[RESERVED]

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[RESERVED]

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[RESERVED]

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A.   Requesting Accommodation for Students Experiencing Disabilities

To be considered for eligibility for appropriate academic adjustments, students must identify themselves as having a disability to the disabilities support services (DSS) coordinator or site designee and submit current medical, psychological, neuro-psychological, psycho-educational, psychiatric, and/or other appropriate diagnostic evaluation(s) completed by professionals with appropriate certification and/or licensure. Documentation must support the accommodations requested, and may be required before authorization is made for appropriate academic adjustments and/or other programmatic accommodations.

Acceptable documentation will be determined by the DSS coordinator or site designee. The University of Alaska will not be responsible for, and will not bear the cost of, any evaluations and/or documentation regarding a disability.

Students who initially request academic adjustments or other programmatic accommodations from faculty or departmental staff will be referred to the DSS coordinator or site designee.

The DSS coordinator or site designee will review the documentation and determine eligibility for services.

1.   If the student is eligible for services, the DSS coordinator or site designee will authorize appropriate academic adjustments and other programmatic accommodations and provide written instructions for the student to provide faculty and staff. The DSS coordinator or site designee will instruct the student to report any perceived delay in the provision of services to the coordinator or site designee for resolution.

2.   If the DSS coordinator or the site designee determines that a student is not qualified to receive academic adjustments or programmatic accommodations, the coordinator will inform the student of the process by which the coordinator's decision may be contested within the university.

B.   Implementation of Authorized Appropriate Academic Adjustments and Other Programmatic Accommodations

Faculty and staff are responsible for either timely implementing the authorized appropriate academic adjustments and other programmatic accommodations or immediately requesting the program dean or director to file a request for reconsideration by the DSS coordinator or site designee. If requested to reconsider, the DSS coordinator or site designee will attempt to resolve the issue informally with the faculty or staff member, the appropriate dean or director, and/or the chief academic officer. If informal efforts do not result in resolution, the DSS coordinator or site designee will consult with the MAU ADA/504 coordinator and such other persons as the chancellor deems appropriate prior to issuing a written decision. The DSS coordinator or site designee will also inform the student of the process for filing a formal complaint within the university.

The authorized academic adjustments and other programmatic adjustments will remain in effect at the discretion of the DSS coordinator or site designee until the matter is resolved.

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A.   A formal complaint may be filed by a student who has been denied services by the DSS coordinator or site designee, by a student dissatisfied with the services provided, or when a student has allegedly been subjected to unlawful discrimination in a non-employment situation based on disability.

B.   The programmatic accommodation process must have been exhausted and informal attempts at resolution must have been attempted before a formal complaint may be filed.

C.   Formal complaints must be submitted in writing to the senior student services officer, and must include the following:

1. the name, address and phone number of the person submitting the complaint;

2. the name and title of the individual(s) toward whom the complaint is directed;

3. a clear and concise description of the event(s) leading to the complaint and of the complaint, itself;

4. an explanation of the impact upon the complainant attributed to the substance of the complaint;

5. a summary of attempts taken to resolve the complaint informally;

6. any other supporting documentation deemed relevant and appropriate;

7. the remedy requested; and

8. the complainant's signature and the date.

D.   The senior student services officer will assign one or more individuals knowledgeable in the area of ADA/Section 504 compliance or disability discrimination to review the complaint.

The reviewer(s) will determine within a reasonable period of time whether state or federal law, Regents' Policy, University Regulation, or MAU rules and procedures have been violated. If so, the reviewer(s) will recommend to the MAU senior student services officer appropriate solutions, including academic adjustments and other programmatic accommodations. The MAU senior student services officer's decision on the matter will be made after consultation with the chancellor or designee and such other persons as the chancellor deems appropriate. The MAU senior student services officer's decision is final within the university.

The senior student services officer will notify in writing the student, the individual(s) against whom the complaint has been made, and the DSS coordinator (and site designee when appropriate) of the final decision. Notification of the final decision will be made in accordance with Regents' Policy on rights and responsibilities regarding seeking further redress to university decisions and actions in the court system.

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All records within the university regarding disability information will be filed with the DSS coordinator or site designee to ensure confidentiality. No one other than the DSS coordinator or site designee will have immediate access to these files. Information will be released from the files in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, Regents' Policy, University Regulation, and MAU rules and procedures. In general, faculty and staff will only be provided information about a student's disability related needs regarding academic adjustments and other programmatic accommodations.

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