Bow Valley College is Calgary and the region’s only Comprehensive Community College with 14,000 full- and part-time students and campuses in Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks. Our graduates contribute to the digital economy, careers in business, TV & film production, and serve on the frontlines of healthcare and social services. Bow Valley College invests in three applied research pillars: educational technology, social innovation, and health.
Why work at Bow Valley College? Bow Valley College is an Alberta Top 75 employer made up of employees who are committed to our learners´ success, as well as each other´s. Our values of respect, inclusion, creativity, teamwork, and resilience are reflected in how we work together to include all learners, challenge our thinking, remove barriers, provide opportunity, and make all learning count.
Position Summary
The Accessibility Advisor for Accessibility Services, Student Services, provides key evaluations, decisions, and recommendations for the College’s legal requirement to accommodate learners with disabilities, as established by provincial and federal legislation, including the Alberta Human Rights Act. This position’s key functions include:
- One on one appointments with learners to determine eligibility for accommodations or supports.
- Accessibility Reporting, maintaining database and producing statistical reports.
- Identifying and collaborating with faculty and staff on Universal Design for Learning Strategies (UDL), academic accommodations, and/or supports for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities.
- Other duties as required.
This position works as an Accessibility Services team member and reports to the Manager, Learner Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Position Responsibilities and Accountabilities include, but are not limited to:
Direct Learner Contact:
- Collects and evaluates psychoeducational, medical, or other documentation.
- Authorizes customized UDL strategies and accommodation plans for unique individual learner requirements based on barriers to learning and legislated Human Rights requirements.
- Determines eligibility and authorizes Schedule 4 grants costs related to the barriers caused by a disability as part of the student loan application.
- Updates UDL strategies and Individual Accommodation Plans (IAP’s) of all ongoing learners with accommodation services to be provided in the upcoming term.
- Liaises with College staff to determine appropriate accommodations for placements through Work Integrated Learning, practicums, clinicals, internships, and other work experience programs.
Identify and Collaborate on Universal Design for Learning Strategies:
- Collaborates with Faculty and staff in those classes to identify opportunities to include UDL strategies through:
- Review of course syllabus.
- Review of course assessment tools.
- Collaboration on adding multiple means of assessment, representation, action, and expression.
Accessibility Services Reporting:
- Maintains a statistical database, to report on the quantity and quality of service provided to the College and Government of Alberta
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree from a relevant program (e.g., Psychology, Social Work, Education, and Disability Studies) plus work experience, ideally within the post-secondary support for learners with disabilities field.)
- Minimum 3 years’ work experience with learners with disabilities.
- Ability to understand and utilize psychoeducational assessment information for the purpose of developing academic accommodation plans.
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
Preferred Qualifications
- Thorough knowledge of available and emerging academic accommodations and barriers to learning for students with disabilities.
- Excellent understanding of human rights legislation as it applies to learners with disabilities in a post-secondary setting.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Student Information Systems
This opening is a continuous AUPE position. Please note all successful candidates will be required to provide copies of government issued identification and proof of educational qualifications upon hire.
Posting expiry date: 28th September 2023
Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
Bow Valley College is strongly committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within our community. We welcome applications from qualified candidates who would contribute to the further diversification of our employees including, but not limited to, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.
