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Accessibility Services and Academic Skills Specialist
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Position Number: 1150060
Location: Appleton, WI
Position Type: Disability Services

Job Description:

The Accessibility Services and Academic Skills Specialist is a member of the Center for Academic Success who manages academic accommodations for students with disabilities and coordinates support services such as note taking, reduced-distraction testing, and assistive technology. In addition, the Specialist will help students develop academic skills in organization and time management, note-taking and effective study, and test preparation and test-taking, in concert with other members of the Center. The Coordinator will report to the Dean of Academic Success.

Responsibilities:

The Accessibility Services and Academic Skills Specialist will be responsible for the following:

Meeting with eligible students to determine reasonable accommodations for specific courses or other academic requirements;

Evaluating documentation including but not limited to: IEPs, physicians reports, psychological reports, 504 reports, and standardized psychological assessment reports

Notifying faculty of planned accommodations and how to implement them, and following up to ensure that accommodations are working;

Managing all aspects of the daily activities of the job such as student and faculty inquiries, phone calls, emails, and walk-ins to determine services needed at that time;

Providing and arranging appropriate accommodations for students with short term disabilities. Coordinating note-taking services and helping faculty arrange for extended test time or reduced-distraction testing;

Reaching out to new students who indicate a need for accommodations, conducting intake interviews, and helping students document eligibility;

Providing training on assistive technology to students, including the use of smart pens, Read & Write text-to-speech program, and the Kurzweil text-to-speech program;

Maintaining the accessibility services website, forms, confidential student files, and informational or promotional materials;

Keeping data on the use of accessibility services and reporting to appropriate university and state and federal offices;

Communicating with other areas of the university (Faculty, Academic Affairs, Off-Campus Programs, Student Affairs, etc.) to ensure students with disabilities receive appropriate support.

Educating students and parents on the differences between accommodations in high school and college and the need for self-advocacy;

Providing workshops to faculty about accessibility services and accommodations;

Arranging for outside services (interpreters, etc.) as needed for public university occasions; and

Staying up to date on the latest developments and best practices in higher education and disabilities to refine university policies, procedures, and practice accordingly.

In addition, the Coordinator/Specialist will share responsibility for the following:

Providing workshops and meeting one-on-one with students to provide instruction in organization, time management, note-taking, study skills, test preparation, and related academic skills;

Collaborating with colleagues in the Center for Academic Success to coordinate and implement other kinds of academic support for students and faculty;

Developing an Academic Skills Peer Tutor program in collaboration with Center for Academic Success colleagues; and

Offers workshops on academic skills support during summer bridge programs.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree required with 5 years working in a similar capacity at a university/college or senior high school level required.

Master's degree with minimum of 2 years working in a similar capacity at a university/college or senior high school level required.

Experience working with students with disabilities in an educational setting, and working to implement academic accommodations.

Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990/2008) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)

Ability to read and interpret psycho-educational evaluation results, and experience working with assistive technologies.

Dedication to helping students achieve success;

Excellent communication skills;

Excellent interpersonal skills;

Ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively with others;

Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks;

Empathy and sensitivity to the needs of diverse students;

Willingness to work closely with faculty, academic administrators, and student affairs staff;

Advocate for a liberal arts educational experience.

About the Center for Academic Success:

The goal of the Center is to maximize Lawrence students' chances of achieving academic success. In all of its activities, the Center takes a holistic approach to assisting students, recognizing that academic abilities, success skills, and personal concerns are often connected. Services provided by the Center include:

Improving college success skills, including motivation, goal-setting, time management, study skills, and metacognitive abilities;

Assisting students in developing writing, speaking, and quantitative abilities, and arranging content tutoring for particular subjects or courses;

Coordinating academic accommodations for students with disabilities;

Developing skills in academic English for speakers of English as a second language;

Arranging for altered deadlines, course withdrawals, or incompletes for students affected by accident, illness, or psychological or family crisis;

Supporting faculty development and initiatives to improve academic success, including academic advising, effective instruction, and student support.

Application Materials:

Please submit resume, cover letter, and a statement on your experience related to addressing issues of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and ways that you could contribute to these efforts at Lawrence University.

We encourage applications from individuals who will help us create a more inclusive Lawrence by: (1) further diversifying the staff; and/or (2) demonstrating experience with successful diversity-related initiatives or research; and (3) showing interest in developing programs to address the needs of a diverse student body. See https://lawrencecareers.silkroad.com/lawrenceuniversity/About_Us.html for more information about Lawrence and its surrounding community, including the New North Regional Guide which lists resources that promote diversity in the community.

Employment Requirements:

Must have successful completion of criminal record check, driving record check (as applicable), and reference checks.