Assistant Dean of Students for Accessible Education and Student Support

Title:Assistant Dean of Students for Accessible Education and Student Support

Position Purpose:

The Assistant Dean of Students oversees the Office of Accessible Education and Student Support provides campus leadership around equal access for students with disabilities and coordinates all efforts and resources to support students of concern and student case management. The Assistant Dean of Students will provide direct nonclinical support to students who are experiencing significant issue in a number of areas: academics mental health physical health economic concerns conduct issues family relationships and social adjustment.

Job Duties:

StudentFacing Responsibilities and Case Management

• Meet 1:1 with students of concern to develop individual success plans and track progress on personal and academic goals.
• Assist students in navigating academic support options including course deferrals withdrawals and leaves of absence and coordinate with instructors.
• Communicate with staff parents families or designated emergency contacts regarding emergencies including hospitalization and develop a plan for return to campus and/or assist students in navigating the medical leave of absence process.
• Serve as a liaison between Student Affairs and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff regarding students of concern.
• Collaborate with other campus offices to provide support to students and expedite resolution of problems Residence Life and Health Education Health Services Community Standards and Office of Equity and Inclusion.
• Provide referrals to support services within the College as well as communitybased resources.
• Follow up with students who have been referred to campus or community resources to ensure compliance with recommendations.
• In partnership with the Director of Accessible Education provide direct services to students with disabilities including intake and advice on documentation requirements referring students for testing and to other campus resources and providing general advice and guidance.
• Serve as a Student Support Advisor providing personal support and supplemental academic advising to a cohort of students.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Design systems and structures for student support that identify students for early intervention who may be struggling academically in collaboration with the Registrar.
• Lead and organize the Student Support Advisor (SSA) program where 14 Student Affairs staff members are assigned to be a students consistent advisor for their 4 years at Bates: Assign new students and caseload monitor SSA participation remind SSAs if they have a struggling student they have not addressed design SSA training at multiple points in the academic year.
• Monitor compliance with and remain knowledgeable about laws and case law affecting access to institutional resources accommodations and accessible education: Americans with Disabilities Act Rehabilitation Act Assistance Animals etc.
• Serve as a member of the Academic Standing Committee
• Serve as a member and leader of the Bates CARE Collaborative making student referrals when necessary.
• Review and update policies and procedures relative to access and accommodations for students with disabilities and case management for students of concern.
• Design an office data collection and assessment plan.
• Develop data reporting structures and presentations to communicate the work of the office to campus constituents.
• Oversee financial management for disability services and student support (e.g. note taking adaptive technology training student employment etc..
• Partner with the Office of Residence Life and Health Education to coordinate policies and practices that facilitate access and inclusion for students with disabilities in the residential college setting.
• Support Director of Student Support in Leave of Absence process. Maintain and update policies and procedures as necessary.
• Maintain and develop sound case management documentation practices using Bates Reach (Starfish).
• Assist the Director of Accessible Education with the Accessible Education Testing Center including proctoring testing center as needed.
• Participate in rotating oncall schedule responding to emergencies and urgent student situations that occur outside of business hours.

Campus Partnership Training and Education

• Assist in training and consultation with faculty staff students parents and external stakeholders on reporting students of concern.
• Provide support and leadership to other units and departments within the Bates Community regarding access. This includes ensuring that the universal design framework is being applied where possible in curricular and cocurricular environments.
• Assist in the development and of programming including faculty/staff and studentfacing events and initiatives regarding accessible education and students with disabilities.
• Assist with larger event functions and programming within the Office of Student Affairs including but not limited to Orientation Graduation Week and Commencement.
• Other duties committees and responsibilities within Student Affairs as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelors degree required.
• Masters degree in Counseling Psychology Social Work student development higher education or related field preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience considered.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of experience in higher education or closely related field preferred.
• Direct experience in case management disability services or related area.
• Experience working in collaborative and dynamic office environments.
• Experience working within a complex office environment with frequently shifting tasks and priorities.
• Experience working with multiple constituencies in sometimes difficult and stressful situations.
• Demonstrated success in supporting students from underrepresented groups including students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups firstgenerationtocollege students LGBTQ identified students students with disabilities and lowincome students.

Skills and Knowledge

• Commitment to equity and inclusion and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
• Knowledge about and skills in developmental psychological and medical issues in the college student population.
• A strong social justice orientation and understanding of disability as a social construct including an approach to work that focuses on barrierremoval
• Working knowledge of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 its 2008 amendments and other appropriate laws pertaining to higher education and disabilities
• Strong problemsolving skills and demonstrated track record of effectively working with students in crisis.
• Excellent judgment and awareness for interpersonal dynamics.
• Knowledge of current case management trends and literature.
• Ability to remain composed friendly and demonstrate poise under stress.
• Excellent communication (written verbal and presentation) skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and maintain collegial relationships with clientele such as students staff faculty and community partners.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to quickly synthesize information from a variety of sources in order to make informed recommendations for the best welfare of students.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with sensitive student information.
• Ability to effectively engage with diverse personalities and manage difficult situations.
• Ability to learn and be comfortable with various types of assistive technology such as texttospeech smart pens and other software.
• Proficiency in basic data management systems and assessment practices (e.g. Microsoft Word and Excel Power Point WordPress website Google docs email and calendar).
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

Benefits:

Bates College offers competitive salaries excellent benefits (health dental sick leave 24 days of vacation 2 personal days 13 paid holidays dependent care subsidy free parking access to library and athletic facilities & more) and a supportive collegial environment in a drug and smokefree workplace.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color national or ethnic origin religion sex sexual orientation gender identity or gender expression age disability genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students in the administration of its education policies and programs or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty staff students contractors visitors and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the NonDiscrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the colleges policies compliance with applicable laws statutes and regulations (such as Title VII Title IX and ADA/Section 504 and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow Title IX Officeror via email at .

About Bates:

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college attracting 2000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855 Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender race religion or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces intellectual trends demographic changes and technology that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions graduates over 90 percent of its entering students and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community Maines secondlargest urban area with a population of approximately 65000. Bates is located on a beautiful 133acre traditional New England campus in Lewiston an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate a lively arts scene and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland 140 miles north of Boston and 350 miles north of New York City.