The Learning Specialist will work with colleagues in Student Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) to meet the academic support needs of student-athletes. Specifically, the Learning Specialist will work in conjunction with the Assistant Director of LAP to design and implement academic coaching and support services for student-athletes with disabilities and other learning differences. In this capacity, the Learning Specialist for student-athletes must be professionally qualified to do the following: • Identify learning needs of student-athletes with Education-Impacting Disabilities or student-athletes who are academically at-risk; • Provide individualized instruction in research-based learning strategies and other successful intervention strategies to help students gain the academic skills necessary to be successful at Virginia Tech; • Develop and implement academic support plans for student-athletes; • Assist student-athletes with time management and organizational skills relevant to academic performance; • Oversee the onboarding, continuing education, and evaluation of the Assistant Learning Specialist position (LAP Intern Program); • Serve as a resource to the advising and tutoring staff on relevant learning strategies; • Work with the Assistant Director of the Learning Assistance Program to facilitate the screening process for Education-Impacting Disabilities; • Instruct student-athletes with disabilities on the use of a variety of assistive technologies (text-to-speech, speech-to-text, etc.); • Participate in the ongoing evaluation of the Learning Assistance Program for student- athletes; • Maintain confidential records and other documentation in accordance with ADA, FERPA, and HIPAA; • Stay abreast of and assure adherence to NCAA, ACC, and University rules and regulations as it relates to this position; • Must be able to work some nights and weekends.
Required Qualifications
• Master’s degree in Special Education, Education or a related field required; • Experience working with K-12 or college students with disabilities (including but not limited to, a diagnosed learning disability, a lack of academic preparation, skills, or motivation, etc.). • Experience teaching learning strategies and developing academic interventions strategies to enhance learning for students with Education-Impacting Disabilities, students with attention problems, or students who are under-prepared; • Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse educational, cultural, and economic backgrounds; • Strong communication and computer skills.
Preferred Qualifications
• Education Specialist degree in Special Education, Education, or a related field; • Considerable experience working with at-risk students in a collegiate environment; • State certification in: reading, mathematics, Special Education, or K-12 education; • Experience working with student-athletes in a NCAA Division 1 environment.
Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing students to be leaders and problem-solvers.As the Commonwealth of Virginia's most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers about 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 34,000 students and manages a research portfolio of more than $531 million. The university fulfills its role as a land-grant institution by fostering a collaborative environment that integrates technology into all disciplines, so that the Virginia Tech community can serve as a force for positive change around the commonwealth, the country, and the world.
