Appeal Process

It is the responsibility of the Disability Services staff to analyze all information when making equal access decisions. On occasion, a student may not agree with the identified accommodations made available and offered to the student. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Disability Services Staff provide students with a process for prompt review and resolution in such situations. 

If a student does not agree with an accommodation decision made by the student’s Disability Services point of contact, the student may file an appeal through the Disability Services Appeal Process.

The following steps outline the process.

Step 1:

If informal discussions with Disability Services staff have not resolved the issue, the student shall submit a written complaint to the Assistant Dean for Student Wellness (Ashlee Leavell, sleavell8@atu.edu) within ten (10) working days of the issuance of the denial notice or the approval of alternate disability accommodations (In some cases, the Assistant Dean may need to defer the complaint to a designee if timelines cannot be met). 

Step 2:

The Assistant Dean for Student Wellness, or their designee, shall meet with the individual within seven (7) working days of the receipt of the complaint. After the meeting, the Assistant Dean, or designee, will review all available information to see if the initial decision was reasonable. The Assistant Dean, or designee, will provide the student with a written decision via ATU email within five (5) working days of the meeting with the student.    

Process Note: When an appeal is being reviewed during Steps 1 – 2 and the student shares new personal information or documentation that was not provided during the initial review, the Assistant Dean, or designee, reserves the right to refer the student back to the student’s initial Disability Services staff point of contact for reassessment of the situation, as the presence of new information may have impacted the original decision, had it been shared initially.  

Step 3:

If the student would like to have the decision further reviewed after the Step 2 decision, the student shall notify the 504 Coordinator, Kristy Davis (kdavis51@atu.edu), in writing within 10 business days of the Step 2 decision. The 504 Coordinator will make the final decision, reserving the right to shift the process back to the Office of Disability Services for reassessment if new documentation is introduced at this point.

Disability Grievance Procedures 

Students seeking information about a Discrimination Grievance on the basis of disability should contact Kristy Davis, who serves as the 504 Coordinator for Arkansas Tech University.

Kristy Davis

Associate Dean for Student Wellness and ADA/504 Coordinator

Physical Address:

Health and Wellness Center

Doc Bryan Student Services Center, Suite 119

Russellville, AR 72801

Phone: 479-968-0329

Email Address: kdavis51@atu.edu   

The full Arkansas Tech Equal Opportunity, Harassment (Sexual Misconduct), and Nondiscrimination Policy and Procedures can be found here.

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