Job DescriptionTitle: Senior Associate Director of Accessibility & Student Success
Department: Academic Advising & Accessibility / Student Success
Status: Full-Time
Reports To: Director of Academic Advising & Accessibility
Position Summary
Wagner College seeks a Senior Associate Director of Accessibility & Student Success to serve as a senior member of the Academic Advising and Accessibility team and provide high-level professional support across accessibility services, academic advising, and student success.
Reporting to the Director of Academic Advising & Accessibility, the Senior Associate Director will have primary responsibility for the day-to-day operation and coordination of Accessibility Services, working closely with the Director to ensure students with disabilities receive appropriate, timely, and equitable access to the academic and campus experience.
The position requires significant independent professional judgment and will manage a broad range of student accessibility matters, including complex cases, accommodation implementation, faculty consultation, testing accommodations, documentation, and cross-campus coordination.
In addition to Accessibility Services, the Senior Associate Director will contribute meaningfully to the College's broader student-success efforts through academic advising, individualized student support, early intervention, case management, retention initiatives, and collaboration with academic and student-support offices.
This position is designed for an experienced professional who can independently manage complex student matters, provide day-to-day operational leadership, and serve as a trusted resource to students, faculty, staff, and College leadership.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Accessibility Services
- Provide day-to-day professional leadership and coordination of Accessibility Services under the direction of the Director of Academic Advising & Accessibility.
- Meet individually with students requesting accommodations and engage in the interactive process to determine appropriate reasonable accommodations based upon documentation, individual circumstances, College policy, and applicable requirements.
- Review disability documentation and make or recommend accommodation determinations consistent with institutional procedures and applicable legal requirements.
- Manage a caseload of students receiving academic and other accessibility-related accommodations.
- Coordinate implementation of approved accommodations with students, faculty, and appropriate College offices.
- Coordinate academic and testing accommodations, including extended testing time, reduced-distraction environments, assistive technology, and other approved supports.
- Serve as a resource to faculty regarding implementation of approved accommodations, classroom accessibility, and appropriate referral to Accessibility Services.
- Work collaboratively with Residential Education, Campus Life, Dining Services, Facilities, Athletics, Academic Affairs, and other College offices when accommodations involve the broader student experience.
- Address complex accommodation questions and elevate matters requiring policy, legal, or senior-level review to the Director as appropriate.
- Maintain accurate and confidential records of requests, documentation, determinations, communications, and implementation.
- Assist the Director in reviewing and strengthening Accessibility Services policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, forms, templates, and communications.
- Monitor developments and best practices related to disability access and accessibility in higher education.
- Assist with education and training for faculty, staff, students, and families regarding accessibility processes, responsibilities, and resources.
- Help ensure continuity of Accessibility Services during periods when the Director is unavailable.
Academic Advising & Student Success
- Maintain an academic advising and/or student-success caseload as determined by departmental and institutional needs.
- Provide individualized academic advising, coaching, and student-success support.
- Assist students in understanding academic requirements, College policies, registration processes, academic planning, and available resources.
- Work with students experiencing academic difficulty, transition challenges, or other barriers to persistence to develop individualized plans for success.
- Participate in early-alert, academic intervention, retention, and student-success initiatives.
- Provide proactive outreach to students identified as needing additional academic or institutional support.
- Collaborate with faculty advisors, Academic Success, Registrar, Campus Life, Athletics, Financial Aid, Counseling and Health Services, and other offices to coordinate appropriate student interventions and referrals.
- Participate in cross-functional student-support and case-management meetings as appropriate.
- Assist with orientation, registration, transition, and other advising/student-success initiatives.
- Help identify recurring barriers affecting student success and recommend opportunities for improved processes, communication, or support.
Assessment, Operations & Institutional Collaboration
- Maintain appropriate data regarding accessibility, advising, and student-success activity.
- Assist in assessing service utilization, student needs, outcomes, and emerging trends.
- Prepare reports and information for institutional planning, assessment, accreditation, compliance, and leadership as requested.
- Help maintain an annual calendar of Accessibility Services and advising processes, deadlines, communications, and recurring responsibilities.
- Develop and maintain effective standard operating procedures and documentation to ensure continuity of critical functions.
- Establish strong collaborative relationships across Academic Affairs, Campus Life, Athletics, Enrollment Management, and other College divisions.
- Participate in committees, working groups, and special projects related to accessibility, advising, retention, and student success.
- Perform other duties consistent with the scope and level of the position.
Qualifications Required
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, accessibility/disability services, academic advising, student success, counseling, education, student affairs, or a related area.
- Demonstrated experience supporting students with disabilities and/or administering accommodations.
- Working knowledge of accessibility and disability-related requirements and practices within an educational environment.
- Strong case-management, organizational, documentation, and follow-through skills.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise sound independent professional judgment while recognizing matters requiring escalation.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
- Strong written, interpersonal, and consultation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex student matters while maintaining timely follow-through.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with students, faculty, staff, families, and administrators.
Preferred
- Master's degree in higher education, counseling, student affairs, education, rehabilitation counseling, social work, special education, or a related field.
- Several years of direct experience administering accessibility/disability services in a college or university environment.
- Strong knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and accessibility practices in higher education.
- Experience with academic advising, early-alert systems, retention, case management, or student-success initiatives.
- Experience developing policies, procedures, SOPs, training materials, and assessment/reporting processes.
- Experience managing complex student cases requiring coordination across multiple institutional offices.
