Service 2:

Interim Leadership Support

Overviews and Expectations

Director-level leadership transitions in disability and accessibility services don’t just create vacancies, they create uncertainty across operations, decision-making, and institutional alignment. For many institutions, these moments are both high-risk and high-opportunity. They present a unique  opportunity to maintain continuity while also stepping back to evaluate what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to evolve.

EdPros partners with institutions to provide experienced, steady Interim Leadership during these periods of transition. Whether you’re navigating a planned departure, an unexpected vacancy, or a broader operational reset, our Experts step in to lead with clarity, stability, and purpose.

Our Experts bring deep experience in disability resource operations and higher education leadership, helping institutions:

  • Maintain continuity of day-to-day office operations and service delivery

  • Provide experienced supervision and support to existing staff

  • Partner with institutional leadership to assess current structures, processes, and service models

  • Identify opportunities for operational improvement and alignment with current best practices

  • Support strategic decision-making around staffing models and future leadership needs

The result: a stable, well-supported team in the present and a stronger, more intentional foundation for the future.

  • Fully embedded leadership

    Experts take on leadership roles, they do not observe from the outside.

  • Less risk between hires

    The institution takes the time it needs to find the right permanent hire without operational risk.

  • Stronger foundation

    Many institutions use the interim period to assess and improve office structure before the next hire.

EdPros In Action

  • The Institution's Challenge

    At a small, private institution, the longtime director of a three-person Disability Support Services office (Director, Access Specialist, and Office Manager/Exam Proctor) announced plans to retire at the end of the spring semester.

    While the departure was planned, the institution recognized the moment as more than a leadership transition. It was an opportunity to take a thoughtful look at how the office was structured, how services were being delivered, and how the role itself might evolve moving forward.

    At the same time, the office still needed to function day-to-day. Students still required support, accommodations still needed to be reviewed and implemented, and the remaining staff needed consistent leadership and direction.

    The institution was looking for a partner who could both maintain operational stability while also bringing an experienced, outside perspective to help guide meaningful change before launching a search for their next Director.

  • The EdPros Partnership

    EdPros partnered with institutional leadership to place an experienced interim leader into the Director role from June through December, spanning the summer and fall semester.

    Our Expert stepped in as a fully embedded leader, providing day-to-day oversight of the office while also working closely with AVP-level leadership to evaluate and evolve operations.

    Throughout the engagement, the interim leader:

    • Maintained continuity of services, ensuring students experienced no disruption in support

    • Supervised and supported existing staff, providing consistency and clear direction

    • Conducted a comprehensive review of office operations, workflows, and procedures

    • Partnered with institutional leadership to identify opportunities for modernization and alignment with current best practices

    • Helped guide adjustments to staffing structure and role responsibilities to better meet current and future demand

  • The Impact

    The office remained stable and fully operational throughout the leadership transition, with no disruption to student services or campus partnerships. At the same time, the institution gained valuable insight into how its office could evolve based on an outside, objective, and highly seasoned perspective.

  • Sustained Support

    Rather than rushing into a hire, the institution used this interim period to thoughtfully implement changes to structure, processes, and expectations for the role. By the end of the engagement, the office was operating with clearer workflows, a more aligned staffing model, and a stronger foundation for long-term success, positioning the institution to conduct a more informed and intentional search for their next director. This also made them a more attractive destination for a highly competitive candidate pool.

  • The Result

    The outcome was more than a smooth leadership transition. It was a rare opportunity to stabilize, assess, and evolve simultaneously. The team remained supported, operations continued without interruption, and institutional leadership moved forward with clarity and confidence about the future of the office.