If Wofford College denies or proposes a modification of a student’s request for an accommodation, the college must provide the student with written notice of the denial or modification, the reasons for the denial or modification, and the right to appeal through these grievance procedures below.
In instances where a dispute or disagreement regarding an accommodation cannot be promptly resolved informally by the college, students may submit and appeal to the Chief Equity Officer:
Dr. Dwain Pruitt
Snyder House Annex
ada@wofford.edu
864-597-4046
The Chief Equity Officer may review the student’s documentation, speak with the student and staff in Accessibility Services, and take other necessary steps to determine whether the decision of Accessibility Services staff members should be overturned. The Chief Equity Officer’s decision is final.
Faculty members who believe that a student’s accommodation(s) would fundamentally alter their course must contact Accessibility Services for assistance in determining appropriate alternatives. Accessibility Services staff will work with the faculty member and the student to determine an appropriate accommodation. If the parties come to an agreement, it will be documented in the Accessibility Services database. If, however, the parties cannot come to an agreement, the faculty member should contact the Chief Equity Officer to initiate the process for determining whether the student’s accommodation(s) would fundamentally alter the course.
The Chief Equity Officer or their designee will work in collaboration with the Provost or their designee to convene a committee that will determine whether the approved accommodation would fundamentally alter the course in question. If the committee determines that the approved accommodation would not fundamentally alter the course, the faculty member will be required to provide the approved accommodation. If the committee determines that the approved accommodation would fundamentally alter the course, the committee must determine what, if any, alternate accommodation(s) would be appropriate.
The committee will consist of no fewer than four (4) but no more than six (6) individuals. The committee must include the following: (1) a faculty member from the same department as the faculty member submitting the complaint, (2) a faculty member from a different department from the faculty member submitting the complaint, (3) the Registrar or their designee, and (4) a staff member from Student Affairs.
In addition, the committee may confer with academic or accessibility services professionals from other institutions, review research, and take other steps necessary to make an informed decision.
The committee’s determination will be made based on a majority vote using a “preponderance of the evidence” evidentiary standard. The determination and rationale will be submitted to the Provost and the Chief Equity Officer who will inform the faculty member and the student. The committee’s determination is final.
Pending resolution of any questions or disputes regarding whether an accommodation would fundamentally alter a course, the accommodation will be provided.
Complaints of discrimination or harassment on the basis of disability should be submitted via the online Discrimination and Harassment Reporting Form. Wofford’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy can be found on the Diversity & Inclusion webpage.