Graduate Assistant: Disability Services (2026-2027)

Description

Hobart and William Smith Colleges is accepting applications for admission into the Master of Arts, Higher Educational Leadership program. Our two-year Master’s in Higher Education Leadership (MHEL) program will prepare you to challenge the current state of higher education and lead the change needed to support the next generation of college students. Courses encourage you to analyze and critique the history and policy of higher education, identify ways to build community for all students, and investigate and develop leadership and innovation techniques. Admission is now open for the 2026-2027 academic year for both Graduate Assistantships and admission! The program boasts a wide array of Graduate Assistantships which include tuition remission in the HWS MHEL program and an annual $20,000 stipend. GAs are also eligible for regional professional development opportunities and can apply for financial assistance for a national conference during their final year in the MHEL program. Priority consideration for this position will be given to applications received by March 1, 2026.

Come join a program and campus named #12 Best School for Internships, #10 Best Alumni Network, and #10 Best Career Services by The Princeton Review.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) collaborates with students, faculty and colleagues to serves as a catalyst for excellence in teaching and learning and to foster an engaged, productive, creative, accessible, and inclusive intellectual community for students and faculty.  The CTL Graduate Assistant will work closely with our Student Enrichment programs as well as with students who receive academic accommodations through Disability Services. 

The CTL Graduate Assistant position will work with the CTL staff to provide an inclusive, student-centered environment.  The position will research and create outreach programs that support student retention and broaden the resources available to students.

According to a June 2023 report in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Disabilities Services is one of the growing sectors in higher education and, while national rates of students reporting documented disabilities range from 10-19%, HWS has had a 29-32% rate of students with documented disabilities.  These factors make this assistantship an important learning opportunity for students in the Master’s in Higher Education and Leadership program as well as their future work in higher education.

 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Support CTL academic enrichment programs and initiatives.  
• Assist with program management for CTL student academic enrichment programs and initiatives, including scheduling, communication, resource development, and assessment of student success efforts.
• Contribute to the training and ongoing support of our academic peer mentors (including Teaching Fellows, Study Mentors, Writing Fellows, and Athletic Study Mentors) with a focus on accessibility awareness, inclusive practices, and supporting diverse learning needs.
• Gather and analyze Disability Services data short- and long-term trends to inform programming and CTL decision making.
• Research and develop student-centric social and educational outreach and programming for the HWS community, including but not limited to events, training, social media, Residential Education and Admissions collaboration, newsletters, and reports.
•  Research and establish student enrichment programming aimed at students with documented disabilities, such as inclusive prospective student and pre-orientation programs, disability Honors society, and retention-focused peer mentoring.
• Assist in improving student experience of testing accommodations, including scheduling, communication, and implementation.
•  Foster a welcoming environment for prospective and current students, faculty, staff, and community members via front-desk support and clear communication practices.
• Support professional staff in administrative tasks as needed.

 

About HWS

A liberal arts and sciences institution, Hobart and William Smith is known for consistent success in preparing students for meaningful lives and fulfilling careers through an outcomes-based focus on their futures. Our nationally ranked faculty are accessible teachers and scholars known for the impact of their research and distinguished by the depth of their mentorship. World challenges are studied in the classroom where critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication