Christopher Mattson
Christopher Mattson is transforming the way Disability Services and Programs (DSP) is assisting disabled students. A coordinator of testing and note-taking accommodations, Christopher began working on ways to improve services as soon as he joined DSP in the fall of 2005.
“I’m excitingly close to completing all my goals,” Christopher explained. “When I first started, this was a newly created position so they weren’t sure if I could handle note-taking and testing accommodations.”
As a coordinator, Christopher is responsible for making sure that professors, departments and DSP meet the exam needs of disabled students. He also helps manage students who take class notes for DSP students.
While Christopher has been able to coordinate with faculty and departments to ensure DSP students’ exam needs are met, finding an efficient way to distribute lecture notes proved to be a daunting task. Two years ago, Christopher began working on an online system that would allow note-takers to upload notes for DSP students to print out. The system is almost complete.
“Before, the students were photocopying their notes for DSP students, and then they would have to physically meet to get the notes,” Christopher explained. “Come spring, they’ll be uploading the notes. The new system is also more confidential. I don’t think anyone else in the country has something like this. The challenge is always getting people to be aware of the information. I have it all online, but you can’t force people to read it. We want students to be able to regulate themselves; we encourage them to become more responsible.”
Christopher’s diligence has not gone unnoticed. “He is conscientious, takes initiative and is a very hard worker,” commented Ed Roth, director of DSP. “He adds creativity, consistency, efficiency and professionalism. He works extremely well with students and has been very instrumental in making DSP much more efficient and user-friendly for students.”
Christopher has a master’s degree in education from USC, a master of fine arts in playwriting from Brandeis University in Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Washington University. When he isn’t busy working, Christopher enjoys spending time with his family, theatre, athletics and doing research projects. His research on pre-college variables and the link to academic success for at-risk students was published in the Journal of College Admission.