UDL Specialist

Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning is accepting applications for a UDL Specialist. This position offers an exciting opportunity to help build a new unit in U of I’s Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (CITL) with a focus on Universal Design for Learning in the teaching and learning space. Under the supervision of CITL’s Assistant Director for Teaching & Learning Experiences, CITL’s UDL Specialist will help develop and grow CITL’s UDL services with the aim of improving student learning and quality of instruction by applying UDL principles in online, hybrid, and face-to-face modalities. Toward this end, the UDL Specialist will collaborate with CITL’s Quality Assurance, Instructional Design, Faculty Development, and Media staff to help guide in creating inclusive, universally designed, and accessible courses and programs.
Working closely with the Asst. Dir. For Teaching & Learning Experiences, the CITL UDL Specialist will also ensure that faculty and instructional staff receive appropriate, ongoing training and support in the UDL framework and application of UDL principles in course design, assessment, and course delivery methods. Additionally, the UDL Specialist will help identify effective strategies for scaling UDL practice at the campus level and beyond.
Duties & Responsibilities

Faculty and instructional staff support and training

• Assist faculty in the design and remediation of instructional content through accessibility solutions and UDL best practices.
• Assist in providing course quality reviews, communicating closely with college point of contacts and e-learning professionals, instructional designers, media specialists, and copyright teams throughout the QA review process.
• Assist in the creation, revision, and maintenance of quality standards for online course quality review.
• Help develop and communicate best practices for accessible, inclusive course design and UDL practices in the teaching and learning space by providing relevant workshops, training, and consultation.
• Provide training and technical assistance on the development of accessible instructional materials and practices, with particular emphasis on (UDL) principles.
• Provide training through individual consultations, workshops, online resources, and other methods • Generate resource materials for on-demand instruction for those creating accessible content (documents, videos, etc.).
• Assist in the development and delivery of the UDL workshop series that will comprise CITL’s Teaching Certificate in UDL.

Research and partnerships

• Research and develop resources that support all instructional modes (traditional, hybrid, online), with particular emphasis on (UDL) principles and accessible instructional materials and practices.
• Develop and maintain guidelines for creating accessible documents and accessible media.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of current regulations and requirements for institutions, states and federal entities, best practices in UDL and accessibility, including WCAG, ADA, Sections 504 and 508, etc.
• Advise CITL course developers in applying UDL principles in course design.
• Consult with campus departments to provide more inclusive digital learning experiences for accessibility challenges that impact teaching and learning in their unit.
• Coordinate with third-party publishers to report accessibility issues and advocate for improvements.
• Engage with Disability Resources & Educational Services (DRES) to understand current perspectives from students with disabilities to help improve student learning experiences.

Position Qualifications

Required-

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Technology, Distance Education, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience with inclusive design practices to remove barriers that prevent interaction or access to course content by persons with disabilities.
• Experience working with major learning management systems (LMSs) such as Canvas, Moodle, and Coursera.

Preferred-

• 3 years of experience training others on design and development of instructional materials that meet accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508) with specific emphasis on support for UDL principles.
• Two years (or equivalent) experience teaching/training users (instructors, staff, students) on effective uses of accessible instructional technologies.
• 3 years of online and/or hybrid teaching experience.
• 3 years of instructional design experience.

Successful candidates will have the following-

• Familiarity with various types of disabilities that impact learners such as visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor disabilities.
• Adept understanding of the four principles of WCAG (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) and how these apply to design and development of digital course content.
• Competent in areas of pertinent legislation and regulations relevant to information access for persons with disabilities (Section 504 & 508).
• Familiar with a wide array of assistive technologies including but not limited to voice output, voice recognition, text enlargement, optical character recognition, electronic notetakers, and other assistive technology used in an academic setting.
• Commitment to team environment, team building, and enjoy working with others.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative and problem-solve, independently and with the team.
• Demonstrated prompt and exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to meet established deadlines, often with quick turnaround times.
• Ability to work on multiple projects at the same time.
• Proficiency in MS Office and collaborative applications, such as MS Teams, Box, and Zoom.
• Working knowledge of copyright best practices for media and text assets in an online course setting.

Appointment Information
This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close of the search. Salary is commensurate with experience. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information
Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on February 9, 2023. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a cover letter, resume and contact information for three professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Jennifer Steiling at steiling@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 1014902
Job Category: Education & Student Services
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu