Meet the Team
The goal of the staff of the office for Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) is to assist students who can benefit from higher education and support them in reaching their academic potential. The ACCESS office provides a comfortable transition from high school to the SIUE campus. Students are encouraged to frequent the ACCESS office and enjoy the opportunity to meet other students in a relaxing atmosphere.
Dominic Dorsey is the Director of the ACCESS office. He joined the office staff on January 29, 2018, after serving in previous roles as Associate Director for Adaptive Educational Services at Indiana University Purdue University–Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Director of Accessibility at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). He has worked with students with disabilities for over a decade and in doing so has developed a philosophy that pushes the conversation from one of limitations, to one of accessibility. One which focuses on removing the gatekeepers to student success through interactive processes instead of boilerplate accommodations. Acutely aware of the afterthought of equity, Dominic is passionate about being an accomplice to individuals with major life impairments. His favorite phrase is that "Accommodations are the floor, but accessibility is the ceiling." A statement he frequently brings up administratively, while demonstrating his commitment to achieving a welcoming and inclusive campus environment for all.
Dominic earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from IUPUI in spring 2009. He also completed a Master of Science in Education in Higher Education & Student Affairs (HESA) at Indiana University in 2011 and a certification in behavior analysis from the University of Cincinnati in 2016.
Contact Dominic at (618) 650-3726 or by email at dodorse@siue.edu.
James (Jim) F. Boyle is the ACCESS office's Assistant Director for Inclusive Compliance. He has been with the office since August 2000, formerly serving as the department's Learning Specialist. He ensures university compliance with legal mandates pertaining to accessible higher education while promoting universal design principles to optimize access for all learners. In addition, he works with students from local schools to foster effective transition from their current educational setting to SIUE. Jim earned a BA from Illinois College in 1985 and an MA in Clinical Adult Psychology in 1997 from SIUE.
Contact Jim at (618) 650-2568 or by email at jboyle@siue.edu.
Andrew (Andy) Koch is the ACCESS office's Assistant Director for Instructional Accessibility. He joined the office staff on March 12, 2012, first serving as the Office Support Specialist before moving into a Program Advisor position in 2016. As the office was restructured, Andy moved into his current position in May 2021. His primary role is as a consultant to the campus community on ADA compliance in the online and digital sphere including but not limited to: WCAG compliance, universal design principles, existing and emerging technologies designed to improve accessibility for the SIUE campus community. This includes the provision of guidance to faculty on the development of curricular content that is accessible to students with disabilities.
Andy earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Eastern Illinois University in Spring 2003. He completed his Master of Science in Education in College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) at SIUE in Fall 2019. CSPA has since been superseded by the Higher Education & Student Affairs (HESA) program at SIUE.
Contact Andy at (618) 650-5692, ankoch@siue.edu, or @AndyKochSIUE.
Berthine Blanc is the BUILD Program Coordinator at ACCESS. Her primary duties include administration and implementation of the Bridging Universal Inclusion and Leadership Development (BUILD) Program. Including recruitment, screening, orientation, and training of incoming volunteer mentors as well as a responsibility for all mentor-mentee matches. In this new position, the BUILD Program Coordinator will oversee the implementation of associated workshops, provide ongoing support to mentors as well as outreach and communication to community partners and local area high schools in conjunction with our transition program. Originally joining the staff in October 2017, she was promoted to BUILD Program Coordinator in July 2021.
Berthine earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies with a minor in Sociology in 2000 from SIUE and completed her Master of Science in Education in College Student Personnel Administration(CSPA), also at SIUE, in 2019.
Contact Berthine at (618) 650-3747 or by email at bblanc@siue.edu.
Calandra Mitchell is the Test Specialist at ACCESS. Her primary duties include scheduling and proctoring students' exams and the coordination of test procurement and delivery. Calandra joined the ACCESS team in September 2015
Contact Calandra at (618) 650-3766 or by email at calmitc@siue.edu.
Testing information should be submitted to the ACCESS office at accesstesting@siue.edu
Taylor Bodenbach is the Staff ASL Interpreter for the ACCESS office. She joined the departmental staff in January 2023. Her duties include providing classroom interpreting services to identified students on a regularly scheduled basis. Additional duties include providing interpreting services for University convocations, meetings, consultations, and health services as assigned; as well as educating faculty, staff, and meeting facilitators on the role of the interpreter.
Taylor earned a Bachelors Degree in American Sign Language Interpreting in 2016 from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL. Taylor is extremely passionate about serving the Deaf community and strives to empower students so that they are able to advocate for themselves and access resources for an equitable college experience.
Contact Taylor by email at tbodenb@siue.edu.
Amy Miller is the Staff ASL Interpreter for the ACCESS office. She joined the departmental staff in March 2023. Her duties include providing classroom interpreting services to identified students on a regularly scheduled basis. Additional duties include providing interpreting services for University convocations, meetings, consultations, and health services as assigned; as well as educating faculty, staff, and meeting facilitators on the role of the interpreter.
Amy got her start at John A. Logan College, graduating with a Certificate in Interpreting in 1993. Later, she returned to JALC for an Associate in Applied Science in Interpreter Preparation. In 2008, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. In 2014, she graduated with honors from Capella University with her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. Amy holds an RID CI/CT certification and has a Master BEI certification. Her passions are equity and access to education, service to the d/Deaf and interpreting communities, and collaborating with community partners to create fun and creative learning environments for students.
Contact Amy by email at amillbh@siue.edu.
Michelle Nickerson is the Office Administrator for the ACCESS office. She joined the departmental staff in May 2016. Michelle's duties consist of supporting the professional staff of the office, maintaining records, handling purchasing, monitoring the budget, staffing the front desk, assisting the clerk and supervising ACCESS's student workers. Prior to joining the ACCESS team, Michelle served in a variety of roles in other campus offices.
Contact Michelle at (618) 650-3726 or by email at minicke@siue.edu.
Mari Chimitris is the ACCESS Graduate Assistant for the office. She started her duties in August 2021. Her primary duties will include programming such as the Ed Roberts Champions of Accessibility Celebration, Gateway Graduation, and outreach for the office.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois and she is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at SIUE.
Contact Mari by email at mchimit@siue.edu.
Royce Hill is the BUILD Graduate Assistant for the ACCESS office. He started his duties in August 2022. His primary duties are in developing and facilitating programming for the BUILD Mentoring Program, assisting with mentor and mentee matching, assessment and communication strategies.
He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at SIUE.
Contact Royce by email at royhill@siue.edu.
Accommodation Support Professionals (ASP)
ACCESS Student Success Coaches
ACCESS in partnership with Library & Information Services (Lovejoy Library) offers ACCESS Success Coaching in a collaborative mission to implement retention efforts for students with disabilities identified as "academically at-risk"; and assisting in the application of reasonable curricular and co-curricular accommodations. In addition to conducting research on assistive technology for ACCESS, ACCESS Success Coaches (ASCs) also assist identified students with skills development in time management, executive functioning and learning styles; and identifying overall strategies for success.
Identified students will connect with the ASCs via referral and by appointment through ACCESS.
