Disability Rights Advocates Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Director of Disability Support Services (DSS)

Reports To: Associate Provost

Job Description

The Director of Disability Support Services (DSS) provides strategic vision, leadership, and administrative oversight for all programs, services, and accommodations supporting students with disabilities. The Director ensures institutional compliance with federal and state mandates, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended.

As the primary champion for campus accessibility, the Director leads a dedicated team, manages the department budget, sets divisional goals, and collaborates across academic and student life sectors to foster an inclusive, equitable, and universally designed campus environment. The Director serves as the final institutional authority on complex accommodation determinations and represents the college on key committees.

Leadership & Administrative Responsibilities

• Strategic Direction: Provide visionary leadership to set, implement, and evaluate the department's short- and long-term goals, aligning them with the institution’s retention and diversity missions.

• Compliance & Policy Authority: Serve as the primary institutional expert on legal mandates (ADA, Section 504/508); develop, review, and enforce university-wide operational procedures, documentation guidelines, and legal compliance workflows.

• Personnel Management: Supervise, mentor, and evaluate professional staff, including the Assistant Director. Oversee the recruitment and training of student workers and peer leaders.

• Fiscal Oversight: Develop and manage the annual DSS departmental budget, allocating resources efficiently for assistive technologies, alternative formats, and testing services.

• Assessment & Reporting: Oversee comprehensive data collection and student records management; analyze term-by-term engagement and retention metrics to draft institutional reports for executive leadership.

Institutional Collaboration & Advocacy

• Academic Liaison: Partner with Academic Deans, Department Chairs, and faculty to integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into curricula and resolve complex instructional or program modification concerns.

• Campus Operations Alliance: Consult with Human Resources, Facilities, Dining Services, and Residential Life to ensure physical, digital, and structural campus environments are fully accessible.

• Committee Leadership: Represent DSS interests on campus committees related to student retention, risk management, diversity/inclusion, and emergency response.

• Community Education: Design and deliver campus-wide professional development, training workshops, and educational materials regarding neurodiversity, accessibility, and disability rights for faculty and staff.

Direct Student & Family Services

• High-Level Case Management: Oversee the student intake workflow; directly manage a select, complex portfolio of student cases, or step in to resolve high-priority or emergent student, family, or faculty crises.

• Appeals & Grievances: Review and issue final determinations on contested accommodation requests or student grievances regarding service delivery.

• Enrollment Partnership: Collaborate with Admissions to lead outreach efforts for prospective families, presenting at major recruitment and orientation events (e.g., Open Houses, Admitted Student Days).

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Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Special Education, Rehabilitation Counseling, Social Work, Counseling Psychology, or a closely related field.

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive professional experience in disability services, vocational rehabilitation, or educational advocacy, with a clear focus on higher education settings.

• Supervision: Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience directly supervising professional, full-time staff.

• Expertise: Comprehensive, nuance-level knowledge of legal frameworks governing higher education accessibility (ADA, Section 504), adaptive technologies, and standard clinical documentation evaluation.

• Commitment: A proven track record of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, with demonstrated success supporting students from diverse intersecting backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) in Higher Education Leadership, Special Education, Counseling, or a related discipline.

• Experience: 5+ years of administrative leadership in a higher education DSS office, including full budget ownership and systemic policy development.

• Skills: Active engagement with national professional organizations (e.g., AHEAD) and advanced knowledge of digital/web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1).

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Application Procedure

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Letter of Interest: A comprehensive cover letter outlining your leadership philosophy, administrative experience, and qualifications as they relate to the responsibilities described above.

2. Resume/CV: An up-to-date professional curriculum vitae or resume detailing relevant employment history.

3. References: Names, titles, and contact information for three confidential professional references (including at least one supervisor and one direct report, if applicable).

Summary Pay Range: Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance, and experience. Please note that pay is only one component of total compensation.

Benefits:

Health Insurance

Dental

Vision

FSA/ HSA/ FSA Dependent Care

Employer Paid Basic Life & LTD

Voluntary Life

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Employee Assistance Program

Parental Leave

In keeping with its commitment to equal rights since it was founded in 1837, Knox College particularly welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups. Knox College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious affiliation, sexual orientation or preference, age, marital or family status, disability, veteran status, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in admission, financial aid, employment, athletics, or any other aspect of its educational programs or activities. In addition, Knox College is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its accompanying regulations from discriminating on the basis of sex.

The College official responsible for coordinating compliance with this Notice of Non-Discrimination is the Director of Civil Rights & Title IX Compliance. Any inquiries regarding policies that prohibit discrimination and harassment, including Title IX sexual harassment, as well as the policy prohibiting hazing, should be directed to the Director of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance identified below. Staff in the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX Compliance are available to meet with or talk to students, staff, and faculty regarding issues relating to this Notice of Non-Discrimination and the College’s policies and procedures.

Director of Civil Rights & Title IX Compliance
Old Jail 12 | Campus Box K-209
337 South Cherry Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7751
Email: cultureofrespect@knox.edu

Inquiries about the application of Title IX to Knox may be referred to the Director of Civil Rights & Title IX Compliance, the United States Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, or both. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights for additional information.

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education-Chicago Office
500 W Madison St., Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544
Phone: 312-730-1560
Email: ocr@ed.gov

Inquiries regarding the College’s policies regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”) should be directed to the ADA/504 Coordinator identified below:

Knox College ADA/504 Coordinator
Jennie Hemingway, PhD
Old Jail 12 | Campus Box K-209
337 South Cherry Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7751
Email: jhemingway@knox.edu

Employees requesting accommodations may contact:

Human Resources
52 W South St., Alumni Hall, Suite 100 | Campus Box K-200
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7162 or 309-341-7543
Email: hr@knox.edu

Students requesting accommodations may contact:

Director of Disability Support Services
Patricia Harden
Umbeck Science and Math Center E111 | Campus Box K183
340 South West Street
Phone: 309-341-7478
Email: pharden@knox.edu

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in certain aspects of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a human.