Grievance Procedures

Students are entitled to appeal accommodation decisions of Student Disability Services, housing, faculty, or other University entities.

I. Policy Statement

UAFS is committed to a policy of ensuring that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in University programs or activities due to his or her disability. The University is fully committed to complying with all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and to providing equal educational opportunities to otherwise qualified students with disabilities.

II. Informal Grievance Procedure

Students should make every attempt to informally resolve problems they encounter through discussion with other persons involved and in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation. If potential problems are addressed early, they are less likely to escalate into grievances. Therefore, as a prerequisite to initiating formal grievance procedures, students shall first attempt to resolve their complaints informally by meeting with the Student Disability Services Director. If the grievance is not resolved informally, then each student shall have the right to invoke the formal grievance procedure outlined below.

III. Scope and Application of Grievance Procedure

Any student who believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination based on disability or has been denied access or accommodations required by law, shall have the right to invoke this Grievance Procedure. In general, this procedure is designed to address the following types of concerns:

Disagreements or denials regarding requested services, accommodations, or modifications to University practices or requirements.
Alleged inaccessibility of a University program or activity.
Alleged harassment or discrimination based on a disability.
Any other alleged violations of the ADA

IV. Formal Grievance Procedure

An effort to resolve a grievance informally is required by University policy and is considered the first step in this procedure.
If the Student Disability Services Director cannot provide information or suggestions that resolve issues involving disability rights issues, the student may contact the Assistant Provost – Student Success and Retention to request assistance. This must be done within two weeks of the incident.
The Assistant Provost will schedule a consultation among the Assistant Provost, the Student Disability Services Director, the student, and the faculty member (if applicable) as the second step in resolving concerns.
If an agreement concerning disability rights is not reached at this point, the Assistant Provost will notify the student in writing of the decision within one week of the meeting.
The final step in the grievance process is a formal appeal filed by the student to the Provost. This must be done, in writing, within one week of receiving notice from the Assistant Provost.
- The written complaint must include:
  - A detailed explanation of why the student believes that he or she has been denied an academic accommodation, service, or modification as required by law. It is important to be specific with regard to any facts or policies supporting the student's position, including specific dates, names, and numbers of courses and instructors, and the names of any other persons with information relevant to the specific grievance.
- In addition, the student should specifically identify the remedy or resolution he or she is seeking.
The Provost will notify the student of the findings. The Provost has the final authority to uphold, modify, or reverse the decision.

V. Office of Civil Rights Complaint

Although you are encouraged to attempt to resolve complaints about disabilities by utilizing this grievance procedure, you have the right to file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Information regarding applicable timelines and procedures is available from OCR.