{"id":806,"date":"2022-06-01T20:25:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T20:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/?page_id=806"},"modified":"2025-07-01T14:01:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:01:32","slug":"the-complaint-process-and-student-handbook","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/policies-and-procedures-1\/the-complaint-process-and-student-handbook\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complaint Process and Student Handbook"},"content":{"rendered":"
\t\t\t

Accessibility Service Complaints<\/h2>\n

Accessibility Services Complaint Process<\/h3>\n

This process was established to comply with the ADA \u2013 Section 504 mandate to \u201cprovide for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action that would be prohibited.\u201d<\/p>\n

A student may file a complaint through the Accessibility Services Complaint Process if the student:<\/p>\n

\u25cf does not agree with an approved accommodation,
\n\u25cf has been denied accommodation(s), and\/or
\n\u25cf believes that their accommodation(s) have not been implemented or were implemented incorrectly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>

Report an Accessibility Issue<\/h3><\/a>\n\t

To alert us to an accessibility issue around campus (for example, a door button has stopped working), please click the button above to submit a report.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t

Any member of the community may report and\/or file a complaint regarding a physical
\naccessibility issue (i.e., a building or part of a building is not accessible for individuals with
\nmobility disabilities). OAS can partner with the Office for Human Resources and the Office of
\nPlanning and Facilities, to review, assess and address reported concerns about physical
\naccessibility issues.<\/p>\n

Please note that accommodations in academic courses are active as of the date that a student
\nshares their \u201cSemester Notice to Faculty of Eligible Accommodations\u201d letter with the instructor.
\nAccommodations are not retroactive.<\/p>\n

Any student needing accommodations to participate in this complaint process should contact the College's Interim Section 504\/ADA Coordinator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Step 1. Initial Discussion<\/h3>\n

A student with a complaint about an accommodation should contact personnel in the Office of
\nAccessibility Services (OAS) within three (3) working days of receiving the official Student Letter. OAS staff will engage in an initial discussion with the student, usually within one week.<\/p>\n

During the initial discussion, the student may express concerns and\/or explore the possibility of
\nreconsideration or review, especially if new information has become available (e.g., new\/revised
\ndiagnostic information from providers; new experiences as a result of the disability or lack of
\naccess to a particular accommodation).<\/p>\n

As part of the initial discussion, OAS personnel may work with colleagues in Academic Affairs,
\nStudent Affairs, or other offices to address the issue, including adjusting the accommodations or
\nmaintaining them as originally decided.<\/p>\n

An issue may be resolved through an initial discussion process, if the student is satisfied with
\nthat outcome. In that case, OAS staff will share their determination about the implementation of
\nthe accommodation in writing to the student.<\/p>\n

If OAS staff determine that an accommodation was either not implemented or implemented
\nincorrectly, OAS will work with the instructor to explore an equivalent alternative experience that
\ncould restore the student\u2019s access to that particular element of the course experience. OAS may
\npartner with the department chair; Academic Affairs; and\/or the Division of Inclusive Diversity,
\nEquity, Access, and Accountability; depending on the type of accommodation that was
\nmis-implemented.<\/p>\n

If OAS staff determine that an accommodation was implemented appropriately, OAS may work
\nwith the student and the instructor as needed to support the student\u2019s educational program.<\/p>\n

Step 2. Written or Recorded Complaint<\/h3>\n

If the initial discussion process with OAS personnel does not resolve the issue, the person making a complaint may submit a written or recorded complaint to the Vice President for Student Affairs<\/a> or designee.<\/p>\n

Step 3. Meeting with Vice President<\/h3>\n

Within five (5) working days of receiving the official complaint, the Vice President of Student Affairs\u00a0or designee will meet with the person filing the complaint.<\/p>\n

Step 4. Information-Gathering<\/h3>\n

If the complaint cannot be resolved by Step 3, the Vice President or their designee will
\ngather information about the complaint and the underlying issue. The student who files the
\ncomplaint will be informed of the information-gathering process and will have the opportunity to
\nshare information about the situation. The Vice President or their designee may
\nconsult with faculty and staff members from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and\/or other
\noffices within the College as appropriate.<\/p>\n

The information-gathering process will proceed promptly and be completed within fifteen
\nworking (15) days. If this timeline cannot be met, the Vice President will notify the
\nparties to the complaint of the reason for the delay and a time frame for completion.
\nAt the conclusion of the information-gathering process, the Vice President or their
\ndesignee will share their determination of the resolution of the complaint in a letter to all parties
\nthe Office of Accessibility Services, and the Office of Academic Affairs when appropriate. This
\ndetermination will be final.<\/p>\n

At any point, a person who believes they have been discriminated against for seeking an
\naccommodation, complaining about the implementation process, and\/or for having a disability,
\nmay engage in the Non-Discrimination Procedures to pursue an informal or formal resolution
\nprocess.<\/p>\n

SMCM Non-Discrimination Policy<\/a>
\nSMCM Student Handbook<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Accessibility Service Complaints Accessibility Services Complaint Process This process was established to comply with the ADA \u2013 Section 504 mandate to \u201cprovide for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action that would be prohibited.\u201d A student may file a complaint through the Accessibility Services Complaint Process if the student: \u25cf does not agree Find out more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":221,"featured_media":0,"parent":775,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-806","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=806"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1181,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/806\/revisions\/1181"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/office-accessibility-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}