La Habra, California, United States
Tom is a higher education professional who has served as an administrator of a department on a large community college campus and as Interim Director of three universities, at Cal State Univ., Fullerton and recently at University of California, Santa Cruz. He also significant consulting roles with: Pomona College, New Mexico State University, Utah Valle University, Brandman University and University of Washington, Seattle. His current client is Loyola University of Chicago. His strengths are in strategic planning, cultivating relationships with colleagues and in resource development. He enjoys mentoring new professionals. 1. Experienced in doing external evaluations and strategic planning of Disability Resources and Services. Provide guidance about ADA compliance. Regular presenter at AHEAD. Sits on the Advisory Board of the Disability Compliance in Higher Education newsletter. Chair of the Disability Advisory Board for the Illinois Board of Higher Education, serving 9 years. 2. Highly motivated to improve educational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Have done extensive work with several campuses to update procedures, practices, workflow and administrative structures. Developed and taught a course on Access, Accommodations and Critical Decision Making for three campuses, to improve the understanding and skill of Disability Specialists in determining accommodations and access. 3. Taught Rehabilitation and Disability related courses for universities in Illinois and Iowa. Authored a chapter in a NASPA publication, “Beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act” on serving individuals with intellectual disabilities. Currently developed a chapter on External and Internal Evaluations of Disability Resources for an upcoming AHEAD book and served as co-editor. 4. AHEAD Disability Board of Directors: 2009 - 2012 and from 1988 - 1990. 5. Worked closely with colleges and Think College, developing postsecondary opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Wrote a White Paper on this topic for AHEAD. Specialties: Experienced in conducting external evaluations and improvement projects of Disability Resources, for 42 years. Knowledge and experience working with specific populations of students including individuals who are Deaf/hard of hearing or who have LD, ADHD, ASD, Chronic Illnesses. Also, done extensive grant writing, fund raising with corporations and individual donors while working as the Director of Access and Disability Services at Wm. R. Harper College, generating over $6,000,000 in investments.
I am working with the Disability Services department, known as SAC on a service improvements, training, onboarding and outreach/consultation with campus stakeholders. The contract will likely run up to May or June 2023. A colleague of mine is serving as their Interim Director and two three other colleagues are assisting in onboarding new students with disabilities.
Experienced administrator and consultant to higher education on Disability Access, Resource Development, Strategic Planning and Student Affairs. Presenter/Trainer with DRS staff and faculty. By June of 2022 will have completed 40 higher education contracts including external reviews, strategic planning, faculty training, curriculum development and reorganizations of Disability Resources.
Serving as Interim Director and consultant to campus.
I served as the Interim Director through the fall of 2017, until a new Director was hired. This department is well established and has been operating for over 40 years. The campus is the largest in the Cal State system, educating approximately 40,000 students, including over 1,700 students with disabilities. Here is an URL to a YouTube video interview about digital accessibility that is embedded in a new certificate program for teachers of online courses, explaining the role of Disability Resources. https://youtu.be/INxegcmWth8