Director
Sandra Harrison
Sandra has a BA in English Literature and Communications from Mary Baldwin College and a MS in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University, and has worked for the past 12 years at Pepperdine University. She comes to Rice with an impressive depth of knowledge about disability services and leadership and enjoys seeing students thrive with the right tools for success.
Associate Director
Dr. Lesley Craig Unkefer (She/Her)
Lesley received a Doctorate from Vanderbilt University in Special Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Special Education and a Masters Degree in Special Education and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art History from University of Memphis. Lesley has been a member of the Special Education faculty for the University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Minnesota, and Middle Tennessee State University, eventually achieving the tenured rank of full professor. Lesley’s professional focuses are promoting social competence skills, instructing and supporting diverse learners in educational and community settings. She enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, watching classic movies and playing board games.
Professional interests: Social Competency skills and behavior development and interventions, promoting self-advocacy and self-determination skills, post high school transition for exceptional populations, instruction and support of employment opportunities for individuals with various exceptionalities, Second Language Learners and instructional technology.
Student Support Specialist
Liz Boyle
Liz holds a BA in Psychology from Occidental College and an MS in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has worked at Rice University since 2023, where she combines professional training with her personal passion for helping students thrive. She is dedicated to supporting students in reaching their full potential—academically, personally, and beyond. She enjoys all furry creatures with four legs and Diet Coke.
Campus Partners
Rice University is committed to creating accessible online experiences for everyone, including people with disabilities. The following offices and departments contribute to this mission.
Office of Access & Institutional Excellence
At Rice, we view diversity, equity and inclusion as a central and meaningful part of the overall university experience. We believe these values increase the vitality of everything we do – education, scholarship, service and community.
Our office seeks to support and guide the university in fulfilling its mission of cultivating a diverse community of learning and discovery by facilitating a campus environment that promotes diversity, inclusion and academic achievement through active engagement with all areas of campus life.
Ethics, Compliance and Enterprise Risk
The Rice University Associate Vice President, Ethics, Compliance and Enterprise Risk & Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) manages the University’s Ethics and Compliance Program, chairs the University Compliance Committee, and serves as the University Policy Manager. The CCO reports to the Vice President and General Counsel, with a dotted line to the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees, and provides regular reports to the President and the Audit Committee as to the status of the Ethics and Compliance Program.
Equal Opportunity Services (EOS)
The Equal Opportunity Services (EOS) at Rice University is a neutral and independent resource office responsible for ensuring the enforcement of the institution's anti-discrimination policies. Those policies cover topics related to sexual harassment/Title IX, discrimination, and other equal opportunity compliance mandates. The role of the Office is to ensure that Rice University complies with its anti-discrimination policies, makes the good-faith effort necessary to diversify its workforce, and becomes a place where everyone feels valued, leveraged, and put in the best position to thrive.