WESTMONT COLLEGE STUDENT ADA
Section 504 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) the following procedure is designed to resolve complaints involving student requests for a service, accommodation or modification of a College policy or requirement.
Students who dispute the denial of a request for a service, accommodation or modification of a College policy or requirement should submit a written summary of the complaint to the College’s ADA/Section 504 Compliance Officer, Toya Cooper. The Compliance Officer, in consultation with the Director of Student Disability Services will determine how best to review and respond to the complaint. The student’s complaint should include the following information:
- A full description of the disability with supporting documentation;
- A full description of the accommodation requested and denied; and
- All documentation demonstrating previous attempts to resolve the dispute.
The student will receive an initial written acknowledgement from the Compliance Officer generally within (5) working days following receipt of the written complaint.
As soon as possible thereafter, the student will receive a written response to his or her complaint. If the complaint is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, he or she may appeal to the Provost as the final level of review. This final appeal must be made in writing to the Provost, generally within 10 days following receipt of the written response to the student’s complaint and specify the reason(s) for the appeal.
At the time of the appeal, the Provost will make the final determination as to the process for reviewing and responding to the appeal (including who will be involved and the projected timeline for reviewing and responding to the appeal). If the Provost decides that verbal statements will be heard during the final appeal, the proceedings will be informal. Consequently, legal counsel, rules of evidence and other elements typically found in judicial proceedings will not be permitted at such hearings.
As soon as possible following receipt of any written report and recommendations from the(se) reviewer(s), the Provost will issue a final decision in writing to the student.