Staff members at the Center for Disability Services are “doing just fine” handling the office’s duties without a permanent director, said Kari Ellingson, associate vice president for Student Development and Assessment who also oversees the services office.
Former Center Director Joe Pete Wilson resigned in early March to save an inn located in Lake Placid, N.Y., that his family has owned for three generations.
“He knew he had to take over (the inn) because he knew he was about to lose it,” Ellingson said. “He knew he wasn’t ready to leave here. He still had a lot to do here, and he was such a good director, too. I almost started to cry when I found out he was resigning.”
Sidney Davis, the assistant director and a disability adviser, took over as the interim director three weeks ago.
“Wilson was well-liked by the staff and the community,” said Davis, who has worked at the center for more than 11 years. “I worked with him personally. We were great friends. He did a great job.”
Wilson, who had held the director position for five years, contributed many things to the center, Ellingson said. He placed an increased focus on funding for disability services technology, such as computers and software for students with disabilities.
Additionally, Wilson increased the number of interpreters on campus for deaf students or students who are hard of hearing. This has proved important, Ellingson said, because during the span of time Wilson was director, the costs to accommodate students who are hearing impaired have nearly doubled, and funding made it possible to do so. The number of students who are hearing impaired has increased by 12 in the last five years. There are currently 42, according to the center.
“This is especially important since more people with disabilities are going to graduate schools here,” Ellingson said. “Someone going to med school may need interpreters for 10 hours a day, and funding makes that possible. In a way, more career opportunities are being opened because we gained more funding than before.”
Ellingson said Wilson, who could not be reached for comment, also increased awareness of the center and students with disabilities in general on campus.
“He really was able to present the disability services office on campus in a way that it helped students respect it,” she said. “He also understood the way students did things and who they were, and in a way, he really became an advocate for those students on campus.”
Kathryn Felker, the director of the Office of Educational Opportunity, said a search committee has begun to review résumés and applications for the position. She said the hiring process usually lasts a couple of months.
Although the search for a new director will take time, the office staff is prepared to handle the work, Ellingson said. The office staff members are in the middle of their busiest time, which includes accommodating students for finals and graduation. They are also planning their end of the year luncheon later this month, where they will hand out student scholarships and awards.
“The staff could do that in their sleep because they’ve been doing it for so long,” Ellingson said.
