Being accessible to students is a goal Beatrice Awoniyi would like to achieve if she is named the ISU Disability Resources Coordinator.

Awoniyi, who works for the disabilities resources office at Red Rocks Community College in Colorado, spoke at an open forum Wednesday morning, when she presented her reasoning for seeking the position.

Awoniyi, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business education and a master’s degree in vocational education systems from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, said she has worked at Red Rocks Community College for seven years.

Now, she said, she’s ready for the challenge of working for a disability resource office at a university.

“I hate to say `I’ve been there, done that,’ but that’s part of it,” she said.

“I realize the needs are different and the population is different, so I guess [working at Iowa State] would be a challenge.”

She said Red Rocks Community College is a commuter college, so working with residents at the university would be a new experience.

Awoniyi, who was the final candidate to speak at a public forum, said she would like to emphasize helping students and faculty as the ISU Disability Resources Coordinator.

“The role is to assist students and advocate on their behalf,” she said. “The other role is to assist faculty and be a resource for them.”

Awoniyi said improving the academic integrity of the office would be another goal if she is appointed.

The academic integrity she wants to incorporate will ensure that students with disabilities are treated fairly and the fairness in class won’t be compromised, she said.

However, Awoniyi said she wants to become more familiar with the needs of the ISU community before she could define how she would handle disability issues.

“My vision of what the Disability Resources office at Iowa State needs, I don’t really know yet,” she said.