Accessibility Services: Grievance Form for Students with Disabilities

Georgian Court University (GCU) is committed to the ideal that all students should have recourse from unfair action on the part of any member of the university community.  If, at any time, a student feels that he or she has been subject to unjust actions or denied his or her rights, such as denial of requested academic accommodations in a course or that a previously granted accommodation has not been implemented, a  grievance can be filed. A student may appeal the decision or action taken in response to a grievance.

GCU’s grievance procedure is to provide for prompt resolution to complaints regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Link to Office of Student Success-Accessibility Services Grievance procedure

This includes all disability related issues including alleged incident(s) of discrimination.

Grievance procedure: Grievances should be filed within 20 days of the time the claimant becomes aware of the alleged violation. A resolution will be offered to the student within 10 working days. The student shall take the following steps in the order stated:

1. Informal Grievance Process:
   • Step 1: The GCU student will attempt to resolve the issue with the faculty or staff member involved.
   • Step 2: The student is expected to have addressed his or her complaint informally by meeting with the Accessibility Officer (AO):
     • Luana Fahr, Director of Student Success and Academic Support/ Accessibility Officer or;
     • Danielle Bilder, Assistant Director of  Student Success
       Rm. 130 Jeffries Hall
       success@georgian.edu
       732-987-2363
   • Upon receipt of the complaint, the AO will investigate by contacting all parties involved. A resolution will be offered to the student within 10 working days.
   • If the complaint is not resolved informally, the student may wish to file a formal grievance. A summary will be provided by the student of the effort made to address the issue informally.
2. Formal Grievance Process:
   • The student must submit a fully completed grievance form online (see form below) to Accessibility Services within 20 days of the alleged denial of accommodations, services, or alleged discrimination.
   • A request will not be considered to have been filed unless it includes all of the required information.
   • The student is solely responsible for supplying all required information on the grievance request form.
   • The Accessibility Officer and a team of faculty and staff shall review requests and all information necessary to render a written determination.
3. Appeals:

   • Appeals of formal grievances will be presented to the Associate Provost and Dean of Students, who will make a final decision within 30 working days of the filing of the grievance.

   • The appeal decision is final.