Students are strongly encouraged to pursue every means possible to resolve a grievance informally before filing a formal request with the Disabilities Panel.

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects individuals with disabilities against discrimination in such areas as employment, housing, public accommodations, education, transportation, communication, health services, and access to public services.

 

The ADA provides a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities, to bring persons with disabilities into the economic and social mainstream, and to provide enforceable standards to addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

 

Please note that the burden of proof rests with the student filing the grievance to prove that she has been subject to unfair treatment and/or injustice, which has adversely affected the student’s status, rights, or privileges at the College. All grievances must be filed within ninety (90) days of the alleged injustice.

 

Students are responsible for following the grievance procedure below if they are unable to resolve the situation informally.

 

1. Students are responsible for contacting a Disability Counselor in the Counseling Center / Disability Services if reasonable accommodations are not implemented in an effective or timely way. The Counselor(s) will work with college personnel and students with disabilities to resolve disagreements regarding recommended accommodations.

2. If the issue cannot be resolved or the student is not satisfied with the outcome, the student can submit a formal written grievance to the Dean of Students following the current guidelines. These guidelines are published at the end of this document and on the Counseling Center / Disability Services web site at http://www.meredith.edu/students/counsel/disability/grievance.htm. Alternative formats of these procedures are available upon request in the Counseling Center / Disability Services.

3. The Dean of Students will work with the student to select 3-4 members of the Disability Service Panel to serve on the Disability Grievance Subcommittee to hear the grievance. The Disability Grievance Subcommittee and the Dean of Students will select a member to serve as the Chair of the Subcommittee.

4. After the Disability Grievance Subcommittee has reviewed the formal written grievance, the student will be asked to meet in order to present her case and  answer questions. The student may elect to have the Dean of Students present as a neutral party. The subcommittee will then conduct any follow up and/or research that is necessary in making a decision about the case. Subsequently, the subcommittee will make a recommendation to the Dean of Students who will then communicate the outcome to the student.

5. If the grievance is not resolved, the student will have an opportunity to appeal the subcommittee’s decision through the appropriate Vice President. The Dean of students will assist the student in determining the appropriate Vice President based on the grievance issue.

 

 

Grievance Format:

On separate sheets of paper, please provide information relating to the areas noted below. The student should include all information she wishes to have considered by the Panel, including written witness statements, academic papers, projects outlines, etc. It is also useful to provide a copy of the course syllabus where appropriate. Incomplete grievances will either be sent back to the student with a request for more information, or denied without further review.

The grievance should be formatted as follows:

• Date of act or decision you are challenging.

• Briefly describe the alleged act or decision.

• Explain the basis for your challenge. These are limited to:

• Academic grievances - give the course/department/college regulation or policy which you feel has been violated by the act or decision. Be sure to include a copy of the course syllabus and an explanation of the course requirements, grading criteria, etc…as appropriate.

 

• Non-academic grievances -state the college regulation or policy, individual right which you believe has been violated.

 

• For both academic and non-academic grievances, clearly and concisely state why you believe the act or decision being challenged is contrary to the policy, regulation, or right you have cited.

• Provide the chronology in narrative form of all pertinent events leading up to the act or decision being challenged. Include names and dates wherever relevant.

• Attempted Informal Resolution of Grievance:
  • Describe your discussion(s) regarding the complaint with the person/office against whom the grievance is being filed. Include date(s) of discussion(s).

   

  • Describe your discussion(s) regarding the complaint with the chairperson/supervisor. Include date(s) of discussion(s).

   

  • Describe any other informal attempts to resolve the conflict.

• State explicitly what outcome/action/remedy you are seeking via this grievance petition.

• Provide any additional information that you believe is relevant to your grievance. Written statements from witnesses may be included. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of those persons who have explicitly agreed to speak to the Disability Grievance Subcommittee on your behalf should also be included.

• Include all documents and information you wish to have considered.