Student Equity and Accessibility Facilitator

Competition 1224

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal candidates and applicants who were former employees of the University of Alberta in the past 18 months will be given priority consideration before external candidates. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed at: Faculty & Staff Benefits.

Location - Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton. This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for the Department

The University of Alberta Office of the Dean of Students’ (current and emerging) mandates, strategic initiatives, and operational plans and programs are dedicated to achieving more diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive environments for students in our campus communities and university programs. Part of the Office of the Dean of Students portfolio, the Student Equity and Accessibility team provides a range of student services that help to address equity, access, and inclusion barriers to students’ academic and campus participation, guided by the Alberta Human Rights Act, the University’s EDI Strategic Plan and Discrimination, Harassment, and Duty to Accommodate Policy, and other relevant regulations, policies, and procedures.

Position 

The Student Equity and Accessibility team utilizes evidence-based approaches to facilitate students’ equitable participation in all University programs and campuses, at all levels of study, and all aspects of the student experience and life cycle (including application processes, convocation, course participation, experiential learning components, campus services, extracurricular activities, student groups, parking, student housing, and others).

Among other services, the team manages applicant accommodation requests, and is responsible for the assessment and implementation of student accommodation requests based on legally protected grounds for: temporary medical conditions (i.e., physical and mental disability-protected grounds); interim accommodations for students whose medical investigations are ongoing; and, non-medical protected grounds (e.g., age, gender, family status, religious belief).

The team also provides support for students who are equity-seeking and/or experience barriers, or who are impacted by planned and unexpected life events (e.g., death in the family, illness and injury, serious family illness, pregnancy), that affect students’ abilities to participate in their studies. Additionally, the team collaborates with university units to improve student equity and access, including accessibility/inclusion training and assessments, universal design for learning solutions, and program/procedure design.

Student Equity and Accessibility Facilitators may be assigned to work with specific student cohorts and/or equity-seeking groups, including (among others) LGBTQ2+ students, military-connected students, students who parent, religiously observant students, and/or students who have physical or mental health disabilities.

Duties 

• Responds to telephone, digital, and in-person student inquiries, and accurately advises students and other campus stakeholders about appropriate options, including referrals to other services, human rights, university procedures and regulations, accommodations, and others.
• Effectively utilizes case management and other systems to record, track, and manage student case information in accordance with university policies and procedures, and privacy and legal requirements.
• Appropriately identifies and promptly notifies supervisor of complex cases that require additional intervention and systemic challenges that affect the implementation of accessibility/inclusion solutions.
• Assesses student applications for accommodations based on legal protected grounds in order to determine student eligibility for accommodations in accordance with federal and provincial regulations and university policies.
• Identifies and approves appropriate student accommodations, and develops accommodation plans, in alignment for course/program competencies, bona fide requirements, learning outcomes, pedagogical practices, academic integrity, university policies and procedures, learning environments and technologies, and operational realities.
• Implements approved accommodations in collaboration with students, instructors, program and faculty staff, and other campus units, including ongoing troubleshooting, problem resolution, and support.
• Identifies and implements appropriate modifications for students who do not qualify for accommodations.
• Communicates verbally and in writing, in a professional and timely manner, with diverse campus stakeholders about team services and student cases.
• Develops and delivers professional presentations to diverse audiences in formal and informal settings.
• Effectively collaborates with a wide range of campus units and stakeholders on small and large projects to develop and implement student accessibility and inclusion solutions.
• Works effectively in a collaborative team environment, demonstrating superior interpersonal skills with the proven ability to build/maintain strategic relationships, interact professionally, knowledgeably, comfortably, positively and respectfully with diverse individuals/stakeholders with a broad range of credentials, abilities and literacy/language levels.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a discipline relevant to post-secondary student learning and success; equity, inclusion, and accessibility; accommodations (e.g., Adult Education, Disability Studies, Psychology, Sociology, etc.) is required plus a minimum of 3 to 5 years of proven experience in a post-secondary role related to student equity, accessibility, accommodations, and/or inclusion. Equivalent combinations of related education and experience may be considered.
• 3 to 5 years of demonstrated experience relevant to universal design for learning, accommodations, and/or working with adult learners as well as in-depth understanding of disabilities, a cultural view of disability, and student success factors in the post-secondary environment is required.
• 3 to 5 years of experience and proven competence in dealing with situations that evolve in complex, dynamic, and ambiguous ways.
• 3 to 5 years of proven ability to work respectfully and effectively with culturally diverse students, individuals, and communities by demonstrating cultural competence through a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and abilities to deliver (sometimes) complex navigational supports and accessibility/accommodation services in a cross-cultural learning and work environment, including First Nations, Metis, and Inuit, and equity-seeking and historically under-represented students, individuals, and communities. ,
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with proven ability to develop and deliver professional presentation(s) to a diverse audience(s) in formal and informal settings.
• Demonstrated conflict resolution and solution-seeking skills with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders to de-escalate and resolve complex concerns, remain calm under pressure and/or in the face of adversity, and to triage and appropriately refer students who are in distress, including the ability to be professional and tactful in highly sensitive situations often involving highly confidential information.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with staff, faculty and other student support personnel using a collaborative team-based approach to solve student accessibility and inclusion concerns. Superior interpersonal skills with the proven ability to build/maintain strategic relationships, interact professionally, knowledgeably, comfortably, positively and respectfully with diverse individuals/stakeholders with a broad range of credentials, abilities and literacy/language levels.
• Superior organizational and time management skills with the proven ability to effectively and efficiently manage and prioritize multiple tasks to meet (often) competing deadlines within a demanding, fast-paced, and often stressful work environment.
• Working knowledge of the University of Alberta Office of the Dean of Students, student services, stakeholder groups, and academic and campus environments is required.
• Working knowledge of University of Alberta policies and procedures (e.g., Student Conduct Policy; Discrimination, Harassment, and Duty to Accommodate Policy; HIAR; FOIPP; University Calendar; UAPPOL; health and safety risk management) is required.
• Compliance, alignment, and support of the University of Alberta’s (current and emerging) mandate, strategic initiatives, and operational plans and programs that are dedicated to achieving a more diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive environment for all who work, learn, and live within our community is required.
• Proven computer proficiency in relation to electronic record-keeping and communications, with intermediate or higher skills with Microsoft Suite, Word, Excel, Google applications preferred.
• Annual submission of the U of A Conflict of Interest / Conflict of Commitment Declaration is required.
• Fluency in French is considered an asset.
• Working knowledge of the community health sector, anti-oppressive practices, social determinants of health, human rights in Alberta and Canada, EDI principles and practices.
• Working knowledge of case management systems/methodologies, including on and off campus resources and services.
• Excellent knowledge of current trends in post-secondary student equity, learning, accessibility, inclusion, and accommodations.