Accessibility services
If a student with a disability wishes to receive an accommodation, it is the responsibility of the student to inform Naomi Housman, ADA Coordinator, at accessibility@gratz.edu.
Documentation guidelines to assist students with this process are available here. Students can request accommodations by submitting the Student Accessibility Services Verification Form to the ADA Coordinator.
Students must provide current documentation from a qualified licensed professional as soon as possible prior to when accommodations are desired. The documentation should include the specific diagnosis attributing to the disability, how the diagnosis was determined, and the effects the disability will have on the student's academic performance.
Accommodation requests can be made at any time. However, the approval and implementation of accommodations takes time so students should submit this documentation at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of a new term, or as soon as possible prior to when accommodations are desired.
If the submitted documentation meets the requirements, the ADA Coordinator will approve reasonable accommodations and notify the student of this approval. If the documentation does not meet the requirements, the ADA Coordinator will inform the student that additional information or contact with the healthcare professional is required. Once approval of the accommodation request has been obtained from the ADA Coordinator, the student is expected to present the documentation provided by Accessibility Services to the appropriate staff or faculty member as soon as possible. The student is then expected to meet with the appropriate staff or faculty member to determine how accommodations will be administered.
Students with a disability are strongly encouraged to enroll in classes as soon as they are able so that the accommodations can begin as soon as possible.
Accommodations that decrease the integrity of a course or program or cause an undue burden will not be approved. Accommodations will not be granted retroactively. Accommodations will be determined on an individual basis according to specific student needs. To continue to be considered for academic accommodations, a student must request services annually.
Gratz College Appeal Process:
A student who feels as though they have been denied a reasonable accommodation or is dissatisfied with the determination that they are not eligible as an otherwise qualified individual with a disability, may appeal in writing within (5) working days of notification of the denial to Philip Moore, Section 504 Coordinator, at Section504@gratz.edu.
The Section 504 Coordinator will schedule a meeting to include interviews with the student and the ADA Coordinator. The Section 504 Coordinator will make a decision and provide the student with a copy of the decision in writing. The decision of the Section 504 Coordinator is final.
Office of Civil Rights
The availability and use of this Gratz College Appeal Process does not prevent a student from filing a complaint of discrimination with external agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). A student may file a formal complaint with OCR if the student believes he or she has been denied a reasonable accommodation in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or the ADA Amendments Acts of 2008. That office will determine whether a further investigation is warranted.
Information about how to file a complaint with OCR can be obtained from: How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (ed.gov)