The new director for the Center for Disability Services has big plans to make campus more accessible.
Scott McAward, who accepted the position in July, said he wants to increase the number of resources available to students with disabilities on campus.
“Pick a day and try not to use any stairs as you walk to classes,” McAward said. “An entirely uphill campus provides many problems our office is continually working to fix.”
After the former director Joe Wilson stepped down, Associate Vice President for Student Development Kari Ellingson began the job of appointing a new replacement, while Sid Davis served as interim director.
With the help of a search committee, Ellingson chose McAward.
“After talking with those who interviewed him, it was a pretty consistent message that he’s the guy,” Ellingson said.
McAward has a strong background in psychology, which has helped prepare him for his new position. He received his doctorate degree from the U and was assistant director of the U’s Counseling Center.
“He not only had a very good sense of the issues that confront the students with disabilities, but he had really developed an expertise in the area,” Ellingson said.
As a counselor at the U and consulting psychologist for disability services, McAward had worked closely with the staff members for several years, which allowed for a smooth transition when he took the director’s seat.
“It’s anxiety-provoking when an old director leaves and a new one comes in,” Ellingson said. “But the staff really liked him, and he already had their respect before he took the position.”
McAward said he believes his background as a psychologist will be an asset to his new position and will bring a necessary perspective to the center. He said his experience with the counseling center will also prove beneficial.
“It is necessary for our office and the counseling center to work together,” McAward said. “I think the fact that I have a history there certainly helps.”
McAward said he plans on tackling many challenges as new director and wants to increase staff and resources at the center as more students seek assistance.
One of McAward’s long-term goals is to make sure it becomes a larger part of the dialogue on campus.
“For the most part, the campus is sensitive to the subject of disabilities,” McAward said. “But I do think issues of disability are absent from discussions of diversity. We always need to increase awareness.”