Transylvania University is committed to providing equal access to all University programs, services, and activities and to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, and other state or federal laws as applicable.
Accommodations are determined through an interactive process between the student, the Accessibility Coordinator, and, if applicable, appropriate campus partner/s. This process is guided by documentation of the student’s condition(s) as well as the functional limitation(s) of their disability.
Should a determined accommodation not be sufficient to meet the student’s need for access, or if the student disagrees with the plan or the implementation thereof, they have the right to follow this grievance procedure.
Transylvania University encourages students to solve disputes at the lowest level and fully use internal procedures to resolve matters. We acknowledge that a student is not required to use the institutional grievance procedure and may choose to initiate a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education or Justice at any time.
Step 1: Informal Resolution Procedure
Implementation Failure of Approved Accommodation
- Clear communication of accommodations is important. If a student is not satisfied with the implementation of approved accommodation(s), they are encouraged to first address concerns with the individual faculty or staff member most directly involved in the situation. This conversation should happen as soon as possible, but no later than the current semester.
- If a student is unable or uncomfortable having this conversation with a faculty or staff member alone, they may contact Accessibility Services for assistance. The contact person for academic accommodation is Laura Scroggins and Lisa Ladanyi for non-academic accommodations. The student should contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible, but no later than the current semester.
Denied Accommodation Request
- Should a student disagree with a denied accommodation request, they should first contact the Accessibility Coordinator who reviewed and denied the accommodation request to voice their concern. The student should contact the Accessibility Coordinator no later than ten (10) business days after the accommodations has been denied. Generally, Laura Scroggins reviews, approves, and denies academic accommodations, Lisa Ladanyi reviews, approves, and denies non-academic accommodations.
- Should the student be unable to discuss a concern with the appropriate Coordinator, or should the student disagree with the outcome, they may contact as follows to discuss their concern and request an unbiased review. For academic accommodations that have been denied by Laura Scroggins, Lisa Ladanyi (lladanyi@transy.edu, Coordinator of Title IX/Civil Rights/ADA/Accessibility) will review the denial. For non-academic or residential accommodations, denied by Lisa Ladanyi, Laura Scroggins (lscroggins@transy.edu), Director of Academic Center for Excellence, will review the denial.
Files and records on all informal grievances shall be maintained by the Office of Accessibility Services.
Step 2: Formal Grievance Procedure
A student who is not satisfied with the resolution on the informal level may choose to file a formal complaint.
The student may submit a formal written grievance to the 504 Compliance Officer. Transylvania University has appointed the Dean of the University, Dr. Rebecca Thomas (rthomas@transy.edu) to serve as the 504 Compliance Officer. The grievance should include specific information about the concern or problem (e.g. describe the issue/s, incident/s, and action/s taken; state the name of the involved individual/s or office/s and show efforts to resolve the complaint). The 504 Compliance Officer will issue a written decision including findings and remedial actions, if any, to be taken by Transylvania University. This decision shall be issued to the student and any others deemed appropriate within thirty (30) calendar days of the 504 Compliance Officer’s receipt of the complaint unless extenuating circumstances require an extension.
Files and records on all formal grievances shall be maintained by the 504 Compliance Officer.
Step 3: Appeal Procedure
A student who is not satisfied with the resolution on this level may choose to appeal to the College President, Mr. Brien Lewis (blewis@transy.edu) for a de novo review of the decision. The appeal must be made in writing within seven (7) calendar days of the decision. The President’s determination of any such appeal is final.
Files and records on all appeals shall be maintained by the office of the President.
Additional Options
Students have a right to file a complaint with the
- Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education – 100 Penn Square East, Suite 515, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Tel: (215) 656-8541; OCR.Philadelphia@ed.gov
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division – 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Wahington, DC 20530; Tel: (202) 514-3847; https://civilrights.justice.gov/
Retaliation
Retaliation is prohibited under federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, among others. Retaliation includes threats, intimidation, coercion, and other adverse actions against a person engaging in protected activity, including requesting disability accommodations or filing a disability grievance or discrimination claim. Individuals who have engaged in retaliation shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary proceedings that may result in sanctions. Students are encouraged to promptly report all forms of retaliation to the Office of Title IX & Civil Rights.