Informal Complaint Process
In the event that a student has a specific complaint about the way in which Student Accessibility Services (SAS) has handled an accommodation and believes that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) has been violated, they are encouraged to connect with the staff member involved in the decision to resolve the disagreement. The student can also meet with the Director of SAS to share their concerns in order to resolve the situation.
Formal Complaint Process
If the matter is not resolved with SAS, the student may submit a written complaint to the Dean of Faculty (or their designee). The written complaint should explain the nature of the student’s concern and present all necessary factual information, which can include any pertinent supporting documents that the student would like to submit. The written complaint must be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than 60 days after the alleged violation occurred.
The Dean of Faculty (or their designee) will review all submitted material and may contact the student to hear their concern in person and to discuss possible resolutions. The ADA Compliance Officer may also meet with the student regarding this matter. Within 30 days following the letter’s submission, the Dean (or their designee) will submit a written statement regarding their findings, which will be written in light of the evidence submitted to them and in light of the Dean’s investigation of the situation. This letter will be shared with the student, with the Director of SAS, and with the ADA Compliance Officer.
If the written complaint pertains to an academic issue, the letter will also be shared with the Associate Dean of Faculty. All other formal complaint letters will be handled by the Dean of Faculty (or their designee) and the ADA Compliance Officer.
If the student is dissatisfied with the final resolution of the letter, they may also contact the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, California at 415.556.4275 to file a disability grievance.
