Academic Resource Director and university disability support services director Sue Showers says working closely with students is the best of part of her job

Sue Showers serves Concordia University, Nebraska as director of the Academic Resource Center and the university’s disability support services. She is also the program director for the university’s master’s degree in special education. She has served at Concordia Nebraska for two-and-a-half years. 

In her Academic Resource Center and disability support services role, she provides comprehensive academic support services to help students achieve their academic potential and to ensure that the programs and activities of the university are accessible to all students. This is accomplished through approving accommodations – such as academic, housing, dietary, emotional support animals and other needs - as necessary as well as facilitating academic support services – such as tutoring and writing support, academic coaching. She also develops goals and strategies to make the Academic Resource Center a visible part of the university’s mission, and she frequently consults and collaborates with faculty and staff to support students. 

In her program director role, she is responsible for leadership of the master of education in special education program, which includes curriculum, faculty excellence, marketing and recruitment, admissions, student services, program assessment and accreditation. 

Each day brings joyful moments and hard moments, and working at Concordia Nebraska gives us the unique opportunity to slow down and listen to what the Holy Spirit might be saying to us in those moments.

She said that in both roles, her favorite part of her job is working closely with students. 

“I think Concordia Nebraska is special in that it is a place that strives to create a community where family is important, faith development is encouraged, grace is given and people come together to serve others. That’s not a very common workplace environment to find,” she said. “There are many opportunities here to grow in your faith. Sometimes it’s through a devotion someone is presenting to start a meeting, other times it might be participating in a book study and seeing how our faith lives and work lives intersect, and sometimes it’s as simple as providing words of encouragement to students and/or colleagues who might be struggling. Each day brings joyful moments and hard moments, and working at Concordia Nebraska gives us the unique opportunity to slow down and listen to what the Holy Spirit might be saying to us in those moments.” 

Over the summer, she said the university is rolling out three new software systems that will have a positive impact on Concordia Nebraska undergraduate and graduate students.  

“The first is PyraMED. This is an electronic records system where students with disabilities who are seeking accommodations can securely and confidentially request and manage their accommodations,” she explained. “This system is also being used by the health and counseling offices as well as the athletic training office. The second is ReadSpeaker. This is a text-to-speech tool that is integrated into Blackboard and will provide all students the ability to convert written text into natural-sounding speech, making it easier to access and understand their course materials. It’s perfect for students with reading difficulties, visual impairments or those who prefer listening to content. The third one is Jamworks. This is a notetaking support tool that will be available to students registered with the DSS office only at this time. It allows students to mark and generate notes and assists them in keeping up with the information being delivered. It makes it easy for students to recap moments they didn’t understand or revisit topics they’re most interested in. Each lecture captured can be reviewed in a variety of formats.” 

Showers has been married to husband Perry for almost 10 years. They are a blended family. Showers has three stepchildren: Connor, Katlyn and Callie. When she’s not serving at the university, she enjoys reading, golf, playing cards, baking and planting flowers.  

“Fall is my favorite season, Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I prefer the beach over the mountains. I love going on road trips and seeing new places and trying new things,” she said. “I’ve recently gotten involved with Clinic with a Heart, which is a faith-inspired organization that serves people who are uninsured and underinsured through a ministry of healthcare. I’m currently leading a small group of women through “Abundant Life”, a Bible study written by our very own Rebekah Freed!” 

Prior to her work at Concordia Nebraska, Showers was a K-12 speech-language pathologist and special education administrator. 

“The current roles I fill are a perfect match for my knowledge and experiences,” she said. “I am pretty passionate about creating a fully accessible, inclusive experience for student learning, campus engagement and residential life. I am committed to creating a climate of mutual respect and full participation for all students and equalizing access to accommodations and support for all students. I believe in grace with accountability, and that access plus personal effort is what leads to success.” 

Concordia’s Disability Support Services office (DSS) collaborates with students, administrators, faculty and staff to ensure access to reasonable and appropriate student disability accommodations. DSS strives to create a fully accessible, inclusive experience for student learning, campus engagement and residential life. Learn more at cune.edu/dss.