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Grievance Procedure

In the event that specific complaints arise regarding the university’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Director of Disability Support Services will, at the request of the student, faculty or staff, review the procedures implemented and seek to resolve the matter informally.  To the extent that the complaint(s) cannot be resolved informally, the following procedures shall be employed in order to address the grievance formally.

 A student wishing to file a complaint shall submit a written grievance to the Director of Disability Support Services within 30 calendar days of the event(s) triggering the grievance.  The written grievance must include:

a.  A clear statement of the university rule, regulation, policy and/or action of which the student complains;
b.  The date of any action which the student is appealing;
c.  A summary of the action(s) which the student has taken to resolve the matter informally;
d.  Documentation which supports the grievance.

 The Director will forward the information to the appropriate administrator.

The appropriate administrator shall meet with the student within 5 class days of the receipt of the grievance to gather data and attempt resolution.

If this meeting does not resolve the grievance, the appropriate administrator shall conduct an informal investigation of the grievance.  In cases where the grievance is about the conduct or requirements of a course or an academic program, the appropriate administrator shall consult with the faculty member responsible for the affected course or academic program.

The appropriate administrator shall furnish a written response to the grievance no later than 15 class days after the meeting with the student.  The written response shall be mailed to the student by certified mail, return receipt requested.

If the student is not satisfied with the written response from the appropriate administrator, he/she may present the grievance in written form to the Vice President for Student Affairs within 10 class days after the receipt of the response from the appropriate administrator.

The Vice President for Student Affairs or designate shall, within 15 class days after the receipt of the grievance, schedule and conduct a meeting with the student and other persons involved in the grievance.

After the investigation is complete, the Vice President for Student Affairs or designate shall issue a written answer to the complainant within 15 class days from completion of the meeting(s) with the student and other persons.

If the grievance involved conduct or requirements of a course or academic program, a copy of the written decision of the Vice President for Student Affairs or designate shall be provided to the Dean and the department chair involved and to the professor of the course.

The Director of Disability Support Services shall maintain the files and records relating to the complaints filed.

The right to prompt and equitable resolution of a grievance shall not be impaired by the person’s pursuit of other remedies such as filing a complaint with a responsible federal department or agency.  Although individuals have the right to pursue appeals through external channels, they are encouraged to use internal mechanisms to resolve disagreements.

If the Vice President for Student Affairs or designate is unable to offer a satisfactory resolution, the student may appeal to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs whose decision is final.