Complaint

This process was established to comply with the ADA – Section 504 mandate to “provide for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action that would be prohibited.” If a student does not agree with an approved accommodation, or has been denied accommodation(s), the student may file a complaint through the Disability Resources (DR) Complaint Process. A faculty or staff member who does not agree with an accommodation approved for a student may also utilize the Disability Resources Complaint Process. A faculty or staff-initiated complaint cannot delay the implementation of an accommodation which Disability Resources believes to be in compliance with ADA – Section 504.

Any individual needing accommodations to participate in this complaint process should contact Equity and Access for assistance.

Step 1.

If informal discussions with university personnel have not resolved the issue, the individual shall submit a written or recorded complaint to the Director of Disability Resources (jamie.axelrod@nau.edu) or his/her designee, within ten (10) working days of the event(s) that triggered the complaint.

Step 2.

The Director of Disability Resources, or their designee, shall meet with the individual within seven (7) working days of the receipt of the complaint.

Step 3.

If Step 2 does not resolve the complaint, the director, or their designee, will forward the written complaint, within three (3) working days of the Step 2 meeting, to the Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance.

Step 4.

Within five (5) working days of receiving the official complaint, the Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance, or their designee, will appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate the complaint. This committee will be chaired by the Director or their designee. The investigation will proceed promptly and be completed within fifteen working (15) days. If the committee is not able to complete the investigation within fifteen (15) days, the committee chair will so notify the university’s Chief Diversity Officer and the parties to the complaint on or before the fifteenth (15) working day and include a time frame for completion. The Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance may also work with the parties to explore a mutually agreeable resolution of the complaint and may dismiss  the panel if a resolution is reached. Informal resolution will be documented by a letter from the Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance to the complainant and the DR Director.

Step 5.

Within five (5) working days following the conclusion of the investigation, the chair of the ad hoc committee will provide its recommendation to the Provost.

Step 6.

Within ten (10) working days of the receipt of the recommendations from the committee, the Provost will make a decision regarding the complaint and provide a written notice of the decision to all parties involved.