Director of the Disability Resource Center

Director of the Disability Resource Center

Overview of the Position

The Office for Equity and Diversity is seeking a highly qualified and skilled individual to serve as Director of the Disability Resource Center. The Director provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction for DRC programs and services. The Director also oversees DRC operations, develops disability-related policies and procedures, and provides consultation and guidance to University leaders systemwide.

The Director position offers complex, fast-moving, and fascinating work in a supportive work environment. The Director has significant discretion to determine how best to fulfill the University's responsibility to provide reasonable accommodations and to more broadly support best practices for accessibility across the institution. The role offers many opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and leadership. The Director's work has a significant impact on both individuals served by the DRC and on the University as a whole, and it is critical that the Director approach the work with thoughtfulness, expertise, and commitment and passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The Director serves as a critical member of the OED Leadership Team, and reports to the Associate Vice President, Office for Equity and Diversity. The Director position is a full-time, year-round, professional/administrative position. The Director may work a hybrid in-person and remote work schedule, although remote work may not always be possible given the responsibilities of the position. The University offers a competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience and background, and excellent benefits.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

I. Leadership and Strategic Planning

• Lead the organization in a manner that is highly ethical, forward-looking, collaborative, and aligned with principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. This includes developing a culture that actively includes diverse perspectives across roles, units, and identities.
• Engage in strategic planning in collaboration with DRC leadership team that further establishes the DRC as a leader in the field of disability services, and aligns with the strategic plans for the Office for Equity and Diversity and University as a whole.
• Develop and implement evaluation tools and metrics to measure the DRC's effectiveness and monitor its progress towards identified goals.
• Serve as a thought-leader and advisor on practices for creating inclusive and accessible environments and providing reasonable disability accommodations in higher education.
• Stay abreast of national, state, and local disability-related issues and actively participate in disability-related professional organizations.

II. Management and Operations

• Provide support, leadership, and guidance to the DRC leaders who oversee UReturn/Employee Services, Student Access, Testing and Access Assistance, and the Interpreting and Captioning Unit.
• Collaborate with the Office for Digital Accessibility and provide guidance and support to its media accessibility, media captioning, and document conversion functions.
• Seek out and support talented staff, create opportunities for staff learning and growth, empower creativity and innovation, communicate constructive feedback, cultivate a culture of trust and respect, and grow the next generation of DRC leaders.
• Develop and oversee the DRC's annual budget. Create budget proposals that reflect the anticipated demand for services as well as demonstrate sound fiscal stewardship.
• Oversee identification and implementation of process improvements to both streamline and advance service delivery within the DRC's allocated budget, in ways that uphold the integrity of courses, programs. and employment positions.
• Prepare for and manage anticipated growth in the numbers of University members requiring disability-related services of increasing complexity.
• Provide consultation and guidance on disability accommodation-related issues to DRC staff and University units and departments systemwide.

III. Systemwide Institutional Support

• Serve as a Deputy ADA and Section 504 Coordinator who is responsible for coordinating: 1) the system-wide provision of reasonable accommodations for disability; and 2) the system-wide grievance process for the review of concerns related to accessibility and disability accommodations.
• Participate in the development and updating of University policies and procedures related to the provision of disability accommodations and an accessible work and learning environment.
• Represent the DRC on the OED Leadership Team, University-wide governance committees, and task forces.
• Present to University leadership, the Board of Regents, and other stakeholders on the work of DRC and the current status of equity and diversity as it relates to people with disabilities at the University.
• Lead the system-wide collaboration of student disability services offices on all five University campuses.

Essential Qualifications:

• BA/BS and at least 12 years of experience
• Demonstrated and sophisticated understanding of the key issues and best practices related to disability and disability justice in higher education.
• Significant leadership experience in a highly complex environment.
• Supervisory experience that includes supporting and developing staff with a range of experience levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a highly consultative environment, to collaborate with colleagues to set priorities and address competing demands, and to lead groups of people toward a common mission.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively and collaboratively set and implement priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively seek, receive, and integrate feedback.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively identify and implement process improvements.
• Demonstrated superb expressive, written communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated excellent judgment and problem-solving abilities in complex contexts with competing interests and strong stakeholder viewpoints.
• Demonstrated experience in - and an ongoing commitment to - working effectively with and across diverse communities through an intersectional and justice-focused approach: including people of color, underrepresented groups and new immigrant populations; American Indians; people with both apparent and non-apparent disabilities; women; people of various gender and sexual identities and expressions; and first-generation students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree and at least 8 years of progressive experience promoting disability access.
• Experience leading and managing a large office or office division that is responsible for delivering disability services.
• Significant management experience with professional staff in a large and highly visible program or organization.
• Experience determining and implementing reasonable accommodations for disabled people in a higher education setting.
• Experience at a higher education institution or at a large, complex, and decentralized mission-based organization.
• Demonstrated experience in working on equity and diversity initiatives within and across different constituencies.

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is charged with identifying and mitigating barriers in learning, working, and other University environments by implementing reasonable disability-related accommodations. The DRC is a comprehensive resource for the University population of over 95,000 faculty, staff and students, as well as for University visitors.

The DRC employs around 70 academic/professional, civil service, and bargaining unit staff, in addition to student workers. DRC staff members are responsible for determining and implementing accommodations for media accessibility, interpreting, captioning, access assistance, physical access and digital access. The DRC approaches requests for reasonable accommodations through robust and highly interactive and individualized processes, and supports the provision of accommodations to provide access to the entire University experience. Together, the DRC team has extensive subject matter expertise, strong relationships within and outside of the DRC, and a deeply consultative and collaborative culture.

The DRC also serves as a thought leader and advisor on how University departments and units can proactively use universal design and inclusive pedagogical practices to remove barriers in the University's learning, work, and other environments.

The DRC is part of the Office for Equity and Diversity (OED). OED is responsible for the University of Minnesota's system-wide equity and diversity initiatives and programs, and for infusing the core values of equity and diversity into all aspects of teaching, learning, research, service, and outreach at the University. OED includes the following units housed on the University's Twin Cities campus: the Office for Conflict Resolution; the Disability Resource Center; the Equal Opportunity & Title IX Office; the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life; the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence; the Sexual Misconduct Hearing Committee; the Office for Supplier Diversity; and the Women's Center.

More information about the Disability Resource Center and the Office for Equity and Diversity is available at disability.umn.edu and diversity.umn.edu.

Pay Range: $130,000 - $160,000 annually depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications will be reviewed beginning on March 7, 2025, and thereafter on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applications must be made electronically through the University of Minnesota's Online Employment System at employment.umn.edu.

Please submit the following documents online: a cover letter explaining how your background qualifies you for this position, a current resume, and a list identifying three references and their contact information if not included in the resume. If you have questions regarding the position, please contact Tina Marisam at marisam@umn.edu.

This document is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact the Disability Resource Center at disability@umn.edu to obtain disability accommodations in this application process.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status or sexual orientation.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, LGBTQIA+ and gender nonconforming folks, people with disabilities, and members of other historically underrepresented communities/groups are highly encouraged to apply.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).