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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, explore, and implement accessibility best practices, inclusive pedagogy, and universal design for learning.

  • Teach accessibility in class

  • Connect accessibility practices to larger diversity and inclusion initiatives

  • Offer CELT and other professional development 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,  Michele Thornton ([email protected]), and/or CTS’s Sean Moriarty ([email protected]).

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, during which each fellow should spend 120 hours on the following:

  • Participate in asynchronous & synchronous orientation during CELT winter break out in January

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

  • Participate in professional development on accessibility 

  • Updating at least one course so that it includes:

    • UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and/or Inclusive Pedagogy practices 

    • Fully accessible digital materials

  • Serving as a coach and ambassador by:

    • Offering at least 2 professional development sessions for faculty and the next cohort of fellows through CELT no later than the semester following your fellowship year.

    • Meeting with individual faculty

    • Meeting with departments

  • Submit an interim report (May 31) and end of year report (December 31) that details how the fellow’s time was spent, what changes were made to the courses the fellow teaches, provides samples of materials and what other impacts the fellow’s work has had on their department or other colleagues.

Faculty have the option for one-course reduction or one-course overload pay per year as compensation for their work during the fellowship period.

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 due in early November.

2021 Fellows:

  • Coordinator: Michele Thornton
  • Emily Bovier - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Todd Graber - School of Communication, Media and the Arts
  • Jean Hallagan - School of Education
  • Catalina Iannone - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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