with disabilities have access to university curricula andprograms.
• Develop and implement program orientations and other transitionand success activities for students with disabilities and theirparents.
• Identify and collaborate with public and private entities thatprovide services, assistance, or information to students withdisabilities, including other postsecondary institutions, socialservice agencies, secondary schools, etc.
• Assist in college efforts to ensure that all programs andservices are accessible and consult with Human Resources,Facilities, and all other college divisions regarding campus andprogram accessibility.
• Act as a liaison, advocate, and resource person for students withdisabilities.
• Identify sources of grant funding and scholarship programs forstudents with disabilities.
• Manage annual departmental budget.
• Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Vice President ofStudent Wellness.

Competencies, Education, Experience

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

• Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues inan environment that promotes innovation, teaching, learning, andservice to a diverse student population.
• Ability to effectively interact with persons of diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to work with community agencies that serve people withdisabilities. Ability to apply legal and policy provisions tovarious problems consistently and correctly.
• Ability to manage categorical budgets and grants.
• Ability to work with interruptions, frequent deadlines, and multiple assignments.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws as they pertain to workingwith students with disabilities in an educational setting.
• Knowledge of accommodations and support services typicallyprovided to students with disabilities in higher education.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree or JD required, doctoral degree preferred inSpecial Education, Psychology, Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, or related field.
• 7-8 years of experience in leadership developing, coordinating,and managing disability-related services
• Proven track record of developing innovative programs thatstrengthen the quality of services provided to students withdisabilities.
• Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Sections 504and Amendments
• Understanding of physical, cognitive, and emotional/mentalimpairments
• Ability to comprehend and interpret psychological assessments, disability documentation, and diagnostic testing and determineappropriate reasonable accommodations.
• Awareness of best practices of adaptive technology
• Strong oral and written communication skills

*Important Note- St. John's is NOT an E-VerifyEmployer

St. John's offers a competitive compensation program which iscommensurate with your qualifications, experience, and contingentupon the departmental budget. St. John's University considersfactors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities ofthe position, candidate's work experience, education/training, keyskills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizationalconsiderations when extending an offer.???

• medical
• dental
• life insurance
• long term disability insurance
• tuition remission
• generous 403(b) employer contribution
• employee assistance program
• liberal paid timeoff policies

Any offer of employment is subject to receipt by St. John's University of satisfactory references, verification of employment and education.

St. John's University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.?Allqualified applicants will receive consideration without regard torace, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with adisability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristicprotected by law.