Section Nine - ADA Grievance Procedure

  1. If you are a student with a disability who has a complaint of discrimination or a concern about your accommodations, you should first attempt to resolve the conflict by contacting the director/assistant director of Student Accessibility Services on the campus where you applied for services.
  2. If the results of this process are unsatisfactory to you, you should contact the director of Student Accessibility Services.
  3. The director will investigate the complaint and make reasonable efforts to resolve the matter. The investigation shall be informal but thorough, affording all persons an opportunity to submit evidence or other relevant information.
  4. If you are not satisfied with the decision of the director of Student Accessibility Services, you should address your concerns to the Dean of Students. Additionally, if you are unsure how to utilize the grievance procedures, or are uncomfortable addressing issues with the appropriate person, the Dean of Students will give guidance and provide you with information and direction for pursuing a resolution.
  5. After making every effort to resolve your concerns, please submit a written complaint (use of university email is appropriate) to the appropriate vice president. In this complaint, you should explain the details of your situation, including the names of those involved, and indicate the steps you have taken to remedy the situation yourself. The vice president will investigate the complaint, seek a resolution, and inform you in writing of the outcome.
  6. To appeal a decision made by a vice president (except grades), submit the appeal in writing to the ADA coordinator. Within 30 calendar days after becoming aware of the grievance, the complainant shall file a written request for a hearing with the ADA coordinator, including the following information:
    1. Date, time, and place
    2. The facts of the complaint
    3. Names of any witnesses
  7. The hearing committee should be composed of
    1. The vice president for Student Engagement and Success(VPSES),
    2. Three faculty members appointed by the provost or designee
    3. A staff member appointed by the Staff Council
    4. Three students appointed by the VPSES.
  8. The parties concerned shall be given written notice of the time and place of the hearing at least ten calendar days while school is in session, in advance thereof. Such notice may be delivered by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the complainant's last known address.
  9. All student grievance hearings shall be conducted according to the following general guidelines:
    1. All hearings normally shall be conducted in private.
    2. The complainant, the accused individual/group and their advisors, if any, shall be allowed to attend the entire portion of the hearing at which information is received (excluding deliberations). Admission of any other person to the hearing shall be at the discretion of the Student Grievance Committee.
    3. The complainant and the accused individual/group have the right to be assisted by an advisor they choose, at their own expense. The advisor must be a member of the university community and may not be an attorney. The complainant and/or the accused individual/group is responsible for presenting his or her own information, and therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any hearing before a Student Grievance Committee. Both parties should select as an advisor a person whose schedule allows attendance at the appointed date and time for the hearing because delays will not normally be allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an advisor.
    4. The complainant and the accused individual/group may arrange for witnesses to present pertinent information to the hearing. Witnesses will provide information to and answer questions from the Student Grievance Committee.
    5. Pertinent records, exhibits, and written statements may be accepted as information for consideration during the hearing at the discretion of the Student Grievance Committee chairperson.
    6. All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the chairperson of the Student Grievance Committee.
    7. The determination shall be made on the basis of a preponderance of the evidence if a grievance is warranted.
    8. Formal rules or process, procedure, and/or technical rules of evidence, such as applied in criminal or civil court, are not used in Student Grievance Committee proceedings.
    9. There shall be a single verbatim record, such as a tape recording, of all student grievance committee hearings (not including deliberations). Deliberations should not be recorded. The record shall be the property of the university.
    10. Appeals must be made in writing to the university president within ten calendar days. The president’s decision in a formal grievance matter may be appealed to the Board of Regents in accordance with Section eight of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
    11. Note: Public statements and publicity about the grievance should be avoided. The complainant should not be harassed or penalized for utilizing the grievance procedures.
  10. Use of this grievance procedure does not limit a student’s pursuit of other remedies, including the right to pursue a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, refer to the Office of Civil Rights How to File a Complaint with the OCR 7 (PDF).