Access Coordinator

Access Coordinator
5914BR
Student Affairs
Disability Services

Detailed Job Description
The Disability Services Office is Expanding with Multiple Newly-Created Positions
Reporting to the Disability Services Director, the Access Coordinator engages in a student-centered interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations for RIT students with disabilities. The scope of applicable accommodations relates to all facets of the RIT student experience, including academic, co-curricular, and residential. Once accommodations are in place, access coordinators will maintain ongoing advising relationships with assigned students in an effort to support departmental learning outcomes focused on self-advocacy, strong interpersonal communication, and understanding of disability rights and available resources. The Coordinator collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and partners across campus to promote an inclusive, accessible, and empowering experience for students with disabilities.

Responsibilities include:

Student Access Coordination and Advising:

• Via a consistent and interactive process focused on the individual needs of students, determine appropriate accommodations to mitigate disability-related barriers. Request and review associated applications and documentation as needed to perform this function. Foster ongoing advising relationships with assigned students in an effort to ensure procedural clarity, and to help them build strong self-advocacy, communication skills, and awareness of disability rights. Demonstrate independent judgment and decision-making consistent with the goals and philosophy of the Disability Services Office as well as the larger RIT community.

Ongoing Accommodation Facilitation:

• Communicate collaboratively with faculty and staff to facilitate effective facilitation of accommodations.
• Problem-solve to ensure equitable access for students as well as the appropriateness of accommodations in various academic, co-curricular, and other contexts.
• Direct follow up with students and faculty to ensure awareness, acknowledgment, and understanding of requested accommodations in courses.

Record-Keeping:

• Maintain timely and comprehensive records documenting interactions with students, faculty, and staff, as well as the rationale for specific accommodation decisions. Maintain appropriate confidentiality in all forms of communication, in compliance with FERPA, campus, and departmental guidelines.

Subject Matter Specialization:

• Maintain current knowledge of best practices in higher education, particularly as relates to disability services and supports. The Coordinator's practice should be grounded in a student-centered, socially-just understanding of disability and access. Build and maintain a working knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf culture.
• Develop and educate team members on an individual focus area within disability and higher education and ensure the team is up-to-date on best practices in that area (e.g. assistive technology, alternate format materials, physical campus navigation, assistance/service animals on campus, access in specific STEM and/or arts settings, executive function coaching, needs of international students with disabilities, disability justice and intersectionality)
• Actively and creatively participate in the continuous improvement of office operations and broader accessibility on campus.
• Assist with everyday operations of the Disability Services Office and Test Center, as needed.

Department/College Description
The Disability Services Office is within the Wellness area of Student Affairs. The Wellness area shares a passion for enriching the quality of life for all students. Every area within Wellness aims to enhance student success and collegiate life by providing innovative, inclusive and responsible programs, services, and education.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master's Degree preferred
• 1-2 years of disability-related experience
• Education in disability studies, social work, special/inclusive education, counseling, higher education student affairs, or a related field
• Strong commitment to social justice, diversity (including disability), and empowering underrepresented populations
• Experience working with students with disabilities at the high school or postsecondary level
• Working knowledge of federal and state laws related to disability rights, including ADA, ADAAA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and their application to higher education
• Education, training, or experience in disability justice and models of disability
• Strong organizational and record-keeping skills
• Strong and developed communication skills in both public and 1:1 settings
• Ability to thoughtfully and critically review requests for accommodations
• Strong creativity and problem-solving skills, and ability to analyze various environments to determine access barriers and solutions
• Strong and clear interpersonal, written, and electronic communications skills, including the ability to convey complex information in accessible and meaningful terms to diverse audiences
• Ability to manage and maintain confidential and private information; uses confidential, sensitive and/or private records and information, protects information appropriately
• Ability to establish, build, and maintain effective student, staff, and faculty relationships based on respect, empathy, and cultural humility
• Knowledge of Deaf culture, American Sign Language (ASL), or willingness to learn
• High level of comfort and fluency with computer applications and workplace technology, including the ability to work effectively with students and colleagues remotely
• Strong commitment to ongoing learning and professional development as related to disability and equity in higher education

Preferred Experience and Specialized Skills:

• Prior experience with accommodation coordination for students with disabilities in postsecondary settings
• Familiarity with assistive technology and emerging technology resources beneficial to students with disabilities

Preferred Qualifications


Professional Area:
Employment Category: Fulltime
Staff Job Function: Wage Band:

Required Application Documents


How to Apply
In order to be considered for this position, you must apply for it at: http://careers.rit.edu/staff. Click the link for search openings and in the keyword search field, enter the title of the position or the BR number.

The direct link to this posting can be found here: https://sjobs.brassring.com/

Additional Details


Rochester Institute of Technology, the 10th largest private university in the U.S., is among the world’s leading technological universities. Its 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries are enrolled in over 200 academic programs, including 7 interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs. A pioneer in experiential education, RIT was the first to offer undergraduate degree programs in biotechnology, information technology, software engineering, and microelectronic engineering. As home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the university offers unparalleled academic opportunities and services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Founded in 1829, RIT has 115,000 alumni throughout the United States and around the world. RIT has been named by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the “Great Colleges to Work For.” RIT is a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation site, and is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples through the Upstate NY Higher Education Recruitment Consortium. For more information, visit www.rit.edu/overview/rankings-and-recognition and www.rit.edu.

As a member of the RIT community employees receive a well-balanced benefits package that offers a variety of choices and access to additional employment advantages. These benefits, combined with an employee’s pay, provide a total compensation package that can be tailored to meet your needs. More on RIT’s Benefits, Health & Wellness program can be found at: https://www.rit.edu/fa/humanresources/content/benefits-health-and-wellness

RIT does not discriminate. RIT is an equal opportunity employer that promotes and values diversity, pluralism, and inclusion. For more information or inquiries, please visit RIT/TitleIX or the U.S. Department of Education at ED.Gov

jeid-c322292e34041643abda41b66ad6b83f