Office of Accessibility

Appeals and Grievances

Appeal of OAS Accommodation Decisions

The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) engages in an collaborative, interactive process with the student and other necessary parties as applicable (e.g., faculty, treatment providers) in determining accommodations to ensure equal access to Geneseo’s programs, services, and activities. 

On occasion, a student may not agree with the outcome of an accommodation request. While students are encouraged to work with the OAS to identify reasonable alternatives that would meet the equal access need, the student may file an internal appeal via the following steps:

  1. If a student disagrees with an accommodation decision reached by the OAS, the student may submit a supplemental request in Accommodate within 7-10 days of the outcome email. If the student needs assistance accessing the supplemental request form, they may contact the OAS via email (access@geneseo.edu), phone (585-245-5112), or in-person (Erwin Hall 23).
    1. The request for appeal should specify the grounds other than general dissatisfaction with the decision, such as:
      1. Discrimination  
      2. A procedure was not followed
    2. If there is any new information/documentation that was not provided during the initial request process, please submit to the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) for another review of the original request.
  2. If the appeal is centered on procedural issues, the appeal will be reviewed with the Director of Accessibility Services and a secondary reviewer(s) including:
    1. Academic Accommodations: Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
    2. Housing and Emotional Support Animal Accommodations: Department of Residence Life
    3. The reviewers may request a follow-up meeting with the student as part of their decision-making process, and will have access to the student’s initial request, including documentation. Information about the student’s disability is shared by the OAS on a limited, need-to-know basis. 
    4. A written notification of a decision will be provided to the student within 7-10 days. If the appeal is denied, the outcome will include an explanation with all of the reasons for the denial.
  3. If the appeal centers on a discrimination claim, then the student should utilize the internal and external resources identified in the Internal Bias and External Grievance sections at the bottom of this page.
  4. If the initial appeal is denied, and there are grounds for a secondary appeal (e.g., bias, procedural error), the student may contact the SUNY Geneseo ADA/504 Coordinator, Dr. Rodmon King via email at ode@geneseo.edu.
  5. This appeal procedure does not prohibit the student from requesting new or modified accommodations based on a change in circumstances, such as new courses or activities, or changes to disability-related barriers.

Concerns with Approved Accommodations

Students

Students with questions or concerns relating to the implementation of an approved accommodation are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) as soon as possible via email (access@geneseo.edu), phone (585-245-5112), or in-person (Erwin Hall 22). The Director of Accessibility Services will communicate with the student, faculty, and other relevant parties to resolve the concern as quickly as reasonably possible during regular business hours. Students have the right to utilize the internal and external resources identified in the Internal Bias and External Grievance sections sections at the bottom of this page.

There may be times that it is determined by the OAS and the faculty member that the accommodation is not reasonable for a particular course/assignment. If the student disagrees, the OAS will facilitate a further review by the fundamental alteration committee per the process outlined below.

Faculty: Fundamental Alteration Process

An instructor should contact the OAS for consultation whenever there is a question or concern about a recommended academic accommodation, particularly if the instructor believes that a recommended accommodation constitutes a fundamental alteration to the course. A fundamental alteration may be defined as:

  1. Posing an undue financial or administrative burden
  2. Alter the nature or purpose of the course, assignment, or exam
  3. Is inconsistent with essential academic requirements
  4. Would reduce or alter academic requirements
  5. Would substantially alter the method in which the course is taught or service is provided, or 
  6. Would pose a direct threat to the health and safety of the student or others

The instructor should contact the OAS within two business days of receiving the accommodation notification. The instructor should not raise their questions, concerns, or objections to the student.

If, after consulting with the OAS, the instructor still believes the recommended accommodation is a fundamental alteration of the course, the OAS will facilitate a committee of relevant parties, including the ADA/504 Coordinator, department chair and/or Dean, the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, and a member of the OAS Faculty Advisory Committee. The student will be notified of the outcome no later than 7-10 days. There may not be a unilateral decision by the faculty member to deny a recommended academic accommodation, and the accommodation is to be provided until a decision has been reached.

Internal Bias Reporting

Students who believe they have been treated in a discriminatory manner reserve the right to submit a bias-related incident reporting form, and will be followed up with by a member of the Bias Prevention and Response Team and/or a member of the Office of Diversity and Equity. More information on these procedures can be found here. The student may also participate in the external grievance process described below.

External Grievance Procedure

Although internal procedures exist to support students in resolving complaints quickly and directly with the OAS and/or faculty/staff, students have the right to file a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights at any time if the student believes that faculty or staff discriminated against the student on the basis of disability. The Statute of Limitations for filing a complaint with OCR is 180 days from the time the incident occurred. Forms may be obtained from the ADA Coordinator, or the student can appeal online through the Office of Civil Rights. 

The College has the right to revise the policy at any time. Individuals who file an appeal or grievance under these procedures are protected from retaliation.

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