If You Have Difficulty With Accommodations

Students have found faculty at The University of Texas at Austin accommodating and supportive. When difficulties with accommodations occur, it is often due to misunderstandings or miscommunication between parties. If a student has difficulty with a faculty member he/she should try first clarifying his or her needs during an individual appointment or the professor's office hours. If the student is not comfortable with this approach or the difficulty is still not resolved, he/she should contact SSD immediately. The SSD staff person will work with the student and faculty member to resolve the situation. Specific grievance procedures are outlined below:

Grievance Procedures

Informal Resolutions | Formal Complaint | Complaints filed with Outside Agencies

NOTE: This is not the official statement of University policies and procedures regarding discrimination or harassment based on disability. The official policy is outlined in the Handbook of Operating Procedures Policy Number 4.B.1, which may be found at www.utexas.edu/policies/hoppm/04.B.01.html.

If a student believes he/she has been discriminated against or harassed on the basis of disability, he/she has two options: informal resolution or formal complaint. The incident should be reported as soon as possible. No person is required to report discrimination to the alleged offender.

Informal Resolution

Informal resolution may be an appropriate choice when the conduct involved is not of a serious or repetitive nature and disciplinary action is not required to remedy the situation. It is most appropriate when attitudinal or behavioral conduct is involved. Informal resolution is an opportunity to have an educational moment. No formal investigation is involved in the informal resolution process.

Steps involved in informal resolution:

• A request for informal resolution must be made within 90 calendar days of the date of the alleged incident.
• Students may make the request to the director of Services for Students with Disabilities or to the director of Equal Opportunity Services. Students may discuss the issue with his/her assigned SSD administrator to begin an informal resolution process.
• The SSD administrator will help determine whether the issue can be resolved informally and which office is most appropriate to be involved. If the student's concern is about his/her SSD administrator, the director of SSD or Equal Opportunity Services is the most appropriate first contact.
• A request for informal resolution will not extend the 90-day time limit for filing a formal complaint.
• An informal resolution meeting is not to be considered a precondition for the filing of a written complaint.

Formal Complaint

A complaint alleging discrimination or harassment must be submitted in writing to Equal Opportunity Services. A written complaint must be filed within ninety (90) calendar days of the occurrence of the alleged violation. In the case of a currently enrolled student, if the last day for filing a complaint falls prior to the end of the academic semester in which the alleged violation occurred, then the complaint may be filed within thirty (30) calendar days after the end of that semester.

Complaints against students should be filed with Student Judicial Services in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Complaints against non-students should be filed with Equal Opportunity Services who will investigate such complaints.

A copy of the formal complaint form may be found on the EOS website: www.utexas.edu/eos

The complaint should include the following information:

1. Name and UT Identification Number of the person submitting the complaint (complainant)
2. Contact information, including address, telephone, e-mail
3. Name of person(s) directly responsible for alleged violation(s)
4. Date(s) and place(s) of alleged violation(s)
5. Nature of alleged violation(s) as defined in the policy
6. Detailed description of the specific conduct that is the basis of the alleged violation(s)
7. Copies of documents pertaining to the alleged violation(s)
8. Names of any witnesses to alleged violation(s)
9. Action requested to resolve the situation
10. Complainant's signature and date of filing
11. Any other relevant information

The following communications do not constitute a complaint and will not be investigated or resolved through the complaint resolution process:

• Oral allegations
• E-mail correspondence
• Anonymous communications
• Courtesy copies of correspondence or a complaint filed with others
• Inquiries that seek advice or information only
• Pre-complaint consultations and informal resolution activities

Complaints filed with agencies outside The University

The filing of a discrimination or harassment complaint under this policy does not excuse the complainant from meeting the time limits of outside agencies.

For more information, consult with Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259; VP: 1-866-329-3986, or the Director of Equal Opportunity Services at 471-1849.