Hanson hired to provide support to students with disabilities

  Monday, August 27, 2018 2:00 PM
  News, People and Society, Academics

Pittsburg, KS

Kerri Hanson strives for one thing each day at work: to make a difference with every interaction.

Those interactions are vital to student success. Her job? To provide support services to students with disabilities so they have equal access to educational opportunity.

Hanson recently was hired as the coordinator of PSU’s Center for Student Accommodations, which provides support services to PSU students with diagnosed learning and physical disabilities that substantially impair one or more major life activities. 

Students with disabilities may qualify for services that accommodate for their impairments and provide equal access to educational opportunity.

“The specific type of reasonable accommodation is determined on an individual basis,” Hanson said. “We match the student with the appropriate accommodation.”

One such service may be providing a note-taker for class lectures, for example, or the use of a computer for written exams. Or, it may mean arranging for a different location for testing that has less distractions.

Hanson consults with administration, faculty, and staff regarding planning such accommodations for students.

She also carries out policies and procedures that ensure the university’s compliance with federal and state regulations.

Howard Smith, associate vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Success, said Hanson was a natural fit for the position.

“This is a position that’s very important to student success, and Hanson brings just the right skillset and approach to it,” he said.

Hanson’s experience in such work is both academic and practical in nature. She graduated from PSU in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in developmental disabilities. In May, she earned her master’s degree in school counseling. And for 13 years, she worked for the Early Head Start program as a family educator.

“I love being on this campus.  I have a different admiration for it now as compared to as a student,” she said. “I am excited about this position because I know each day will be new, different from the last, and it will keep me on my toes, so I have to be ready for anything!”

Contact Hanson at 620-235-6584, or visit https://www.pittstate.edu/office/center-for-student-accommodations/index.html