SUNY Accessibility Advocates & Allies Faculty Fellowship Program

The Provost's Office and Office of Student Success have created the SUNY Accessibility Advocates & Allies (AAA) Faculty Fellowship program, a community of faculty leaders and champions committed to promoting and growing digital accessibility practices in and out of the classroom on their campuses. During this program fellows will:

• Explore models and strategies to build and expand a culture of digital access on their campuses;
• Share their expertise and experience as they identify obstacles and work towards solutions to broaden adoption of accessibility practices;
• Connect with other communities of practice and campus leaders with a shared vision, including but not limited to: Disability/Accessibility Directors, EIT Accessibility Officers, Chief Diversity Officers, Chief Information Officers, Teaching Center Directors, Directors of Online Learning, SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology, Instructional Designers;
• Grow as faculty leaders as they coordinate with campus leadership to design and execute a plan to engage their campus community in the work of access.

Fellowship Structure & Requirements

Fellows commit to participating in the fellowship for a calendar year (2027). Each cohort includes up to twelve (12) fellows. This is a term-limited, service-based appointment; it is not to provide support for individuals to advance their research or scholarship in this field. A stipend of a total of $10,000, provided in three installments, will be paid to the candidate by SUNY System Administration to account for time beyond their regular workload.

The fellowship is organized into three phases of four months each: discovery and analysis, design and development, and implementation and evaluation. Each phase has specific outcomes and deliverables tied to it, including intermittent program assessment and personal reflection.

Discovery & Analysis:

This phase occurs between January and April 2027. Fellows meet virtually every other Wednesday from 9:00am-10:00am. During this period, fellows will:

• Expand their knowledge and understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and digital accessibility principles through curated Skills Refresher pathways;
• Review relevant practices, initiatives, resources, and supports that currently exist within SUNY;
• Identify and document existing campus resources and accessibility work in a Campus Accessibility Practices Report;
• Connect with potential campus partners;
• Investigate how campus budget and resource allocation works;
• Explore models and strategies for advocacy and spearheading change on behalf of students with disabilities.

Design & Development: 

This phase occurs between May and August 2027. Fellows meet virtually every other Wednesday from 9:00am-10:00am. During this period, fellows will:

• Draft a Faculty Engagement Plan to build or enhance a culture of access customized for the campus’ unique characteristics;
• Review and provide feedback on plans and materials developed by peers in the cohort;
• Seek approval and support from campus leadership on campus plan;
• Develop necessary materials for implementation.

Implementation & Evaluation: 

This phase occurs between September and December 2027. Fellows will meet virtually every other Wednesday from 9:00am-10:00am. During this period, fellows will:

• Execute and evaluate the fall semester component of the plan;
• Document implementation experience in a Case Study and presentation at the SUNY AAA Faculty Fellows Virtual Symposium;
• Provide support and feedback on plan implementation to members of the cohort;
• Share experiences and seek support from peers in the cohort;
• Reflect on personal growth and campus community growth.