Faculty Accessibility Fellow Program

SUNY Oswego recognizes that digital accessibility is essential to ensuring equity and inclusion, and while we have a strong commitment to access for all, it is increasingly evident that infrastructure and faculty support is needed to truly ingrain accessibility within the fabric of the college. Today, accessibility touches nearly every aspect of campus life, including course materials, the college website, software, and the numerous tools used in curricular and co-curricular programs, services, and activities.

The faculty accessibility fellows program started in January 2019 to promote a culture on campus that values inclusivity, equity, and accessibility. The fellows:

  • Advocate for accessibility on campus and coach others on accessibility practices

  • Serve as liaisons for departments 

  • Research and explore the pedagogical implications of accessibility and universal design for learning 

  • Teach accessibility in class

  • Connect accessibility practices to larger diversity and inclusion initiatives

  • Offer CELT workshops related to accessibility that are teaching and learning focused

  • Expand discipline-specific accessibility expertise 

Questions on the program may be sent to the current Faculty Accessibility Fellowship coordinator,  Fiona Coll (fiona.coll@oswego.edu), and/or CTS’s Sean Moriarty (sean.moriarty@oswego.edu).

Structure

The fellowship program will consist of:

  • 4 Faculty Accessibility Fellows; one from each of the following:

    • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

    • School of Business

    • School of Education

    • School of Communication, Media and the Arts

  • The Faculty Accessibility Fellowship coordinator (usually a former fellow), who 

    • Organizes the meetings and trainings of the fellows

    • Co-chairs the Workgroup on Accessible Teaching 

    • Serves as a member of the IT accessibility steering committee

Fellow Responsibilities

The fellowship runs for the calendar year (2020), during which each fellow should spend 120 hours on the following activities:

  • Attending weekly meetings (at least 8 times a semester) with the other faculty fellows

  • Participating in professional development on accessibility (special small group training sessions tailored to the needs of the fellows) offered by former fellows or other accessibility allies on campus or within SUNY

  • Updating at least one course so that it:

    • Implements UDL (Universal Design for Learning) practices; and 

    • Makes accessible all digital materials used in the course.

  • Serving as a coach and ambassador by:

    • Offering at least 2 professional development sessions for faculty through CELT no later than Winter 2021.

    • Meeting with individual faculty

    • Meeting with departments

  • Submitting an end of year report that details how the fellow’s time was spent, what changes were made to the courses the fellow teaches, and what other impacts the fellow’s work has had on their department or other colleagues.

Fellow Support/Compensation

  • Option for one-course reduction or one-course overload pay per year

  • Travel funding to either:

    • Present on accessibility at a conference in their own discipline equivalent to (and in addition to) the faculty professional development/travel provided through the Office of the Provost

    • Attend Accessing Higher Ground Conference or equivalent to gain more knowledge and understanding of accessibility practices

Individuals who would like to participate are asked to gain approval from their chair and then complete an application form indicating their interest. Applications are generally due in early November.

2020 Fellows:

  • Coordinator: Michele Thornton (Fall)
  • Coordinator: Fiona Coll (Spring)
  • Steve Abraham - School of Business
  • Kathleen Blake - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Donna Greene - School of Communication, Media and the Arts
  • Elizabeth Wilcox - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Carol Willard - School of Education

2019 Fellows:

  • Coordinator: Rebecca Mushtare
  • Sandra Bargainnier - School of Education
  • Marcia Burrell - School of Education
  • Fiona Coll - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Allison Rank - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Casey Raymond - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Serenity Sutherland - School of Communication, Media and the Arts
  • Michele Thornton - School of Business