How to Apply
Please contact [email protected] if any accommodations are needed to make the application submission process accessible to you.
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume. A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and must be attached as the first page of your resume/CV. The letter should address your specific interest in and fit with this Disability Culture GSSA position. Please include your University affiliation (i.e., your graduate program) and year in graduate studies in the cover letter.
For the selected candidate only, we will ask for a letter or email from your academic advisor confirming that you are in good academic standing, not on fellowship support for the term of the appointment, are approved for a 50% appointment and that this position is academically relevant to your degree program.
Course Description
Job Summary
The College of Literature, Science & the Arts (LSA) is hiring a Disability Culture Graduate Student Staff Assistant (DC GSSA) at a 50% appointment (20 hours/week) for the Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 terms to support the Faculty & Staff Disability Navigator program. The deadline to apply is Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 11:59pm ET.
Appointment Period: Fall 2024 - Winter 2025 (This position is for two terms)
Estimated FTE: 50% (20 hours per week)
Work Schedule: Hours to be completed between Monday and Friday (8AM?5PM), excluding seasonal days, break days, and university closure dates. GSSA will create a weekly schedule within this timeframe in collaboration with their supervisor.
Compensation: This appointment provides tuition, required fees, stipend (at the GEO negotiated GSSA monthly rate), GradCare health insurance, and dental insurance (Option 1).
Program Overview
The LSA Faculty & Staff Disability Navigator model is part of a 3-year pilot program established to identify and address workplace issues impacting employees with disabilities. As it nears the end of Year 3, the program has delivered:
- a streamlined employee disability accommodation process,
- centralized funding for employee accommodations and accessibility services at College events,
- education and consultation services to address key culture and accessibility issues, and
- policy and practice changes to ensure equitable and timely support for disabled employees.
The Disability Navigators are now focused on 1) continued delivery and optimization of services, 2) development of new educational materials focused on event accessibility, and 3) reporting on program outcomes and making recommendations to sustain services and resources into the future. The DC GSSA hired for this position will directly support objectives 1 and 2, which are linked to goals in LSA?s broader DEI 2.0 Plan.
The DC GSSA will work as a member of the LSA DEI Office team under the direct supervision of Jessica McCuaig, Senior LSA Faculty & Staff Disability Navigator. The Disability Navigators report to Karla Renee Williams, LSA?s Chief People Officer.
Professional Development Opportunities:
The selected GSSA will be able to select two professional development opportunities to engage in over the course of the term, based on personal learning objectives in the realm of disability inclusion, disability justice, and accessibility and in consultation with the designated supervisors. These opportunities may include conferences, webinars, or certificate programs.
The GSSA will also have the opportunity to attend training modules and access resources offered through field-specific associations, such as the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), that will assist with the completion of assigned responsibilities. Further, the GSSA will be invited to participate in meetings with U-M and peer institution subject matter experts to bolster learning and generate networking opportunities.
Responsibilities*
The Disability Culture Graduate Student Staff Assistant (DC GSSA) will:
- Develop multimedia educational resources (written guides and short video modules) on event accessibility in LSA.
- Document best practices for event accessibility on topics including venue considerations, working with external service providers, facilitating accommodations, hosting hybrid events, etc.
- Incorporate resources available to support LSA event planners.
- Format digital education materials to be accessible to assistive technology, with training and guidance from the Disability Navigators.
- Learn to structure and post educational content to the LSA website.
- Present to diverse audiences on accessibility best practices and promote new educational materials.
- Partner with U-M subject matter experts to generate a purchase order and storage plan for commonly needed accessibility items that should be readily available when the needs are identified.
- Consult with partners in Facilities, Technology Services, and Ergonomics and analyze Navigator equipment purchase data to determine which items are purchased most frequently.
- Help develop workflows for managing and deploying purchased inventory.
- Design and co-present a workshop/webinar on a topic of accessibility/disability that is of interest to the selected grad student, and addresses a gap in current offerings.
- Other projects will be identified based on the GSSA?s strengths, interests, and learning objectives, as well as the evolving needs of the Disability Navigator team.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not an exhaustive list of all associated responsibilities.
Required Qualifications*
The work described above for this position must be considered academically relevant by the department or degree program in which the student is enrolled.
Applicants must:
- Be a student in good standing in a University of Michigan graduate degree program.
- Demonstrate commitment to disability culture and accessibility at U-M and beyond through their scholarship, teaching, or service activities.
- Be able to maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive information.
- Have experience developing new processes or initiatives.
- Possess data collection and analysis skills.
- Be interested in diversity issues in higher education and have enthusiasm for educating others on disability and accessibility topics.
- Be competent with modern computer productivity tools including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation programs.
Desired Qualifications*
In addition to the required qualifications listed above, successful candidates will have:
- The ability to work, problem solve, and make decisions with limited supervision.
- Excellent organization, prioritization, and time management skills for handling multiple projects while meeting deadlines.
- Demonstrated reliability and successful collaboration as a member of a team.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage effectively and professionally with the Navigators? partners and the University community.
- Previous experience developing high-quality resource materials with clear attention to detail.
- Familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Preference for LSA graduate student applicants, however all U-M students enrolled in a graduate degree program are welcome to apply.
Contact Information
Questions regarding this position may be emailed to Jessica McCuaig at [email protected].
Decision Making Process
The hiring decision makers will be Karla Renee Williams and the Disability Navigator team (Jessica McCuaig and Stephanie Peck). Every effort will be made to have a hiring decision by June 14, 2024.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed following the posting deadline and selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Selected candidates may be asked to submit a writing assignment. Finalists will be asked to provide three (3) references.
GEO Contract Information
The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.
Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.