Confidentiality of Information
Information presented to the DSS Office in support of a student’s request for accommodation is considered private and sensitive and will be handled accordingly. This information becomes part of the student’s FERPA record; as such, disability-related information will be shared with other institutional personnel only when there is a legitimate educational interest.
The DSS Office is responsible for receiving and holding students’ disability-related information in order to guard against the unintentional disclosure of sensitive information. If a student wishes to have information about disabilities shared with third parties outside of DigiPen, the student must provide written authorization to the DSS Office before DigiPen will release the information.
The DSS Office destroys documentation and other disability-related information seven years after a student leaves the college.
Grievance Procedures
Students wishing to request reconsideration of accommodation decisions and/or implementation should first engage the person who is responsible for the object of the grievance informally, to attempt to resolve the problem.
If a faculty member does not agree with an accommodation assigned to a student, the faculty member must communicate with the DSS Office first. Until and only if DSS decides otherwise, the faculty member must continue to provide the assigned accommodation.
If a student or faculty member’s grievance regarding an accommodation cannot be resolved informally, formal complaints should be addressed to the ADA/ Section 504 Coordinator, according to the following process:
Students and faculty file a complaint by completing the Disability Grievance form within seven days of the alleged issue. Forms are available at the DSS Office. The completed Disability Grievance Form should be submitted to the ADA/ Section 504 Coordinator.
If appropriate, an investigation shall follow the filing of a complaint by the ADA/ Section 504 Coordinator. The Coordinator shall interview all involved entities and ask them to submit evidence relative to the complaint.
The ADA/ Section 504 Coordinator shall issue a written description of the findings of the investigation and notify the student and faculty member in writing within 14 days of the form submission.
A request for reconsideration of the findings may be made to the ADA/ Section 504 Coordinator within seven days of the Committee’s findings.
The DSS Office shall maintain the files and records of complaints filed.
The faculty member must continue to provide the assigned accommodation until the Committee finalizes the investigation.
The DSS Office recommends using the above grievance procedure; however, students and faculty may file a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at any time at the following address:
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
Seattle Office
915 Second Avenue Room 3310
Seattle, WA 98174-1099
Telephone: 206-607-1600
Facsimile: 206-607-1601
Email: OCR.Seattle@ed.gov