Rights & Responsibilities

Students with disabilities/impairments at Emmanuel College have the right to:

• Access courses, programs, services and facilities offered through the College;
• An opportunity to learn and to receive reasonable accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services;
• Appropriate confidentiality of all information regarding their disabilities/impairments;
• Academic information, reasonably available in accessible formats.

Students with disabilities/impairments at Emmanuel College have the responsibility to:

• Meet qualifications and maintain institutional standards for courses, programs, services and facilities;
• Identify as an individual with a disability/impairment when an accommodation is needed and to seek information, counsel, and assistance as necessary;
• Demonstrate and/or document (from an appropriate professional) how the disability/impairment limits their participation in courses, programs, services and facilities;
• Follow published procedures for obtaining reasonable accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services.

Emmanuel College has the right to:

• Identify and establish essential functions, abilities, skills, knowledge, and standards for courses, programs, services, facilities for students, and to evaluate and determine reasonable accommodations on this basis;
• Request and receive, through the Disability Support Services office, current and appropriate documentation that supports requests for accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services;
• Deny a request for accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services if the documentation demonstrates that the request is not warranted or if the individual fails to provide appropriate documentation;
• Select among similarly effective accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services;
• Refuse an unreasonable accommodation and/or auxiliary aid or service that creates an undue burden for the College or imposes a fundamental alteration on a program or activity of the College.

Emmanuel College has the responsibility to:

• Provide academic information to students with disabilities/impairments in accessible formats upon request unless to do so would constitute an undue burden for the College; ensure that courses, programs, services, and facilities for students, when viewed in their entirety, are available and usable in integrated and appropriate settings;
• Evaluate students and applications on their abilities and not their disabilities/impairments;
• Provide or arrange reasonable accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services for students with disabilities/impairments in courses, programs, services and facilities;
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication.

Students with disabilities/impairments are ensured that written records will be kept confidential and made available only to those with a legitimate interest in them. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 protect the confidentiality of student medical and disability/impairment records. Disability/impairment-related information is kept by the college or university in separate files with access limited to appropriate personnel. FERPA protects a student's record from being shared (without the student's permission) with faculty, administrators, other students, the press, or anyone without a legitimate reason for seeing the record. (HEATH Resource Center).

A note for faculty: Disability/impairment-related documentation should be submitted only to the Student Accessibility and Accommodations office. If a student provides you with personal records or documentation, refer him/her to the SAA office. Any information about a disability/impairment should be kept confidential and not shared with other faculty or staff.

Commitment Statement

Emmanuel College is dedicated to fostering an equitable, inclusive, and respectful environment for all community members. Discrimination and harassment based on disability are not only unlawful but are also contrary to the College’s mission to ensure accessibility and equity. This policy provides a framework for addressing grievances related to disability discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA).

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to provide all members of the Emmanuel College community—students, employees, and visitors—with clear options to address concerns related to disability discrimination, including:

• Disagreement with decisions made in response to a request for accommodation.
• Failure to implement agreed-upon accommodations, the quality or timeliness of accommodations, or other concerns related to accommodations.
• Alleged acts of disability-based harassment or discrimination.
• Barriers to participation in academics, programs, or other college activities.
• Retaliation related to participation in the grievance process.

Options for Resolution

Informal Resolution

In many cases, concerns can be resolved quickly and informally. Individuals are encouraged to contact the appropriate offices:

• For Academic Accommodations: Assistant Dean of the Academic Resource Center, Wendy LaBron (labronw [at] emmanuel.edu)
• For Non-Academic (residential and parking) Accommodations:
  • Students found eligible and offered a housing accommodation who have placement or facility concerns,  contact Andy Anderson, Director of Operations in Residence Life, (andersona4 [at] emmanuel.edu (andersona4[at]emmanuel[dot]edu)) for potential options. 
  • For students found ineligible for a requested housing accommodation: contact Assistant Dean of the Academic Resource Center, Wendy LaBron, and Dean of Students, Dr. Kristen Pierce (piercek2 [at] emmanuel.edu) 
• For Employment or Public Access Issues: Director of Human Resources, Scott Lerner (lernersc [at] emmanuel.edu)

Informal resolution may involve discussions with relevant parties, adjustments to accommodations, or other remedial measures. Informal resolutions must be initiated within 30 days of the incident or concern.

Formal Grievance Process

If informal resolution is unsuccessful or inappropriate, individuals may file a formal grievance by submitting a written complaint to the appropriate office:

• Academic Issues: Assistant Dean of the Academic Resource Center
• Non-Academic (residential and parking) Issues: piercek2 [at] emmanuel.edu (Dean of Students)
• Employment or Public Access Issues: lernersc [at] emmanuel.edu (Director of Human Resources)

The grievance must include:

1. Complainant’s name and contact information.
2. A detailed description of the alleged discriminatory action, including dates, locations, and individuals involved.
3. Relevant supporting materials, including additional substantiating documentation for review.
4. The remedy or resolution sought.

Formal complaints must be filed within 30 days of the alleged violation.

Investigation and Resolution

1. The designated office will conduct an impartial investigation, which may include:
   • Reviewing submitted documentation.
   • Interviewing the complainant and relevant witnesses.
   • Reviewing past accommodations and communications.
2. A written determination of findings and proposed resolutions will be provided within 30 business days of receiving the grievance.

Appeals Process

If dissatisfied with the outcome, the complainant may file an appeal within 15 business days to the following offices:

• Academic Appeals: Vice President of Academic Affairs
• Non-Academic (residential and parking) Appeals: Vice President of Student Affairs
• Employment or Public Access Appeals: Vice President of Human Resources

Appeals will be reviewed, and a final determination will be issued within 15 business days.

Retaliation Prohibited

Emmanuel College strictly prohibits retaliation against any individual who files a grievance, participates in an investigation, or opposes discriminatory practices. Acts of retaliation will result in disciplinary action.

Contact Information

Student Accessibility and Accommodations (SAA)

• Email: accommodations [at] emmanuel.edu
• Fax: 617-975-9322

504 Coordinator

• Noelle Deady, Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodations
  • Email: gallin [at] emmanuel.edu
  • Phone: 617-732-1681
• Caroline Talton, Accommodations Coordinator
  • Email: taltonc [at] emmanuel.edu
  • Phone: 617-735-9923

Other SSA Staff

Location Student Accessibility and Accommodations, Academic Resource Center Cardinal Cushing Library, G06 (Ground Level), 400 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115

Commitment to Accessibility

Emmanuel College will continue to review and update its policies to ensure compliance with federal regulations and to foster an accessible and equitable environment for all members of its community.