Sr Director, Accessibility Services

accommodation needs of UR employees. The Sr Director provides ongoing, collaborative education and outreach regarding accessibility services for members of the UR community, prospective students, parents and other constituencies. As Sr Director, they supervise staff members, allocate resources, and oversee programmatic initiatives. This role also serves as a member of the Health and Well-being Leadership Team.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

LEADERSHIP and SUPERVISION (50%):

The Sr Director will develop and articulate a shared vision for campus accessibility, involving students, staff, and faculty. The Sr Director supervises staff members, allocates resources, and oversees programmatic initiatives.

• Develops annual objectives and long-term goals for student accessibility that align with Health and Well-being, the Division of Student Development, and Human Resources goals
• Develops and utilizes various short- and long-term assessments to determine the needs of students and employees with disabilities and accessibility needs, and identifies and implements strategies to address those needs
• Allocates and monitors budget and staff resources
• Articulates the vision of student accessibility to all members of the UR community; serves as a subject matter expert and the point of contact for various campus committees regarding accessibility
• Supervises, evaluates and professionally develops staff members, keeping them current with best practices and legal issues impacting student accessibility
• Evaluates and updates, as needed, accessibility policies and procedures and guidelines for verification of disability/need for students and employees requesting accommodations and services

SERVICES and RESOURCES (30%):

The Sr Director is responsible for planning and directing services for students with accessibility and accommodation needs at all five (5) UR schools, as well as helping support those needs for UR employees.

• Reviews disability documentation, evaluates requests for accommodation, advocates for students when needed, and provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations based on current laws, regulations, and best practices
• Consults with HR partners in review of employee requests and accommodations
• Serves as the University's ADA Coordinator
• Works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students in five (5) schools to ensure that approved accommodations are provided effectively and efficiently
• Processes student intakes and maintains an ongoing caseload
• Generates creative and practical solutions to address current and emerging needs, including accommodating students in online learning environments
• Identifies, promotes, and oversees opportunities for students and employees with disabilities and accessibility needs to fully participate in the University of Richmond experience
• Provides input to Facilities Management, Residence Life and Housing, and other departments in the development of a campus-wide accessibility plan, including the physical landscape.
• Supports the Director in grievance and appeal-related processes involving student accommodations
• Partners with Human Resources to resolve complex employment situations regarding accommodations and other ADA requirements

EDUCATION & OUTREACH (20%):

The Sr Director provides ongoing, collaborative education and outreach regarding accessibility services for members of the UR community, prospective students, parents and other constituencies.

• Develops educational/informational materials and presentations for faculty, staff and students to promote consideration, active inclusion, and removal of barriers for people with disabilities and those in need of accommodations.
• Consults with the Faculty Hub and the Weinstein Learning Center (WLC) on Universal Design (UD) principles
• Reviews and recommends updates to the student accessibility website in consultation with the HWB operations team
• Serves as a collaborative expert by working with General Counsel and educating faculty and staff on appropriate accommodations in compliance with University policy and equal access laws
• Collaborates with the Division of Inclusion and Belonging to improve the campus climate around disability and access
• Serves on Division- and University-wide advisory committees and working groups related to accessibility
• Actively engages in meetings and programs with Deans Offices, colleagues, division-wide activities, staff development programs, and professional development opportunities
• Other duties as assigned

CONTACTS:

• All aspects of the University community including students, staff, faculty, and parents/families
• Regular direct contact with University Counsel's Office, HR partners and faculty/staff, and the Director of Inclusion and Belonging (in the Division of Inclusion and Belonging)
• External contact with prospective parents/families and external partners providing accommodation services

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: provides direct supervision of at least 3 professional and part-time staff and indirect supervision of student workers

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT: Requires employee to work mainly inside in an office environment and travel to other locations on campus for meetings and events

QUALIFICATIONS

Required knowledge, skills & ability:

• Knowledge and understanding of the application of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the subsequent ADAAA, and court decisions and agency rulings as they relate to the higher education context
• Ability to interpret a wide variety of disability diagnostic assessments and determine accommodations
• Proven experience developing and implementing policies, procedures, and best practices related to accessibility and inclusion
• Ability to complete multiple tasks with competing priorities; manage and organize work to consistently meet deadlines
• Working knowledge of assistive technology and adaptive equipment
• Ability to develop and maintain partnerships among multiple stakeholders, both on and off campus

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience as a director or other leadership role in a college/university disability/accessibility services office
• Experience supervising professional staff
• Experience working with administration/management at all levels
• Knowledge of Universal Design (UD) learning styles, strategies, and techniques

Required education & experience:

• An earned advanced or terminal degree in education, special education, psychology, social work, law, or a related area
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience working in a disability-related field at the postsecondary level
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, academic leadership, HR partners, legal counsel, and student-facing offices

Scheduled Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm; 38.75 hours per week

Salary Range Grade 9, exempt: $77,854 to $121,659

Organization

Working at University of Richmond

Founded in 1830, the University of Richmond is one of America's premier private universities. The University blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. A nationally ranked liberal arts university, Richmond offers a unique combination of undergraduate and graduate programs through its schools of arts and sciences, business, leadership studies, law, and continuing studies. The 350-acre suburban campus, including a 10-acre lake, is consistently cited by The Princeton Review as one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation.

With approximately 3,000 undergraduate students, Richmond offers 55 majors, 42 minors, and 12 concentrations at the bachelor's level. Graduate students can choose from six master's degrees programs, an MBA program, a juris doctorate, and six dual-degree programs in law. Continuing studies options include programs at the associate, bachelor, and master levels, in addition to numerous non-credit offerings.

Richmond faculty members are outstanding leaders in their fields. Of the 312 full-time faculty at the University, 98 percent hold doctorate or terminal degrees. Richmond has a student-faculty ratio of 9:1, with zero classes taught by teaching assistants. Our faculty members are in the classrooms and the labs, working closely with students to maximize their educational experiences.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Richmond one of the best liberal arts universities in the nation and in the top 35 for undergraduate research. BusinessWeek ranked The Robins School of Business in the top 20 nationally and fourth for academic quality, as well as among the top 15 part-time MBA programs. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine named Richmond in the top 25 for best value among private colleges and universities

As locals like to say, Richmond is "easy to love" because of its rich history, stunning architecture, natural beauty and quality of life. It's been named one of the top cities in which to live and work by numerous national sources, including Forbes magazine. As the capital of Virginia, Richmond is home to the state legislature, a growing number of Fortune 500 companies and industries ranging from finance to agriculture. In fact, Forbes also recently ranked Richmond as the sixth best city to get a job in the U.S. Nearly one million people live in the Greater Richmond region and enjoy an array of cultural opportunities including 35 museums; numerous theatre companies; a symphony, a ballet and an opera; a thriving public forum; three professional, minor-league sports teams; a coliseum for major concerts and sporting events; and much more. Located just 100 miles south of Washington, D.C., Richmond is only 90 minutes from Virginia's beaches and 90 minutes from the spectacular Blue Ridge Mountains.

UR is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity. EOE