Student Disability Services Specialist - Office of Student Affairs

Overview

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 more than 35 doctoral and master s programs, the GC 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 GC s commitment to research and scholarship for the public good is exemplified by its more than 30 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), a 200,000 square-foot facility designed to promote collaboration among scientists in nanoscience, photonics, structural biology, neuroscience, and environmental sciences.

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 to assist with planning and implementing disability services for all GC students, including those based at other CUNY campuses, ensuring compliance with relevant governmental mandates and university policies.

• Assists with a comprehensive program of services for students with disabilities.
• Serves as front-line contact for Student Disability Services, including monitoring the general office email, phone, and visitors.
• Maintains and updates student data in the Student Disability Services databases (Accommodate and CUNYfirst).
• Assists Disability Services Manager with development and/or review of individual educational plans that include academically designed support services and accommodations under 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, monitors 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 encountered 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.

• 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 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 periodically provided by CUNY Assistive Technology Services (CATS), CUNY Council on Student Disability Issues (COSDI), and CUNY Central Office and/or tutorials, webinars, and workshops.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Sponsorship will not be offered for this position.

• Assists with planning and providing a comprehensive program of services for students with disabilities.
• Assists with daily supervision of the unit, including budgets, personnel supervision, and facilities/equipment management.
• Provides guidance and advisement to student organizations, administrators, faculty and others on concerns and issues related to students with special needs.
• Interacts with counselors, disability accommodations specialists, and external community organizations to maintain a broad inventory of available services.
• Presents programs and workshops, and prepares communications to students and others promoting the goals of the unit.
• Organizes and provides for assistive technology and interpretive services.
• May develop and/or review individual educational plans that incorporate individually designed academic support services and accommodations within the ADA guidelines.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Job Title Name:
Student Disability Services Specialist

CUNY Title
Higher Education Assistant

FLSA
Exempt

$59,493- $68,364/year.…