Associate Director, Disability Resource Center
85431
JOB POSTING
HOW TO APPLY
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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)
UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.
The IRD for this job is:
04-22-2026
ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ
UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
The UC Santa Cruz Division of Student Affairs and Success (DSAS), led by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Success, consists of nearly 250 team members spanning 3 major units and 21 departments. The division provides campus-wide coordination and leadership for student success programs, activities, and initiatives. DSAS also does our work through a range of resource centers dedicated to providing direct student support. The division's work is grounded in educational equity, institutional responsibility, and an unfettered commitment to supporting the whole student. DSAS aspires to ensure every student feels welcome, supported, and a sense of belonging during their time on campus. The division's efforts are informed by robust and dynamic relationships with campus leadership, faculty, students, and staff from across the campus, reflecting the broad campus commitment to ensuring student success. Beyond UC Santa Cruz, the team is involved in numerous professional organizations and highly engaged in the local community.
The Student Success and Equity (SSE) portfolio of departments is a branch of DSAS focused on academic support services, advising/counseling, student life/co-curricular programming, student identity development and retention/student success initiatives. Student Success and Equity provides services to the campus community with over 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students and has over 75 career employees and 475 student staff employees operating in 8 facilities/locations. The Student Success and Equity area includes a wide array of multi-disciplinary academic and non-academic units including: Disability Resource Center (DRC), Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP), Learning Support Services, Services for Transfer and Re-entry Students (STARS), Renaissance Scholars Program (including Foster Youth), Veteran Resource Center, African American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC), American Indian Resource Center (AIRC), Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC), Chicano/Latino Resource Center (El Centro), Women's Center (WC), the Lionel Cantu Queer Center (LGBTQ+), Undocumented Student Services (USS), the UCSC Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives (HSI), African Black and Caribbean Student Success, Career Success, and campus committees/programs, and the Administrative and Business team for the unit.
The Student Success and Equity area includes all of the units and over 125 state, federal, student service fees and gift fund sources and an annual operating budget of nearly $18 million dollars.
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) leads UC Santa Cruz in providing educational equity and a welcoming and accessible environment for students with disabilities. The DRC identifies legally mandated accommodations that address educational/environmental barriers and the impact of a student's disability(s). The DRC collaborates with campus stakeholders and students to remove or mitigate barriers to access and inclusion. The DRC advocates for the inclusion of disability in diversity initiatives that foster educational access for all. The DRC team stewards the process to ensure the University is in compliance with State, Federal, local laws and UC policies.
More information can be found at: https://drc.ucsc.edu/
JOB SUMMARY
The Associate Director advances access for students with disabilities by leading complex case management, supporting staff, and advising faculty and campus partners. The Associate Director serves as the first level of escalation for complex or sensitive student and faculty accommodation concerns, implementation challenges, and policy interpretation. Manages and reviews requests for remote participation and alternative access modalities, ensuring consistent application of campus policy and compliance with disability law. The Associate Director also manages a caseload of complex student cases and works with students who have co-occurring disabilities that involve autism, mental health, and chronic health conditions and provides guidance to faculty on implementing accommodations.
The decisions of the Associate Director can impact University's compliance and liability under federal and state disability law and regulations. For this reason, the Associate Director demonstrates a high degree of ADA subject-related knowledge in the overall field. The Associate Director also provides leadership support through analyzing and resolving problems as well as functioning as an advisor to the unit and director. The position oversees the development, documentation, implementation, and continuous improvement of DRC processes and workflows to support equitable service delivery, staff consistency, and operational efficiency.
The Associate Director works with a team of Accommodation Specialists to review and complete academic accommodations, emotional support animal, housing requests, graduate students and in communicating with graduate departments about complex curricular or accessibility challenges. The Associate Director provides effective training and supervision grounded in clear expectations, regular feedback, documentation, and professional development, fostering accountability, equity, and staff growth.
The Associate Director works collaboratively with the Director to ensure DRC is meeting its mission: to foster an inclusive accessible opportunity to succeed and accessible campus through collaboration with students, faculty, and staff. Providing comprehensive support services, advocate for disability justice, and strive to create a barrier-free educational community that values diversity and ensures that students have the accommodations needed to thrive academically and personally.
APPOINTMENT INFORMATION
Budgeted Salary: $111,000 - $120,000 / Annually. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.
Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits
Schedule Information:
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Full-time, Fixed
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Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
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Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
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Shift Includes: Day
Employee Classification: Career appointment
Job End Date: None
Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus
Union Representation: Non-Represented
Job Code Classification: 004560 (STDT DISABILITY SUPV 2) - Grade 22
Travel: Never or Rarely
JOB DUTIES
40% - Staff Supervision and Management
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Responsible for hiring recommendations, training, performance management and assessment, and goal setting. Meets weekly or bi-weekly with employees and provides regular feedback on performance, attainment of goals, feedback on accommodation determinations, and overall well being. Advocates for and connects employees with other offices or other resources on campus to support employees' professional development. Advises Accommodation Specialists on complex disability issues.
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Directs others in following the ADA interactive process beginning with the student request for accommodations to the delivery of the accommodation in the appropriate setting. Ensures that authorized academic support services for students are implemented by faculty and department staff.
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Consults with DRC colleagues, Director and other professionals, on difficult cases or situations. Synthesizes information from various professional and legal resources (e.g. AHEAD resources, court cases, OCR complaints and settlements and related resources).
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Develops and executes, with the support of the DRC staff, programming to increase awareness and inclusion of DRC-affiliated students' needs and experiences.
25% - DRC Operations and Strategic Leadership
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Serves as backup in the event of the Director's absence to ensure services delivery and respond to issues.
