Specialist - Advisor-Continuing

Advisor-Continuing•East Lansing, MI

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

Michigan State University has earned a reputation for excellence in facilitating inclusion of persons with disabilities in a range of educational and work-related opportunities. Access Specialists maintain and employ cutting edge knowledge in their specialty area to provide outstanding advising, outreach, and direct services related to the specialization at hand. This role serves as a subject matter expert who supports timely, informed interactions and solutions that advance disability access within Graduate and Professional Schools. The position maintains comprehensive knowledge of program requirements, technical standards, and curriculum, and provides leadership to strengthen coordination among academic and clinical programs, internship and clerkship sites, students, and RCPD Access Specialists.

Requirements

3–5 years of professional experience in disability or accessibility services or a closely related field, including direct advising and case management for individuals with disabilities
demonstrated experience interpreting disability documentation and determining reasonable accommodations in accordance with ADA and related regulations
experience consulting with faculty, staff, or organizational partners on accessibility and inclusion practices
prior experience supervising or leading professional staff
a record of developing trainings, outreach, or program initiatives in a higher education or similarly complex organizational setting

Responsibilities

Provides advising, direct services, consultation, and referrals to persons with disabilities to facilitate full participation in university programs and services
Provides outreach, consulting, and presentations to university faculty and staff to facilitate an environment of accessibility and inclusion
Supervises team of access specialists and oversees their work, serving as the first level of support for the specialists
Under direction of Associate Director, leads area of work for access specialist team.
Develops and administers programs and services intent on increasing engagement in the mission and programs of Michigan State University, fostering student success, and ultimately advancing career and life success
Interact with students and employees to assess program eligibility, conduct needs assessments, and determine reasonable accommodations
Review, recommend, and implement auxiliary aids/services and reasonable accommodations
Facilitate full participation in academic, workplace, and extracurricular life through advising, service coordination, and networking
Utilize disability documentation and data from needs assessments to implement effective accommodation strategies that enable students and employees to meet essential functions in academic and workplace settings
Read, interpret, and critically analyze medical and functional capacity documentation to determine when conditions represent ADA qualified disabilities
Monitor academic progress and assist with academic advising
Assist with selection and usage of appropriate compensatory strategies and assistive technology where relevant
Facilitate positive peer contacts and interactions among persons with disabilities
Serve as first-line support to Access Specialists, in partnership with the Associate Director, as they address unique dynamics faced by students and faculty to facilitate legal compliance while emphasizing student development and career readiness.
Assist the Associate Director in developing opportunities for professional development to advance staff skills, address emerging program needs, and maintain an exemplary work environment characterized by team cohesion, topical expertise, and leadership.
Assist staff in determining priorities, aligning resources, effective case notation, and delegating tasks where appropriate.
Provide consultation and advocacy with faculty and staff regarding individual accommodation needs
Make referrals to appropriate campus and community resources
Produce and present workshops and presentations on disability and accommodations
Under the direction of Associate Director, serve as principal organizer of a critical mission area of RCPD Accommodation work and ensure effective and efficient communication and practices.
Work with RCPD Leadership and staff to develop, implement and uphold policies and procedures.
Serve as content expert and maintain up-to-date knowledge of best practices and current legal trends
Work with Director and Associate Director to explore strategic direction of RCPD.
Will serve as a representative of RCPD on internal and external committees, contributing expertise, collaboration, and leadership in support of organizational and campus-wide initiatives.
Support innovative programs to address student needs
Annual reporting of programmatic needs, progress, and strengths/weaknesses
Maintain knowledge/expertise regarding the issues, resources, and concerns for disabled individuals
Collaborate on proposals that facilitate new or expanded programmatic efforts
Other duties as assigned