[Athen] FW: Job Posting-Academic Tech. Specialist

[Ron Stewart]

Looks like Stanford is hiring again.  Surprised that walking on water is not
in the listing.

Ron

Stanford web site:
http://jobs.stanford.edu/find_a_job.html (Job ID# 28052).


Academic Technology Specialist, Office of Accessible Education (OAE), 
Stanford University

Position Description

During the past decade, technological innovations have dramatically 
increased post-secondary educational opportunities for students with 
disabilities. The Office of Accessible Education at Stanford (OAE) is 
charged with providing a centrally
coordinated, campus-wide program of assistive technology resources 
for students with disabilities.  A major goal is to integrate 
assistive technology into the areas of instruction, research, and 
employment for persons with disabilities and to support access to 
computers and online information resources for persons with 
disabilities.   

The Academic Technology Specialist (ATS) will provide technology 
leadership for the Office of Accessible Education, assisting the 
Director with technology-related programmatic development and 
strategic planning for the use and evaluation of learning 
technologies. The ATS will also act as a resource for the campus 
community in the development of accessible resources and in promoting 
the campus-wide adoption of Universal Design principles in both 
learning and instruction. The ATS will also actively encourage and 
support the use of assistive technology by investigating and 
implementing new tools and resources for students, disseminating 
knowledge of these tools throughout the University, and creating and 
supporting an infrastructure that allows use of the tools in teaching 
and learning.

The incumbent will be a member of the Academic Technology Specialists 
Program within Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information 
Resources. The Office of Accessible Education is one of several 
departments and programs participating in a program that provides 
specialists to assist with the integration of technology into 
teaching, learning, and research activities. Academic Technology 
Specialists are placed within schools, programs or departments based 
not simply on technical expertise, but on their respective 
discipline-specific backgrounds. They participate in the departmental 
culture and share academic interests with the faculty. As members of 
both the academic and the IT community, Academic Technology 
Specialists are uniquely positioned to bridge different cultures and 
to facilitate a creative and mutual exchange.

In addition to working with the OAE, the Academic Technology 
Specialist will devote 20 percent time to the ATS Program. There the 
ATS will engage with other ATSs in projects of common interest, 
organize and attend meetings with technology experts, and contribute 
to the development of the ATS Program.

Responsibilities

o	Support OAE efforts to move toward campus-wide adoption of 
Universal Design (UD) principles in both learning and instruction.

o	Initiate ideas, implement solutions, and find resources for 
use in providing technology access to students with disabilities. 
Work with vendors and external partners in testing and developing new 
technology and services.

o	Support enhanced technology resources, services, and programs 
for the OAE's Schwab Learning Center which serves students with 
learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 
Collaborate with OAE staff on efforts to develop and proliferate a 
model for providing such resources and services to this student 
population. 

o	Provide technology leadership to OAE staff on assessment, 
learning strategies, and training needs.

o	Lead the Proteus R&D project that capitalizes on current and 
developing technologies to create a more inclusive learning 
environment for students with disabilities as well as enhanced 
pedagogical opportunities for instructors.

o	Help develop long-term funding plans for institutional 
oversight of assistive technology expenditures. Coordinate assistive 
technology policies, procedures, and support.

o	Support the institutional web accessibility program, 
including membership in the university's Subcommittee on Accessible 
Technology.  This subcommittee is tasked with promoting and 
facilitating creation of accessible webpages and compliance with 
institutional legal obligations concerning accessibility. 

o	Oversee a computer lab providing assistive hardware and software.

o	Test and evaluate new technologies, recommend purchase and 
develop strategic plan for future acquisitions and capabilities.

o	Coordinate accessible computing resources with other departments. 

o	Act as a liaison with external consultants and service 
providers to meet student needs.

o	Consult with students, faculty and staff who have assistive 
technology needs.  Assess and recommend solutions, and provide 
training as necessary.



o	Provide individual and group training for OAE staff in the 
use of assistive technologies, including speech recognition, screen 
magnification, Braille systems, writing/compositional aids, 
alternative computer input devices, electronic organizers, and 
others. 

o	Support specialized technology systems necessary for 
alternative format conversion.  Work with OAE staff in the conversion 
of printed material into alternative formats.

o	Consult with faculty members as necessary to provide access 
to their curricula for students with disabilities.

o	Review professional literature; attend conferences; network 
with colleagues within and without the University; participate in 
newsgroups and other forums to continually improve knowledge of 
assistive technology and post-secondary instruction.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a record of innovation and creativity 
in providing assistive technology services to individuals with 
disabilities and demonstrated leadership and resourcefulness in 
identifying and integrating technological solutions to pedagogical 
and learning needs.

Specific requirements include:

o	An advanced degree, plus at least five years experience 
working with assistive technology, or the equivalent combination of 
education and experience.  Coursework and direct experience 
implementing Universal Design principles in an academic environment.

o	Experience consulting with individuals with sensory, 
learning, and/or physical disabilities. Preferred experience working 
in an academic setting with students at a post-secondary level.

o	Thorough knowledge of assistive computer hardware and 
software, including speech input and output, screen magnification, 
scanning and OCR, Braille conversion and output devices, and 
alternate input devices.

o	Expertise in xhtml, dhtml, html and css with thorough 
knowledge of web standards generally, and familiarity with the WAI 
guidelines and techniques.




o	Expert knowledge of Macintosh and Windows operating systems, 
experience with unix bash scripting, and familiarity with python, 
perl, php, ruby, or other web programming language.

o	Demonstrated experience developing and delivering technical 
training to a non-technical audience.

o	Excellent time management and project management skills. 
Demonstrated ability to manage a complex workload, prioritize tasks, 
and use good judgment in providing services based on goals.

o	Excellent teaching, communication, and interpersonal skills. 
Ability to interact effectively and tactfully with members of the 
academic community; experience working in an environment where 
colleagues have diverse backgrounds and customs.

o	A commitment to the confidentiality of student, staff, and 
faculty training needs and disability status.

o	Familiarity with state and federal laws pertaining to rights 
of persons with disabilities, particularly in reference to computer 
and library access.