Nova Southeastern University Student Handbook 59 Grievance Procedures for Complaints of Disability Discrimination a. Filing a Complaint A formal complaint is one way of initiating a full, formal investigation. Formal complaints may be made by students, faculty and staff members, other NSU employees, or third parties (i.e., an individual who is not a student, faculty member, or employee of NSU). A formal complaint must be written** and must provide detailed allegations of the alleged disability discrimination. The purpose of this policy is to provide for the prompt, adequate, and impartial investigation of all complaints of disability discrimination and/or disability-based harassment. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries and complaints by students regarding perceived disability discrimination: Benjamin Johnson, Ed.D. Dean of Students (954) 262-7281 • bj379@nova.edu The dean of students will be responsible for coordinating the investigation and making a determination as to any potential behaviors/activities which may violate the university’s disability discrimination/ harassment policies. Any complaint relating to disability harassment or discrimination made by a student against faculty or staff members may be referred to the NSU Office of Human Resources (OHR) where appropriate, at the discretion of the dean of students. Any complaints referred to the OHR will be investigated and processed to conclusion, in accordance with the policies contained in the Faculty Policy Manual or Employee Policy Manual and the grievance procedures contained therein. Any complaint relating to a disability accommodation decision must be filed in accordance with the policies as outlined in the Office of Disability Services website. The appeals process, as well as additional information, can be found at nova.edu/disabilityservices. ** NSU also will accept oral complaints from individuals with disabilities, if, due to their disability, they are unable to file a written complaint. The university will memorialize the individual’s complaint, in writing, and the individual will certify that the written complaint is an accurate representation of the complaint. b. Referral or Dismissal of Reports Some complaints may not actually fall within the definition of discrimination set forth by university policy or otherwise may be more appropriately handled by other offices. These reports will be dismissed or referred to other offices as appropriate. c. Initial Processing of Student Complaints by the Dean of Students Upon filing of a formal complaint with the dean of students, an investigator will be appointed from the appropriate university college, office, and/or department, who will meet with the complainant within five business days to document the allegations, based on the written complaint and any other information gathered. The allegations made by the complainant will be the basis for the investigation. d. Informal/Early Resolution of Student Complaints The university may attempt to resolve matters through mediation or other alternative resolution, when appropriate. Mediation will not be used for reports of extreme forms of disability discrimination
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