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Shares responsibility with the DRC Director for the day-to-day office operations of the DRC spaces.
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Supports in-person decision-making, student/staff crisis resolution, and emergency response.
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Participates in leadership team meetings and leads planned initiatives (may include safety planning, fundraising, campus and/or system-wide initiatives, etc.).
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Shares responsibility for inventory management.
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Coordinates with the broader DRC team to maintain consistent practices across all departments.
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In collaboration with the DRC Director, supports academic departments in understanding their role in implementation of accommodations in alignment with student success.
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Provides oversight of the accommodation management system (AIM) to ensure accurate, timely, and consistent service delivery.
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Collaborates with the ADA Coordinator and Campus Counsel on complex accommodation issues, policy interpretation, and risk management.
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Gathers and analyzes assessment data and resource information to inform operational decisions, service improvements, and departmental planning.
20% - Case Management
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Provides disability management advising; authorizes disability related academic accommodations and coordinates support services to a caseload of students with disabilities.
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Conducts student interviews with prospective, newly admitted or continuing students; determines appropriate level of service (provisional, temporary, permanent), and makes appropriate recommendations/authorizations for support services and ADA academic accommodations.
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Oversees and resolves complex accommodation cases (remote participation, students with co-occurring disabilities that involve autism, mental health, and chronic health conditions).
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Utilizes knowledge of complex federal and state legislation (ADA, FHA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) to interpret disability documentation from medical service providers in order to identify eligible students with disabilities.
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Provides back-up advising for DRC Accommodations Specialists in their absence.
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Participates in DRC Accommodations Specialist team meetings regarding emerging legal and technological information, discussion of difficult cases and challenging requests for academic accommodations.
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Conducts appropriate and accurate data entry for service(s) provided.
10% - Outreach and Program Development
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Conducts outreach activities for students and prospective students/family members, on campus and in the community.
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Develops and implements student programs, in collaboration with other campus units, to help ensure equal access and a welcoming campus environment for individuals with disabilities.
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Represents the DRC unit and/or advocates for the population of students with disabilities in committees and other campus meetings.
5% - Compliance
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Maintains updated expertise regarding legal mandates through participation in national and state list-serves, professional development, publications, and research.
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Makes recommendations to DRC Director regarding campus policy changes in response to changing legal, best practices, and emerging technological information.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
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Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
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Thorough knowledge of the ADA, CAL FEHA, FHA and campus policies plus Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with regulations and the legal framework involving accommodations for higher education students with disabilities.
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Multicultural competencies, interpersonal skills, and good judgment sufficient for working with and interacting effectively with diverse groups of staff, faculty, students, parents, and community members.
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Demonstrated ability to manage complex accommodation cases involving intersecting disabilities and disputed requests through an interactive, equitable, and legally sound process.
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Thorough knowledge of procedures for assessing and determining disability accommodation issues, including the Disability Compliance Office procedures.
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Ability to follow the required ADA/504 process from student request to implementation.
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Ability to advise students on how to file a grievance when required by policy and guidance from the Office for Civil Rights.
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Thorough knowledge of assessment, accommodation, and intervention techniques involved in impairment, etc.
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Skill to communicate with instructors and other organizational entities regarding a student's accommodation and other academic needs.
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Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds.
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Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills such as the ability to see patterns and trends, and make recommendations for improvement; research and implement new and improve existing procedures and work methods.
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Demonstrated ability to interpret medical and diagnostic reports, summarize reports written by others, and draw service implications from them.
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Excellent presentation skills utilizing multiple modalities, and other aspects of universal design to effectively teach a variety of learners.
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Demonstrated excellence with training and supervision.
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Working knowledge of human resources management policies, with the ability to train, monitor, evaluate, and document human resources issues and performance.
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Excellent initiative, resourcefulness and project management.
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Excellent writing skills, including the demonstrated ability to produce professional correspondence, proposals and reports, using Word processing or other computer applications, and related technology.
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Developed skills in supervising a team of employees in compliance work.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
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Master's degree in educational psychology, special education or a related field and demonstrated work experience in a college-level student support service serving students with disabilities, OR an equivalent combination of experience and related coursework regarding individuals with disabilities, with an emphasis in post-secondary education environment.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
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Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
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Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
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Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
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The selected candidate will be required to work primarily on campus, with periods of remote work possible based on operational needs. If a hybrid work schedule is confirmed, the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
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Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
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Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
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Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
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Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
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The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
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Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.
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Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT
As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.
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"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
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UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
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UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
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Abusive Conduct in the Workplace
SAFETY STATEMENT
All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act), the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) is available at: https://chancellor.ucsc.edu/annual-security-reports/.This report is published by October 1st of each year and includes current institutional policies and procedures concerning campus safety and security; fire safety and evacuation policies; sexual misconduct and relationship violence reporting and response protocols; and crime and fire statistics for the three previous calendar years. A paper copy of the ASFSR is available upon request by contacting the UCSC Police Department at 114 Carriage House Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or by calling 831-459-2231 Ext. 1.
EEO/AA
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.
It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.
APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE UCSC ON-LINE PROCESS
View full job description and access on-line application:
https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucsc/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=85431&PostingSeq=1&SiteId=11&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant
To ensure review of application materials by the hiring unit, they must be submitted on or before the initial review date (IRD) via the Staff Employment Opportunities web site; https://jobs.ucsc.edu. A computer is available at the UC Santa Cruz Staff Human Resources Office located at Scotts Valley Center. The Scotts Valley Center is located at 100 Enterprise Way, Suite E100, Scotts Valley, CA 95066. To learn more or to request disability accommodations, call 831-459-2009. Hearing impaired are encouraged to use the California Relay Service at 800-735-2922. UC Santa Cruz is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees.
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