LATEST CAYUGA NEWS

Cayuga Community College Professor Melissa Johnson is one of 11 faculty members across SUNY named to the prestigious Accessibility Advocates and Allies Fellowship Program for the upcoming year.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. on Monday announced the program’s new faculty fellows, whose work will support student success through greater digital accessibility and the advancement of Universal Design for Learning practices. Professor Johnson and 10 other faculty fellows will comprise the second cohort of the fellowship, building on the successes of the inaugural cohort who started in January of 2025.

“There is a place at SUNY for everyone and we work tirelessly to ensure our campuses are inclusive and welcoming for every student,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “The work of the Accessibility Advocates and Allies faculty fellows is essential to ensuring SUNY faculty have the resources they need to foster a supportive and accessible environment for students with disabilities. Congratulations to the faculty fellows selected for this year’s program, which will help advance accessibility throughout the SUNY system.”

“We’re proud to have Professor Johnson serve as one of 11 faculty fellows in this year’s SUNY Accessibility Advocates and Allies Fellowship Program,” said Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant. “Throughout her tenure at Cayuga, Professor Johnson has been a determined advocate for expanding opportunities for all students and for her innovative approach to accessibility in her courses.

Professor Johnson, who is the director for Cayuga’s Studio Art and Design A.S. program, has dedicated herself to developing a diverse, inclusive approach to her courses. This includes flexible approaches to instruction and assignment formats, as well as incorporating artists with disabilities into her courses.

“The importance of accessibility and expanding access to higher education goes beyond courses and programs,” she said. “It requires efforts to make all areas of the college experience welcoming for all students, where all classes and student experiences and spaces are designed to work for everyone.”

In the past several years, Johnson has taken courses in the Disability Studies Programs at CUNY to expand her knowledge of accessibility and how to incorporate it into her courses. She’s looking forward to continuing her efforts and supporting the greater accessibility initiatives across SUNY with the fellowship program.

“I’m honored to be selected to work with other SUNY staff and faculty in an effort to bring accessibility in even more ways to our campuses,” said Professor Johnson. “I’m also proud to be a part of SUNY as they continue expanding accessibility across the system in such an important and meaningful way.”

In the program, the faculty fellows will research approaches for expanding accessibility on their campuses and develop solutions to increase the adoption of accessibility practices. Fellows will work together on these efforts, but will also work with campus officers, such as Chief Diversity Officers or Accessibility Directors, who have a shared mission related to accessibility.

For more details on the program, visit https://www.suny.edu/udl/fellowship/.