For designing a program to provide leadership opportunities for accessibility students to mentor incoming Saints, as well as her ongoing efforts in her role, Lindsay Hennessey-Green has been selected for a national honor.
Hennessey-Green, Siena’s director of accessibility and coordinator of veteran services, is the 2025 recipient of the Mission Integration Award in the category of Human Dignity, Belonging, and Common Good from the Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU). This award recognizes her innovative and inclusive work creating the Peer Coach Program.
Siena’s peer coaches help new students who are registered with Accessibility navigate campus life, including learning how to use their accommodations effectively, gain valuable self-advocacy skills, and find belonging in a welcoming and inclusive environment with fellow students, according to Adam Casler, interim vice president for student life.
"Since the day she arrived at Siena in 2021, Lindsay has put our Franciscan values into action in every aspect of the Office of Accessibility operations,” said Casler. “From creating a streamlined process for requesting accommodations, to presenting in front of the General Faculty Committee, departmental meetings, and academic leadership to ensure they have the information they need to support students with accommodations, Lindsay has been person-centered and inclusive in her work.”
He said her efforts to develop Siena’s Peer Coach Program is a great example of her commitment to innovative practices that “provide unique student support and allow upperclass students an opportunity to develop leadership skills.”
Siena’s Accessibility team also includes Patti Smith, assistant director of accessibility, and Jen Newman, learning specialist.
“Our goal is to provide an inclusive, welcoming and person-centered approach to providing accommodations for the students we serve,” said Hennessey-Green. “We offer an interactive and individualized process for close to 500 students to ensure that their specific needs are recognized and supported, which also allows us to build a sense of community among students who have the shared experience of living with a disability.”
She said the Peer Coach program is “a materialized vision” of creating community and a way to uphold Siena’s Franciscan mission and values.
The Mission Integration Awards are presented each year to outstanding professionals whose work incorporates both the Catholic mission and identity and best practices within the field of student affairs. Hennessey-Green will receive her honor at the annual ASACCU conference this month at St. John’s University in Queens, where she will also deliver a presentation on her work.