Grievance Procedures

General Grievance Procedure Policy

If a student is refused an accommodation he or she believes is necessary, he or she may consult with the Director of Accessible Education or Dean of the College. If an agreement cannot be reached, the student may take the grievance to the DAAG for consideration. The student must provide relevant documentation of his or her disability from an appropriate professional source in order to verify eligibility for accommodations. This documentation is confidential and shared with College personnel on a need-to-know basis only.

The Disabilities and Accommodations Advisory Group (DAAG) which includes faculty and administrative staff and is charged with providing policy guidance and considering requests for atypical accommodations. In addition, this panel, on a case-by-case basis, works to resolve any disagreements which may arise concerning specific requests for accommodations.

Members of DAAG are:

  • The Director of the Office of Accessible Education who also serves as Chair of DAAG
  • The Director of Integrative Wellbeing Services
  • The Registrar
  • The Chair of the Committee on Academic Standing (CAS),
  • The Dean of the College.

Procedure:

  1.  The student requests accommodations and provides supporting documentation according to College guidelines to the Director of Accessible Education or Dean of the College.
  2.  In instances where there is disagreement concerning eligibility for accommodations or the appropriateness of a potential accommodation, the student may contact the Director of Accessible Education and the Dean of the College who will attempt to resolve the problem informally, normally within three to five business days. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the Director of Accessible Education or the Dean of the College would then have responsibility for convening the DAAG.
  3.  In instances where there is disagreement concerning the appropriateness of the requested accommodation, the student, the instructor teaching the course for which the accommodation has been requested (or the individual/body responsible for providing the accommodation, e.g., library, computer center, housing office, etc.), and the Director of Accessible Education or Dean of the College will attempt to resolve the dispute in a timely manner, normally within three to five business days.
  4.  If agreement cannot be reached, the student may contact the Director of Accessible Education and the Dean of the College, who will attempt to resolve the problem informally. If the dispute cannot be resolved, the Director of Accessible Education or the Dean of the College would then have responsibility for convening the DAAG. The student would be responsible for submitting any information in addition to the original request he or she wished the DAAG to consider.
  5.  The DAAG would review the circumstances surrounding the original request and any additional relevant information in order to make a recommendation within a reasonable period of time, normally within ten days. When necessary, other individuals in the Williams community with specific expertise may be called upon for input.
  6.  While the case is under review, every effort will be made to secure an interim accommodation.
  7.  Depending upon the nature of the discrepancy, the Disabilities and Accommodations Advisory Group will make a recommendation to the appropriate governing body or institutional officer. This recommendation will be communicated in writing with a copy provided to the student. Final decisions rest with the governing body or institutional officer.
  8.  Should the student be dissatisfied with the outcome, he or she may follow the grievance procedures as outlined in the College’s Non-Discrimination Policy, as described in the Student Handbook.