When There is a Disagreement

A student has the right to file a grievance concerning any allegations of failure to comply with laws, regulations and policies set forth for people with disabilities. Grievance procedures at individual faculties at Harvard should be followed. In addition:

If an academic accommodation which has been determined to be appropriate is challenged, the accommodation must be provided in a timely manner, pending review as follows:

1. The student, faculty or staff member will present in writing to the appropriate Disability Coordinator reasons why the requested accommodation does / does not compromise the essential requirements of a course or program. (See "Suggested Guidelines for Determining Essential Components of a Course or Program".)

2. The Disability Coordinator will attempt to resolve the issue.

3. If the Disability Coordinator is unable to resolve the matter, he or she will present relevant information to the Director of the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC). Policies concerning confidentiality prohibit the distribution of primary clinical documentation to anyone other than the Disability Coordinator or the Director of the SDRC without written permission from the student.

4.The Director of the SDRC will attempt to resolve the issue.

5. If resolution is unsuccessful, the Director of the SDRC will work with the individual Disability Coordinator to ensure that the appropriate grievance procedures in the particular Faculty have been accessed in a timely manner.

6. If the above grievance procedures do not produce agreement, the student, faculty or staff member, or the SDRC Director may request a hearing by the University's 504 Compliance Coordinator who has responsibility for ensuring that the University's policies and procedures comply with Federal, State and University requirements. The 504 Compliance Coordinator will make the final determination. In his or her absence, the matter will be referred to his or her designee.

7. Every effort should be made to resolve the disagreement as expeditiously as possible. In general, each phase of the process should be completed within five working days. As described above, the accommodation should be provided by the instructor until it is either set aside or modified by the 504 Compliance Coordinator or his or her designee.