with Linda Smith
Born and raised:
Brooklyn
Resides:
Westwood
Family:
Husband, Gordon; son, Alexander, age 18; and three cats, Corky, Misha
and Snickers
Summer vacation spot:
The Jersey shore
Hobbies:
Babysitting her nieces and nephews, shopping, traveling and reading
Favorite place she's visited:
Portland, Ore.
"If you build it, they will come." That's what
Linda Smith believes is the motto for the Services for Students with Disabilities
program -- her own "Field of Dreams."
In her five and half years as director, Linda says she's seen her vision
for the department come to fruition. "I've tried to make this a 'place'
as much as a program so students with disabilities feel welcome,"
she explained. "One of my goals was to have a centralized place where
students could come, make their disclosure and know that the nature of
their disability would be kept confidential."
When she first started in 1997, only 52 students sought services. That
number has grown to 425. "We've built the program through word of
mouth," she said. "Students told other students and faculty
told students that we could provide the services they needed. Previously,
students had to go to a lot of different departments and were forced to
disclose confidential information in what was not always an appropriate
place. We have accomplished what we set out to do, which was create one
office for all disability issues."
Smith says a central office is important, not only for convenience but
for the feeling of safety and unity it fosters. Even Smith's office is
warm and homey with lush plants surrounding the room. "I've tried
to make it cozy and inviting, so students can feel comfortable and confident
coming here. We've also established an area where they can socialize,"
she said.
Having accomplished her first objective of instituting a definitive program,
Linda has set her sights on an even grander plan. "My main goal now
is to bring disability services out of this office and into the rest of
the University. The focus is on universal design, which means everything
would be accessible for everyone."
Perhaps one of the most requested and ongoing services the office provides
is counseling faculty on how to better meet students' needs. "What
we ask faculty to do is level the playing field by accommodating students
with disabilities," she explained. "We're not asking them to
expect less from a student with a disability, but that student may need
to use an alternative way to show mastery of the material. A dyslexic
student can read, but slowly, so that student may need three times as
long to take a test or need someone to read the questions.
"Disability services is a matter of being flexible and creative,"
she added. "We try to think of different ways to get the same results.
It just takes imagination."
Having three previous careers (she was a middle school science teacher,
a special librarian for The Record newspaper, and her husband's
clerical assistant when he began his own business), Linda says she's finally
found what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
"This job is so rewarding. Eighty-one percent of the more than 800
students I've worked with over the years have graduated or are still attending.
They are the most motivated students, who have had to work so hard through
their entire academic careers," she said. "They are an inspiration
because they refuse to take "no" for an answer, as do I when
I'm dealing with something I truly believe is right. The best part of
my job is watching them succeed."
The students show their appreciation to Linda in ways big and small. "They
are extremely demonstrative and protective. They treat me like gold,"
she said with a smile. "I recently came back from a trip to Baltimore
to Penn Station in Newark. An officer met me there and told me that one
of my students called the police department and said, 'Somebody special
is arriving on this train,' so I got a police escort to my car in the
middle of the night. They constantly surprise me."
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