City : Waterloo, ON

Category : Permanent

Industry : Education

Employer : University of Waterloo

The Manager, Academic Accommodations is a subject matter expert responsible for providing professional and clinical leadership to the Student Accommodation Planning and Consulting clinical team ensuring their services are professional, ethical, efficient, effective, student-centered, and appropriately triaged. Due to their high level of clinical skill, the Manager, Academic Accommodations works with medically or legally complex cases and provides leadership to the Accommodation Consultants when manages challenging and/or complex cases. The incumbent works closely with faculty to ensure academic accommodations are implemented, and to ensure accommodations uphold academic integrity and the essential requirements of a specific course and/or program. Collaboration with other campus partners, including Associate Deans, Chairs, faculty, Academic Advisors, Counselling Services, and Health Services is critical to providing holistic support to students.

Human Resource Management

• Meets individually and collectively with team members for supervision with an emphasis on clinical consultation, case file reviews, and professional growth and development
• Manages and coaches an allocation of clinical staff, providing a supportive environment that encourages productivity, staff success, as well as efficient and healthy workload management while meeting service targets
• Engaging in effective and equitable recruitment selection procedures and standards
• Focusing team effectiveness on University of Waterloo goals, and AccessAbility Services mission and vision
• Overseeing the professional training and development of team members, including an emphasis on clinical development
• Leading with a collaborative, relationship-based, growth mindset
• Facilitating staff annual performance appraisals and addressing performance management needs of staff

Leadership and Clinical Expertise 

• Provide professional expertise and leadership in the area of academic accommodation planning to the Accommodation Consultants ensuring that operational procedures related to academic accommodations are upheld and delivered in accordance with Ministry and provincial regulations and legislation
• Provide clinical direction to the Accommodation Consultants on ways to manage challenging and/or complex cases, and in some instances, assume responsibility for the case
• Work closely with other units as appropriate (e.g., Associate Dean, Chairs, faculties, Health Services, Counselling Services) to provide holistic support to students in crisis
• Set consistent and professional standards including procedures / guidelines foradvising practice, processes and accommodation planning with students

Facilitate Academic Accommodations

• Liaising between students, faculty, academic advisors/coordinators, and other campus partners regarding the provision of accommodations and student support
• Liaising with AccessAbility Services Adaptive Technologist and Learning Strategist to ensure students’ learning needs are supported
• Generate accommodation summaries for students upon request for use with petitions, appeals, or ongoing education
• Liaise with other post-secondary institutions regarding accommodation history and or future needs
• Using clinical judgement to consider (and mitigate) the implications of other variables on the accommodation process including whether the student is an international students, graduate students, cooperative education students, and so forth
• Working with students registered with AccessAbility Services to design and implement appropriate academic accommodation plans on a temporary or ongoing basis

Ongoing Consulting on Complex Disability-related Issues/Needs

• Consulting with students and advising around complex issues related to specific disabilities
• Working closely with other units (e.g., Associate Deans, Chairs, faculties, Health Services, Counselling Services) to provide holistic care and support for students in crisis or requiring additional support
• Using clinical judgement to refer student to on and off campus support services, including referrals for psycho-educational assessments, counselling, and academic support
• Consulting with students seeking to appeal (petitions) and/or defer exams on the basis of disability. Using clinical judgement to make recommendations to instructors/department regarding these issues
• Working with students to develop the skills necessary to self-advocate and access campus/community resources that can support their academic success

Handling Sensitive Materials

• Organize and direct the return of clinical records to the intended party in a secure manner (appropriate storage and movement of confidential documents)
• Ensure access to secure documents are controlled appropriately
• Ensure data accuracy and document integrity
• Appropriately use and maintain confidential health and education records in accordance with University policy and relevant Privacy legislation
• Effectively use systems and technology to accurately and efficiently manage student medical information

Clinical Guidance and Support to Campus Partners and Key Stakeholders

• Contributes expertise at case consults and other collaborative meetings with various campus partners (e.g. Sexual Violence Prevention Office, Specialized Care Office) that support students’ holistic health and provides seamless service provision
• Offers clinical guidance, recommendations and decisions regarding academic accommodations to faculty, Chairs, and Associate Deans seeking to resolve complex cases involving students with disabilities to ensure the University is meeting its legal duty to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code
• Consult with academic units and support service units (e.g., faculties, Health Services, Counselling Services) related to individual student accommodations or applications, and to offer guidance and advice regarding student specific issues as they arise
• Communicate and collaborate with various cross-campus partners to review processes regularly and ensure quality
• Develop and leverage positive relationships with appropriate on and off campus stakeholders
• Utilize proactive, professional and effective communications strategies with students registered with the office as well as the general student body, parents, instructors and other key stakeholders as appropriate

• Graduate degree in either Rehabilitative Health Sciences, Nursing, Social Work or related field
• Individual must be registered with a professional college/society recognized in Ontario
• Experience assessing medical documentation, psycho-educational assessments, and habilitative documentation and test results from registered health professionals to determine a support plan
• Demonstrated leadership in strategic and tactical thinking, innovating, weighing risks and applying sound judgement to decision making
• Experience and ability to lead a multi-disciplinary and clinical team including registered health professionals is an asset
• Progressive management experience is an asset
• Experience in a student-focused (secondary or post-secondary school context) environment is an asset
• Experience providing accommodations, support, or services to persons with disabilities, preferably postsecondary students with disabilities
• Experience and/or training in supporting persons in crisis and securing appropriate support, preferably in a postsecondary environment
• Working knowledge of the Registered Health Professionals Act (1991) and/or the Social Work and Social Service Work Act (1998) and control acts
• Working knowledge of privacy regulations
• Familiarity with the implications of specific disabilities at the post-secondary level
• Advanced understanding of how the symptoms or functional limitations of a disability interferes with an individual’s daily functioning
• Proven ability to work independently and as a team member in a busy and inter-disciplinary environment
• Excellent communication (oral and written) skills. Specifically, an ability to communicate clearly, effectively, calmly, and appropriately with various stakeholders in a variety of formats
• Superior organizational, problem-solving and interpersonal skills required
• Proven ability to provide solution-focused interventions
• Negotiation and mediation skills is an asset
• Proven ability to multi-task and manage competing deadlines and priorities
• Basic knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Familiarity using databases for case management
• A clear Vulnerable Sector Check is required 

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca  or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.