Student Disability Services Specialist - Office of Student Affairs

POSITION DETAILS

Student Disability Services Specialist - Office of Student Affairs

The Graduate Center (GC) is the focal point for advanced teaching and research at the City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university. With over 35 doctoral and master’s programs of the highest caliber, the Graduate Center fosters pioneering research and scholarship in the arts and sciences and prepares students for careers in universities and the private, nonprofit, and government sectors.

The Graduate Center’s commitment to research and scholarship for the public good is exemplified by its more than 30 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including its Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), a 200,000 square‑foot facility in upper Manhattan, designed to promote collaboration among scientists in five areas of global research and innovation: nanoscience, photonics, structural biology, neuroscience, and environmental sciences.

The Graduate Center (GC) benefits from highly ambitious and diverse students and alumni—who in turn teach hundreds of thousands of undergraduates every year. Through its public programs, the Graduate Center enhances New York City’s intellectual and cultural life.

The Student Disability Services Specialist reports to the Student Disability Services Manager and works with part‑time, temporary, and student staff in Student Disability Services in assisting with the planning and implementation of disability services for all GC students, including those based at other CUNY campuses, to ensure compliance with all relevant governmental mandates and university policies.

Assists with supporting a comprehensive program of services for students with disabilities, including but not limited to:

• Serves as front‑line contact for Student Disability Services, including monitoring the general office email box, phone, and visitors.
• Maintains and updates student data in the Student Disability Services database systems, Accommodate and CUNYfirst.
• Assists Disability Services Manager with development and/or review of individual educational plans that incorporate individually designed academic support services and accommodations within the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Prepares internal and external institutional data reporting pertaining to service utilization.
• Produces and disseminates guidelines, instructions, and other procedural/information materials, including maintaining website content pertaining to disability services.
• Assists with scheduling student/temp staff work hours, including exam proctors, readers, scribes, note takers, and lab assistants.
• Assists with scheduling accommodated exams, and serves as exam proctor, as needed.
• Organizes and provides for assistive technology and interpretive services, including scheduling sign‑language interpreting and real‑time captioning services, and accessibility programming.
• Coordinates loans of adaptive equipment to students, monitoring equipment inventory, and procurement.
• Schedules the deployment of ergonomic furniture and assistive devices on campus.
• Coordinates services related to alternative format requests.

This role requires confidentiality regarding student medical, personal, and academic information that the candidate may be exposed to while working in Student Disability Services and Student Affairs.

All full‑time and part‑time CUNY staff are expected to work in‑person 80% of their work time. This hybrid work schedule is subject to change.

Bachelor's degree and four years’ related experience required.

A preferred candidate should have:

• Experience using Microsoft Office products, Google applications, and Zoom.
• Ability to learn CUNY technology solutions, including Brightspace LMS, CUNYfirst (Peoplesoft), and CUNY Accommodate (Simplicity).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for interacting with students, faculty, staff, publishers, vendors, and with other team members.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations and priorities.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Opportunity to learn assistive software and equipment, through training sessions…