Job Description 

Columbia College Chicago is an acclaimed undergraduate and graduate institution that provides a comprehensive education in the arts, communications, and public relations. We constantly aim to reach our full potential as an educational innovator, incubator of new creative practice and generator of real-world success for young creatives. We are in the heart of Chicago, across the street from historic Grant Park, and housed in some of the most iconic buildings in the South Loop.

Columbia College Chicago a private urban institution of over 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students, four-year College offering a distinctive curriculum that blends liberal arts, creative and media arts and business is currently searching for a DIRECTOR OF SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Dean of Students, the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities is responsible for establishing goals, policies, and procedures of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. This includes overseeing and meeting student needs with a wide and expanding range of student accommodations and services, such as individualized classroom and residential housing accommodations, note taking services, testing accommodation services, interpretive services, and counseling around disabilities, for over 600 students with increasingly diverse and complex disabilities. The Director consults with faculty and staff to promote knowledge, awareness, and sensitivity regarding students with disabilities, accommodations, and processes. The Director provides leadership and advice on the complex legal aspects of the college’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and applicable parts of the Fair Housing Act. The Director supervises the activities of the SSD Coordinator and the Manager of Interpretive Services, work which involves considerable diplomacy, tact, and mediation. The Director must create an atmosphere that demonstrates an awareness and sensitivity to the need to strike a balance between student rights and the responsibilities that accompany those rights. Errors may result in continuing conflict, ill will or lawsuits.

Flex work option available.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct staff responsible for providing services to students with disabilities. This includes hiring, training, developing, and managing performance as well as disciplinary matters.
• Serve as the primary resource on disability compliance for faculty and staff throughout the college, training faculty and staff on their responsibilities under Section 504 and the ADA. This includes information related to disability issues such as evaluations, testing, on-campus resources, and off-campus agency support.
• Determine academic and physical accommodations based on students’ personal, psychological, neurological, educational, and medical documentation, ADA law, student/family input, and Columbia’s requirement to provide reasonable accommodations under the law.
• Serve as the primary liaison between students and faculty regarding disability-related issues. This includes consultation with faculty to foster knowledge of accommodations, practices, and procedures.
• Serve as the primary intake person for student disability-related grievances.
• Develop effective partnerships with college stakeholders to enhance the range of services and support for the students with disabilities.
• Develop relationships with different constituencies within the college to promote inclusive practices and access for students with disabilities and the College community.
• Supervise the utilization of the Accessible Information Management (AIM) system to create an accessible, student-friendly online accommodation system. This includes the regular strategic review of the student-facing experience through various modes of assessment, creating improvements to the various accommodation processes and incorporating them into the system, and ensuring the maintenance of confidential and reliable record-keeping for highly sensitive student notes and documents.
• Identify adaptive equipment and technology necessary to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities.
• Lead the implementation, utilization, and maintenance of any new and existing technology necessary to meet student accommodations.
• Develop workshops and training to address student needs as needed.
• Supervise the recruitment, training, and evaluation, of student employees.
• Develop effective partnerships with and consult external service agencies to enhance services and provide additional resources for students.
• Demonstrate the ability to work with diverse populations.
• Educate the college community regarding Services for Students with Disabilities during various college-wide events, e.g., Open House, Registration, Orientations, Convocation, Manifest, and Commencement; present to visiting groups; and provide sensitivity training to the College community.
• Serve on college, Student Affairs, and Dean of Students committees as assigned.
• Perform other related duties and/or responsibilities as assigned or required.

• Master’s degree in a related field – disability, education, psychology, social work, or law.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in disability services.
• Experience reviewing medical, psychological, and other documentation for accommodations.
• Extensive knowledge of ADA/Section 504 essential.
• Demonstrated understanding of FERPA.
• Knowledge of how to support diverse learning styles and learners.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with students, faculty, and staff.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries and work harmoniously with diverse groups of students, faculty, and staff.
• Software: AIM, Maxient

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee and is subject to change based on the needs of the department and/or college.

Position Minimum Hourly Rate or Annual Salary: $69,300.00

Position Maximum Hourly Rate or Annual Salary: $83,200.00

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including department budget.

At Columbia, we offer a rewarding work environment for our faculty and staff. We take pride in offering competitive benefits with affordable health, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; commuter benefit program, life and accidental, death & dismemberment coverage; paid and unpaid leave options; work/life benefits; educational assistance programs; and retirement and financial planning benefits. Click here for more information.

We invite you to join our talented faculty and staff and become part of our collective aspiration to ensure Columbia prepares students for success in their creative fields through innovation, engagement, and real-world experiences.

Additional Information 

• Position subject to a background screening
• This is a non- union position
• This position is overtime ineligible
• Cover letter is required

Qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Columbia College Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning civil rights. The college does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.