"Program Director, Disability Cultural Center"

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The UCI Disability Cultural Center (DCC) serves as a central hub for students and other members of the UCI community with disabilities to foster a sense of belonging, encourage community-building, and create opportunities for mutual aid and self-advocacy. The DCC provides dedicated space to explore and celebrate disability community, culture, and identity. Led by people with disabilities, the DCC aims to raise awareness that destigmatizes disability identity and engenders a campus culture in which people with disabilities can thrive. The DCC provides recognition that disability is part of UCI's diversity initiative and assert the importance of disability identity and culture at UCI.

The inaugural Program Director, Disability Cultural Center is responsible for the overall management, direction, and long-term development of the Disability Cultural Center with limited supervision. The Program Director manages the physical space where people with disabilities can feel safe and supported as well as explore and celebrate disability community, culture, and identity. The Program Director establishes programs and events that foster community-building through an intersectional approach to 1) facilitate interactions with other marginalized groups on campus, 2) raise disability awareness, 3) extend notions of diversity to disability identities, and 4) promote inclusion for people with intersectional disability identities.

The Program Director develops departmental goals/objectives, strategic plans, and learning assessment strategies via learning outcomes, creates budgetary and program priorities, identifies future resource needs and recommended sources. The Program Director collaborates broadly within the campus community to improve outcomes related to the development, enrichment, inclusion, and retention of students with disabilities and performs the full range of duties and responsibilities within a student life specialization. Specific responsibilities include administrative and policy interpretation, formation, and implementation, fiscal management, fundraising efforts, and program planning and implementation. The Program Director will work closely with the Disability Services Center in providing referrals and supporting student success.

Required:

• Advanced knowledge of advising and counseling techniques.
• Skills in judgment and decision-making, problem solving, identifying measures of system performance and the actions to improve performance.
• Advanced abilities in project management, problem identification and reasoning skills.
• Advanced ability to develop original ideas to solve problems.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the lived disability experience, disability studies, and Universal Design.
• Advanced knowledge with student organizations, student development, student advising, and event planning.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral.
• Effective communication skills to interact with a variety of staff, faculty, students and off-campus agencies/community groups in a daily work environment.
• Ability to provide support, advocacy, crisis intervention and appropriate referral information, using discretion, confidentiality, and understanding of campus policy.
• Program organization skills, including proposal and budget preparation, publicity, marketing and evaluation.
• Ability to effectively handle and complete multiple ongoing projects in an environment characterized by frequent interruptions.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver assessment projects and reports.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
• A minimum of five (5) years of practical experience; or equivalent combination of education and/or experience

Preferred:

• Advanced knowledge of common University-specific computer application programs and knowledge of University and departmental principles and procedures involved in risk assessment and evaluating risks as to likelihood and consequences.
• Advanced knowledge of Student Affairs / Student Life specialization.
• Understanding of University administrative organizations, policies, procedures and practices.
• Master's or doctoral degree preferred in higher education administration, disability studies, social work, student development, critical cultural studies or related discipline, or equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education.

Special Conditions: Flexibility to work evening and weekends when necessitated by program requirements

The expected pay range for this recruitment is $69,500-$96,500 (Annual).