Accommodation Appeal Procedures
If a student is refused an accommodation they believe is necessary for equal access, or if they have a concern over the manner in which an approved accommodation was implemented, they are encouraged to consult with the Director of Accessible Education as soon as possible to discuss the situation.
The Director of Accessible Education will attempt to resolve the problem informally, normally within five (5) business days. For academic accommodations, the Director may consult with the instructor and/or the department offering the course for which the accommodation has been requested. For non-academic accommodations, the Director may consult with the individual and/or campus partner responsible for providing the accommodation (e.g., library, housing office, dining services, etc.).
If informal steps do not satisfactorily address the complaint, or there is a complaint about the Director of Accessible Education, a student may file a detailed written appeal with the Office of the Dean of the College. Students should direct their appeal to Jeff Malanson, Senior Associate Dean for Administration, Finance, and Strategy as soon as possible after the alleged event occurred. In their statement, the student should include:
- the requested accommodation
- the decision from OAE
- the reasoning for appealing the decision made by OAE (or description of their complaint, if not an appeal)
Dean Malanson will investigate the complaint and issue a response in writing, normally within 10 business days, to the student and the Office of Accessible Education. When necessary, other individuals in the Williams community with specific expertise may be called upon for input.
In order to establish the basis for their appeal or complaint, the student must have requested accommodations through the Office of Accessible Education and provided relevant documentation of their disability from an appropriate healthcare professional in order to verify their eligibility for accommodations. This documentation is confidential and shared with College personnel on a need-to-know basis only.
Grievance Procedures
Appeal decisions made by the Office of the Dean of the College are final. If the student feels as though the accommodation appeal procedure did not fairly and appropriately consider their concerns, or they have experienced discrimination related to their disability in other ways, they may choose to file a formal discrimination grievance as outlined in the College’s Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy.