Disability Services, within the Division of Student Affairs, functions as the central point for providing reasonable accommodations in the educational environment for students with disabilities. Under the direction of the Director of Disability Services, the office has responsibility for reviewing requests for accommodations from students and ensuring equitable access to the educational environment for students with disabilities.
Students with disabilities are encouraged to first discuss their concern with their assigned Access Coordinator or an Assistant Director in Disability Services. Most disability-related issues or complaints about accommodations, services, faculty, other campus departments, programs, or facilities are generally resolved at this level.
Disability Services Policies and Procedures
Grievances
If a student is denied accommodation or receives an accommodation that they consider ineffective in a Notice of Determination (NOD) issued by Disability Services (DS), the student may file a grievance of the decision to the Director of DS within the timeframe set forth below. The scope of a grievance review is limited to determining whether an accommodation decision was reasonable under the circumstances.
Grievance Process
A student who wishes to file a grievance must submit a Grievance Form to the Director of Disability Services (meg.murray@colorado.edu). The student’s statement should indicate the specific basis for the grievance (see below) and supporting arguments. Students are afforded the opportunity to provide names of individuals that have relevant information (i.e., witnesses) and supporting documentation. The student should be aware that a grievance review is limited to consideration of the NOD based information that was made available to the Access Coordinator during the prior interactive process. Should a student have new or updated information they would like the Director to consider, the student will need to to re-engage in the interactive process with their Access Coordinator by submitting an updated request for accommodations.
Basis for Grievance
If a requested accommodation was denied in whole or in part, a student should identify:
- any procedural errors by the Access Coordinator that materially impacted the interactive process and/or the determination to deny the requested accommodation(s); or
- any information made available during the interactive process that was not adequately considered by the Access Coordinator; or
- any factual or analytical errors in the NOD which materially impacted the denial of accommodation(s).
Notice of Grievance Decision
The Director of Disability Services (DS) will provide a Grievance Decision Letter to the student within twenty (20) business days following submission of the Grievance Form and all supporting documentation. This 20-day time limit may be extended at the discretion of the Director, upon written notice to the student.
In making the decision, the Director of DS will consider materials obtained during the interactive process, the NOD, and the student’s grievance form. The decision of the Director may result in:
- upholding the NOD in its entirety;
- sending information back for reconsideration (by the same or different Access Coordinator) and reengagement in the interactive process; or
- reversing or amending the NOD in part or in whole.
Appeals
If a student believes that a grievance decision is unreasonable or that Disability Services did not follow their procedures and policies in making the decision, they may file an appeal with the Sr. Director of Health & Wellness Services within the timeframe set forth below.
Appeal Process
If a student wishes to appeal a grievance decision, they must submit a written statement to the Senior Director of Health & Wellness Services (Joe.Andenmatten@colorado.edu) within ten (10) business days of the date of issuance of the Grievance Decision Letter. The student’s statement should indicate the specific basis for the appeal (see below) and supporting arguments. The student should be aware that an appellate review involves consideration of the NOD based information that was made available to the Director during the grievance process and the grievance decision letter. Should a student have new or updated information they would like the Sr. Director to consider, the student will need to re-engage in the interactive process with their Access Coordinator by submitting an updated request for accommodations.
Basis for Appeal
If requested accommodation(s) were denied in whole or in part, a student should identify:
- any procedural errors by the Access Coordinator that materially impacted the interactive process and/or the determination to deny the requested accommodation(s); or
- any factual or analytical errors in the NOD or grievance decision letter which materially impacted the denial of accommodation(s).
Notice of Appeal Decision
The Sr. Director of Health & Wellness Services will provide an Appeal Decision Letter to the student within twenty (20) business days following submission of the appeal. This 20-day time limit may be extended at the discretion of the Director, upon written notice to the appealing student.
In making the decision, the Sr. Director will consider materials obtained during the interactive process, the NOD, the grievance process, and the student’s appeal statement. The decision of the Director may result in:
- upholding the NOD in its entirety;
- reversing or amending the NOD in part or in whole.
The decision of the Sr. Director is final and not subject to further appeals.
Complaint Options & Reporting
Students who want to contest university decisions regarding academic or other accommodations can utilize the institutional appeal process as described above. Any availability and use of this grievance procedure does not prevent a student from filing a complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability with CU Boulder’s ADA Coordinator, or with CU Boulder's Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, pursuant to CU Boulder’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy and the grievance process provided in the OIEC Resolution Procedures.
In addition, the student may explore resources, or file a complaint with, government offices external to the university including, as applicable:
(1) Office for Civil Rights, Denver Office
U.S. Department of Education
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building
1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310
Denver, CO 80204-3582
(2) U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section – 1425 NYAV
Washington, D.C. 20530
(3) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Denver Field Office EEOC
303 E. 17th Avenue, Suite 410
Denver, Colorado 80203
(4) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Office of Compliance and Disability Rights Division
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, S.W., Room 5242
Washington, D.C. 20410
Resources for Students
Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS): Center for Community (C4C), N352 P. 303-492-2277
CAPS offers psychiatric care, including counseling, individual and group psychotherapy, and medication, peer education, substance abuse counseling and education, and stress management programs to fee paying students. All contacts are confidential.
Office of Victim Assistance: Center for Community (C4C) N450, P. 303-492-8855 E. assist@colorado.edu
OVA provides free and confidential information, consultation, support, advocacy and short term counseling services to University of Colorado Boulder students, graduate students, faculty and staff who have experienced a traumatic, disturbing or life disruptive event. OVA is not a part of the police department or the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, and is confidential resource for students, staff, and faculty.
Ombuds Office: Center for Community (C4C), Ombuds P. 303-492-5077 Faculty Ombuds P. 303-492-1574
Assists students, faculty, and staff in resolving complaints or disputes with other individuals, offices, or departments within the university. Does not maintain records and is independent of any department or office. The Ombuds offices are confidential and not “responsible employees” for mandatory reporting purposes pursuant to University of Colorado Boulder applicable policies but do not currently have a statutory privilege in Colorado.
Student Support & Case Management (SSCM): Center for Community (C4C) N460, P. 303-492-7348 E. sscm@colorado.edu
Student Support & Case Management provides support to students throughout their college career and helps them achieve their academic and personal goals. SSCM does not solve a student’s problems for them, but rather helps identify issues and appropriate resources and works collaboratively with the student to develop an action plan.
Office of Institutional Equity & Compliance: 3100 Marine Street, 2nd floor, Main P. 303-492-2127 ADA Compliance P. 303-492-9725
The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) employs a comprehensive and integrated approach for case resolution, education, assessment, support services, and ADA accommodations to create and foster a safe, inclusive, and accessible campus environment for all members of the CU community.