Lead Specialist, Classroom Accommodation Advisor

Lead Specialist – Classroom Accommodation Advisor

Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS)

About OSAS

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) is the unit on campus responsible for ensuring equitable access to the University setting for a diverse population of students with disabilities. With a focus on accessibility, inclusivity and creating environments free of discrimination, OSAS team members assess and approve reasonable accommodations and services for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, both on campus and on-line.

About the Opportunity

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Policy, Programming & Evaluation, the Lead Specialist, Classroom Accommodation Advisor is primarily responsible for supporting an assigned caseload of several hundred students and providing day-to-day student services on behalf of OSAS. The Lead Specialist will provide support and training to specialists regarding classroom accommodations in addition to carrying a caseload and liaising with faculty. This individual is a key team member and contributor in a fast-paced environment that fosters the full and meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities at the University.

This role requires the ability to work efficiently under deadlines, manage details, and address multiple tasks with rapid response. The Lead Specialist will work closely with faculty to understand curriculum design and required course learning outcomes for students to determine fundamental alterations. This individual must possess demonstrated effective interpersonal skills and be able to maintain appropriate professionalism in the face of challenging communications that arise from a variety of sources. The Lead Specialist should be adept with basic Microsoft Office software and be able to learn and make effective use of the department s student records management database. Additionally, the Lead Specialist role involves guiding the work of other staff, such as Accessibility Specialists, as well as graduate and undergraduate student staff.

The Office of Student Accessibility Services is a highly collaborative, highly functional team, with a culture of achievement, supportiveness, and inclusivity.  The OSAS team has defined and committed to core values of: Accountability, Care, Collaboration, Integrity, Leadership and Skilled Communication. It is important that the successful candidate demonstrate an ability to contribute positively to the team dynamic.

Key Responsibilities
The general responsibilities/duties aligned with the Lead Accessibility Specialist are as follows:

• Maintenance of a caseload of several hundred students with disabilities. The individual in this role is expected to attend and/or lead weekly documentation review meetings.
• Training Specialists on Classroom Accommodations such as remote attendance, limited deadline flexibility, and limited attendance flexibility.
• Faculty collaboration on classroom accommodation agreements and an in-depth understanding of curriculum. Ability to determine fundamental requirements of USC courses in collaboration with USC faculty and programmatic departments.
• Offer targeted presentations to campus partners in a variety of modalities (in-person, Zoom, hybrid) on OSAS policies and processes.
• Documentation review and caseload management in a manner that is legally compliant, student-centered and reflective of best practices in the field. The Lead Specialist will be adept in discussing accommodations and limitations of students with diagnosing clinicians.
• The individual in this role must exhibit effectiveness in understanding and applying disability-related laws to accommodation and service delivery, as well as to issue identification and problem-solving.
• All OSAS staff are expected to maintain student records in accordance with FERPA guidelines.
• This role will also cross-train to be additional support in one or more primary services or programs provided by OSAS and will be a significant contributor to strategic departmental projects. This may include data collection and high-level reporting to support division needs.

Essential Skills

• Disability-related laws: Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, understand, and apply disability-related laws (i.e. ADAAA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) to routine accommodation and service delivery, as well as to basic issue-identification and problem-solving. Maintain student records in accordance with FERPA guidelines.
• Technology: Knowledge of operating systems (PC, Mac). Adeptness with basic office software (Microsoft Office Suite), email (Outlook), and internet. Ability to format in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Google Drive, SharePoint and/or OneDrive. Comfort and ability to learn department database to access, update and edit student records.
• Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, as well as independently. Commitment to ensuring the on-going, successful functioning of the unit via day-to-day and longer-term operations. Willingness to assist staff as needed.
• Communication: Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills demonstrated across a wide range of populations (e.g. students, faculty, academic department contacts, University and Division staff, as well as the OSAS staff). The ability to adapt to various communication styles and maintain professionalism in the face of challenging communications. Exhibit discretion with private and/or confidential student, staff, or other departmental information.
• Judgment: Sound professional judgment, exhibited in areas including, but not limited to: raising issues to the appropriate team member(s), effective prioritization, responsiveness, proactivity, assisting students in distress, safety measures on behalf of the office, etc.

• Time and Project Management: Proven ability to successfully manage and shift between multiple competing priorities, complete necessary work by established deadlines, and provide quality assurance to all deliverables. This individual will demonstrate attention to detail, effective issue identification, excellent organizational skills, trouble-shooting and problem-solving skills and proactivity in work and communication. It is essential that the successful candidate can deliver high quality, time-sensitive work and operate effectively in varying levels of intensity within the department.
• In addition, the successful candidate must demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate Degree in a relevant field (i. e. Disability Studies; Counseling Psychology; Special Education; Higher Ed Administration/Student Affairs; etc)
• 5 years working with students with disabilities in higher education.
• Experience in teaching in higher education and curriculum design.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a relevant field (i. e. Disability Studies; Counseling Psychology; Higher Ed Administration/Student Affairs; etc)
• Three years working with students with disabilities in a higher education setting
• Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

The annual base salary range for this position is $69,126.38 - $85,149.81. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations

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Serves a senior leadership role in the management of a student program designed to deliver services aimed at enhancing the quality of student life. Works in a student center or program such as orientation, residential life, intramurals, international student services, student conduct, student government, testing bureau, etc. Plans, develops or modifies, implements, communicates and evaluates program services and operations. This position is not to be used for staff performing student services functions such as admissions, recruitment, financial aid, academic counseling, records and registration, graduation clearance, etc. Minimum Education: Master's degree Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 3 years of directly related professional experience in Education, Student Personnel Administration Preferred Education: Master's degree Preferred Experience: 5 years of experience in an institution of higher education in Education, Student Personnel Administration