News Release

K. Starr Avedesian Named Assistant Dean of Disabled Students Programs and Services at Santiago Canyon College

​(Santa Ana, CA) - Rancho Santiago Canyon Community College District (RSCCD) has named K. Starr Avedesian assistant dean of disabled student programs and services at Santiago Canyon College (SCC). In this role, Avedesian is responsible for the supervision and administration of all programs and services provided through Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS).

K. Starr AvedesianHer duties include supervising the planning, funding, coordinating and delivery of department programs, managing employment selection and training, addressing student complaints, determining student eligibility, and working with faculty to implement student accommodations in an instructional setting. She will also oversee the preparation and submission of budget and assigned programs, ensure the satisfactory compliance of student and program records with district, state, and federal requirements, and act as dean for the DSPS in the case of his or her absence.

With over 20 years’ experience in education, Avedesian brings a wide range of skills to her role. Most recently, she served as a school psychologist/administrator at Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD). In that role, she consulted with staff members to address academic, social-emotional, and behavioral concerns through the Student Study Team (SST) and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) processes, supported the implementation of various district goals, and worked to facilitate solutions to sensitive and detailed student matters.

Prior to that, she served as the principal and school psychologist for Esperanza Special Education School in SVUSD, where she led special education services, monitored various special education events and programs, and assisted staff in the modification and creation of alternative curriculum to meet the individualized learning needs of the students. Previously she served as a graduate instructor at Alliant International University, Irvine, where she was an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Education, Pupil Personnel Services Credential Program in School Psychology.

Avedesian earned an M.S. in education with a concentration in educational administration from California State University, Fullerton, and an M.S. in counseling with a concentration in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in arts English literature with a minor in psychology from Loyola Marymount University.

About the Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.

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