Position Summary
In alignment with the University Health and Wellbeing (UHW) strategic vision, the director of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) provides leadership for a comprehensive, campus-wide disability services operation at a large public research university. Reporting to the Executive Director of Health Promotion, Engagement, Accessibility, and Accommodations (HPEAA) and working closely with university partners, the director will promote equitable access and an inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff with disabilities. The Director must be innovative and demonstrate a strong capacity to support inclusive programs and services that meet the needs of individuals across a broad spectrum of disabilities, including but not limited to physical, cognitive, psychiatric, neurodivergent, chronic, and other health conditions.
The Director is responsible for implementing strategic direction, legal compliance (ADA, Section 504), program oversight, staff leadership, and institutional partnerships that ensure equitable access for disabled students and employees. The position is heavily focused on scale, consistency, academic integration, data-informed decision-making, and institutional risk management.
The Director is a campus expert on student disability access within the University. The role advises university and academic leaders, collaborates with faculty governance, and ensures disability services align with the institution's mission, enrollment goals, and student success priorities. Matters requiring MAU-level approval are escalated for review, including those with campus- or department-wide impact, or those impacting policy or external affairs. The Director also provides guidance on disability-related issues, and oversees comprehensive accommodations for faculty, staff, and students, and leads a team of more than 20 staff, including four direct reports.
Please note this is a hybrid position with the expectation of two non-consecutive remote days per week and three in person days in East Lansing.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Campus Integration
- Advance the mission and vision of the RCPD in alignment with UHW's Health and Wellbeing Plan and MSU's 2030 Strategic Plan and corresponding assessment initiatives.
- Partner with executive leadership to implement the strategic direction for disability services within a large, decentralized academic environment.
- Align disability services strategy with university-wide equity, retention, and student success initiatives.
- Advise senior leadership on disability-related trends, risks, policy and compliance implications.
- Lead large-scale change initiatives impacting accommodation deliver, academic policy, and instructional practices.
- Develop and operationalize success metrics and equity focused initiatives that strengthen RCPD's visibility and integration across MSU and community partnerships.
- Cultivate, maintain, and steward strategic relationships with advancement donors to secure and sustain funding for disability access, accessibility initiatives, and student success programs.
Legal Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure institutional compliance with ADA, Section 504/508, and state and federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) guidance.
- Serve as a senior advisor on complex accommodation needs.
- Lead the RCPD disputes resolution and grievances process.
- Intervene in disagreements or concerns about reasonable accommodations and/or their implementation when director-level guidance is appropriate.
- Develop, interpret, and operationalize disability-related and special policy processes across academic units.
- Translate legal requirements into scalable, defensible institutional practices.
Program Oversight
- Oversee all student disability accommodation, including academic adjustments, housing, assistive technology, and clinical/field placements.
- Establish consistent standards for documentation review and accommodation determinations.
- Foster relationships with faculty and staff to maintain and improve access for students with disabilities.
- Advance Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive pedagogy initiatives in partnership with academic affairs.
Staff & Organizational Leadership
- Lead, supervise, and develop a large multidisciplinary professional staff.
- Establish leadership pipelines, succession planning, and professional development structures.
- Foster a culture of accountability, equity, and continuous improvement.
Data, Assessment & Resource Management
- Use data analytics to forecast service demand, staffing needs, and budget priorities.
- Oversee significant operational budgets and staff allocations.
- Prepare reports and dashboards for senior leadership to support decision-making.
- Lead endowed and gift programs reporting and coordination of funding development and renewal.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree
Masters -Higher Education, Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education, Psychology, or related fields
Desired Degree
Doctorate -Higher Education, Education Administration, Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education Administration, Psychology, or related fields
Minimum Requirements
- Master's degree in Higher Education, Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education, Psychology, or related fields.
- 5-10 years of relevant progressive experience in promoting disability access or in a student affairs or student services office with a specific emphasis on disability support services are required.
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge of critical issues related to disability access and support resources.
- Demonstrated experience leading large teams and complex service systems.
- Strong command of federal disability law and higher education compliance environments.
- Skilled in navigating decentralized academic culture with health sciences education.
- Demonstrated experience in leading and managing organizational change, including planning, implementing, and sustaining initiatives that enhance processes, culture, or service delivery.
- Proficiency with accessibility technologies, learning management systems, and accommodations tracking software.
- Demonstrated ability to lead supervisory staff and support professional growth at both direct and indirect levels.
- Experience in budget development and fiscal management, including interpretation of and writing financial reports.
Desired Qualifications
- Doctorate in Higher Education, Education Administration, Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education Administration, Psychology or related fields.
- Progressively responsible experience in higher education administration involving disability compliance and accessibility oversight.
- Demonstrates experience developing and leading a campus-wide dialogue on disability access, ableism, and policy development, with experience leading change processes in a complex, decentralized environment.
- Available and responsive to students, faculty, MSU administration, and other key stakeholders. Leads with compassion, transparency and ethics, values accessibility, and possesses excellent communication skills to articulate vision, direction, and purpose.
Required Application Materials
- Resume
- Position Specific Cover Letter
Website
https://uhw.msu.edu/health-and-wellbeing-services/accessibility-and-accommodations/rcpd
MSU Statement
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
