Grievances

When an approved disability accommodation is not provided within a course or program by the responsible faculty or staff person, the concerned student should report the grievance to either the Access Coordinator or Director during a scheduled meeting or by email. Such grievances should be reported as soon as possible so that Disability Resources staff have time to correct the issue and the student can continue in the course or program.

When a student disagrees with a decision made by Disability Resources, the student can submit a Grievance Form to the Director of Disability Resources (Justin Hiniker, justin.hiniker@csupueblo.edu). The student’s statement should indicate the specific basis for the grievance (see below) and provide any supporting arguments and documentation. A grievance review is limited to information provided during the interactive process with the student. Should a student have new or updated information they would like the Director to consider, the student will need to re-engage in the interactive process with the Access Coordinator by submitting an updated request for accommodations.

In the event that the Director of Disability Resources acted in the role of the Access Coordinator and denied an accommodation or provided a student with an accommodation that the student considers ineffective, the student’s grievance will be forwarded to the Director of Institutional Equity/ADA Coordinator (nicole.ferguson@csupueblo.edu).

If a requested accommodation was denied in whole or in part, a student should identify:

1. Any procedural errors by the Access Coordinator that materially impacted the interactive process and/or the determination to deny the requested accommodation(s); or
   
2. Any information made available during the interactive process that was not adequately considered by the Access Coordinator; or
   
3. Any factual or analytical errors in the Student Accommodation Notification which materially impacted the denial of accommodation(s).

It is the goal of the Director of Disability Resources to resolve grievances in a timely manner. Absent extenuating circumstances, the Director of Disability Resources will provide a Grievance Decision Letter to the student within twenty (20) business days following submission of the Grievance Form and all supporting documentation. This 20-day time limit may be extended at the discretion of the Director, upon written notice to the student. The timeframe may be extended based on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the grievance, University breaks or vacations, to access relevant documentation not immediately available, or other legitimate reasons.

In making the decision, the Director of Disability Resources will consider materials obtained during the interactive process, the Student Notification Letter, and the student’s grievance form. The decision of the Director may result in:

1. Upholding the Student Accommodation Notification in its entirety; or
   
2. Sending information back to the Access Coordinator for reconsideration and reengagement in the interactive process; or
   
3. Reversing or amending the Student Accommodation Notification in part or in whole.

Students who want to contest university decisions regarding academic or other accommodations can utilize the institutional appeal process as described above. Any availability and use of this grievance procedure does not prevent a student from filing a complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability with the CSU Pueblo Office of Institutional Equity, pursuant to CSU Pueblo’s Policy on Discrimination, Protected Class Harassment and Retaliation and the related procedures.