Reasonable Accommodations and Appeal Policy

Policy Statement

Students who meet specific requirements have the right to:

1. seek reasonable accommodation through the Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS), and
2. appeal to the Provost (or designee) if they disagree with the accommodation approved by SAS.

Purpose/Scope

SUNY Brockport is committed to fostering an optimal learning environment by applying current principles and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Pursuant to this commitment, faculty must include the Disability Statement (see Policies & Statements that Must be Included in your Syllabus) in each course syllabus and read it on the day of the first meeting of the class.

Federal and state policies have given a student with a disability the right to seek and receive reasonable accommodations, if deemed necessary by an authorized person.

This policy describes the process for seeking reasonable accommodations and appealing the accommodations approved by SAS.

Note: Not receiving a reasonable accommodation due to a disability is normally not a ground for grade appeal. Accordingly, students and faculty are advised to address concerns related to an accommodation as they arise.

Applicability

This policy applies to students with disabilities and their instructors.

Definitions

Reasonable Accommodation — Reasonable Accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a course/environment that will enable a student with a disability to participate and perform the essential tasks related to the course. Accommodations can only be provided to students when they have a disability that has been documented by a qualified professional (this definition is based on the language from the New York State Education Department).

Policy Procedures

1. To receive a reasonable accommodation, a student must register with SAS and provide documentation of the disability by an approved professional.
   • While the medical documentation is necessary to establish the presence of a disability, it alone does not establish that accommodations are required. Similarly, a medical provider’s recommendation does not have the status of a binding requirement. Accordingly, SAS uses these and other factors to decide what accommodations, if any, are warranted.
     
     
2. On a case-by-case basis and through a collaborative process involving the student and an accessibility specialist, SAS will determine what reasonable accommodations are appropriate and provide the student with a letter describing them.
   
   
3. The letter of accommodation, which SAS will send out to instructors, informs all concerned that a student has a disability that entitles them to certain accommodations deemed appropriate by an accessibility specialist. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 require instructors receiving the letter of accommodation to make the required accommodations.
   
   
4. An instructor must provide only those accommodations that are listed in the accommodation letter and only after receiving a copy of the accommodation letter. If a student claims to have accommodations in addition to those listed in the letter, the student should be referred to the Director of SAS to request another interactive meeting to discuss potential revisions to the letter.
   
   
5. If an instructor has concerns or reservations about the approved accommodations, they should discuss them with the Director of SAS as quickly as possible, or no later than a week after receipt of the letter of accommodation. If an understanding cannot be reached through discussion, the Director will discuss the matter with the instructor’s supervisor (department chair, program director, and/or dean). If a resolution of the disagreement cannot be reached, the Director may present the case to the Provost (or designee) to ensure compliance with the University’s legal responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974.
   
   
6. If a student disagrees with the decision of SAS to either deny a request for an accommodation or offer an accommodation different from what the student requested, they have the right to appeal the decision to the Provost (or designee), in writing, within 10 calendar days of receiving the notification from SAS.
   • The appeal must specify the decision the student is disputing and explain why a different accommodation is necessary for the student to have equal access to their collegiate education.
     
     
7. Barring extenuating circumstances, within five business days of receiving the written appeal, the Provost (or designee) will gather from SAS all documents necessary to review the appeal and convene a meeting to discuss the appeal with the student and the Director of SAS.
   • If the student provides new information or additional documentation during this period, the Provost (or designee) reserves the right to refer the student back to SAS for reassessment of the situation or make a decision on their own.
     
     
8. Barring extenuating circumstances, within three business days after the meeting, the Provost (or designee) will render a decision on the appeal.
   
   
9. If an acceptable accommodation cannot be determined through the appeals process, the student may file an internal grievance with the University’s Affirmative Action Officer.
   • The student should review the Harassment and Discrimination Policy or contact the Office for Affirmative Action at (585) 395-2126 for more information about the grievance process.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

Harassment and Discrimination Policy

Policies & Statements that Must be Included in your Syllabus

Student Accessibility Services

Contact Information

Director of Student Accessibility Services

History (in descending order)

Approval

This policy was approved by President’s Cabinet on 2024-09-20