Acting Co-Presidents Tomoko Sakomura and Rob Goldberg shared the following message with the campus community on August 2, 2024:

Dear Friends,
 
With deep sadness, we write to share the news that Monica LaRae Vance, director of student disability services, died on Thursday, July 25, after a long illness. She was 49.

Monica served in the Student Affairs Division for six years. She is remembered as a caring and compassionate champion for students with disabilities who especially enjoyed building relationships with students in order to better support them through their time at Swarthmore.

Monica is survived by her parents, Virginia and Raymond Vance. A visitation, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., immediately followed by a life celebration will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Hope Community Church, 150 E. Beidler Rd., in King of Prussia, Pa. You may also extend condolences, support, and any questions you may have to studentdisabilityservices@swarthmore.edu.

We invite you to read more below about Monica and her many contributions to our community. 
  
Sincerely,

Tomoko Sakomura
Acting Co-President
Provost and Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Art History

Rob Goldberg
Acting Co-President
Vice President for Finance and Administration

In Honor of Student Disability Services Director Monica Vance

Student Disability Services Director Monica Vance died on Thursday, July 25. She was 49. With her passing, the Swarthmore community has lost a true champion for all students. 

“Monica led Disability Services with dedication and passionate advocacy,” says Vice President for Student Affairs Stephanie Ives. “It is clear her life was about service to others.”

“Monica was so kind and generous with her time and energy, and so dedicated to her students,” says Assistant Director of Disability Services Traci Huppman. “She also just made me laugh.” 

Although born in Jamaica Queens, N.Y., Vance grew up in Conshohocken, Pa., and graduated from Upper Merion High School. She earned a B.S. magna cum laude in education from West Chester University and an M.S. in higher education from Drexel University.

Early in her career, Vance taught students at the Pathway School in Norristown, Pa., and the Burlington County Institute of Technology in New Jersey, among others. She also helped manage Community College of Philadelphia’s Assessment Center before serving for seven years as the associate director of student accommodations at  University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.  

Vance joined the Swarthmore community in 2018, and led Student Disability Services through a time of growth and change, says Associate Dean of Academic Success Liz Derickson ’01. “Monica was a tireless advocate for equal access,” she says. “She partnered with faculty, staff, and students to improve overall accessibility and to raise awareness around disability.” 

“Monica brought extensive experience in the field of disability rights,” says Dean of First-Year Students Karen Henry ’87. “She also broadened the conversation about DEI to include people with disabilities.” 

Vance’s deeply thoughtful approach and the careful consideration she gave every issue was valued by her colleagues in Student Affairs and across campus.  

“Sometimes in this work it's easy to jump to a quick conclusion about what the ‘right’ thing is, and Monica was very good at pausing and really causing us to consider all sides of the question,” says ADA Program Manager Susan Smythe. “She cared very deeply about accessibility and creating an equal experience for all students, and was a wonderful partner and champion in that work.” 

“I truly appreciated her presence and the way she engaged with our discussions,” says Course Content Accessibility Manager Jen Moore, who served with Vance on the Accessibility Working Group. “Monica was dedicated to her students and brought genuine care to her relationships.”

That dedication clearly came through in Vance’s profile last year in The Bulletin: “I take pride in meeting challenges head-on and really sticking with the student.”

“Monica’s legacy at Swarthmore will serve as a standard of devotion and care for students, especially those who navigate a disability,” says Associate Dean Michelle Ray. “Her champion spirit commanded her work.” 

After hours, Ray says she and Vance would often “lovingly scold” each other for working so late.

“We would joke, ‘You can only tell me to go home because you are here to see me. You go home!’” she says. “Monica was kind, warm, hilarious, joyful — just a bright beacon of light.”