Accommodation Appellate Process and Guidelines

Academic Accommodation(s) Process Requests for accommodation must be made in writing to the Office of Student Disability Services and must be supported by appropriate documentation of recent medical, psychological, or educational assessment data administered and evaluated by a qualified professional. Detailed information on how to register for disability accommodations is available at nova.edu/disabilityservices.

If the student disagrees with the accommodation(s) proposed by the Office of Student Disability Services, he or she may appeal the decision to the university’s Academic Accommodation Appellate Committee, chaired by the Assistant Dean for Student Development. The student will be given the opportunity to present his or her appeal in an appearance before the committee. The committee will also review all relevant documents submitted with the written appeal before rendering a decision. The student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision within a reasonable amount of time of the hearing. The decision of the university’s Academic Accommodation Appellate Committee is final and binding upon the student without further appeal.

Academic Accommodation Appellate Committee Guidelines

1. Upon receipt of a notice of appeal, the Assistant Dean for Student Development shall schedule a meeting of the committee at a time and place convenient to the student and to the committee members.
2. The student shall have the opportunity to present relevant documents for review by the committee.
3. The student shall be given the opportunity to personally meet with the committee and to present his or her appeal.
4. Proceedings of the committee shall be kept in strict confidence.

The following are prohibited in all committee meetings:

• any recording of the meeting, except official minutes
• legal counsel
• uninvited guests

In reaching its decision, the committee may consult with recognized experts in the field of disabilities and/or organizations such as the Association on Higher Education and Disability. The student shall be notified in writing of the decision of the committee within a reasonable amount of time of the committee meeting. All decisions of the committee are final and binding on the student without further appeal.

Housing, Facility, and Grounds Accommodation(s) Process Students requesting an accommodation involving modification to a facility or the grounds of the university must meet with the director of the Office of Student Disability Services, Jennifer Wilson, to discuss their specific needs. Requests for accommodation must be made in writing to the director and be supported by the appropriate documentation of recent medical, psychological, or educational assessment data administered and evaluated by a qualified professional. Requests for an accommodation involving modification to a facility or grounds of the university will be considered on an individual basis. When considering the request, the director will consult with the director of the specific facility (e.g., residential life and housing) involved in the request for accommodation and the director of facilities management.

If the student disagrees with the housing, facility, or grounds accommodation proposed by the director, he or she may appeal the decision in writing to the Housing, Facility, and Grounds Accommodation Appellate Committee, chaired by the Assistant Dean for Student Development. The student will be given the opportunity to present his or her appeal in an appearance before the committee. The committee will review all relevant documents submitted with the written appeal before rendering a decision. The student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision within a reasonable amount of time of the hearing. The decision of the university’s Housing, Facility, and Grounds Accommodation Committee is final and binding upon the student without further appeal.

Housing, Facility, and Grounds Accommodation Appellate Committee Guidelines

1. Upon receipt of a notice of appeal, the Assistant Dean for Student Development shall schedule a meeting of the committee at a time and place convenient to the student and to the committee members.
2. The student shall have the opportunity to present relevant documents for review by the committee.
3. The student shall be given the opportunity to personally meet with the committee and to present his or her appeal.
4. Proceedings of the committee shall be kept in strict confidence. 

The following are prohibited in all committee meetings:

• any recording of the meetings except official minutes
• legal council
• uninvited guests

In reaching its decision, the committee may consult with recognized experts in the field of disabilities and/or organizations such as the Association on Higher Education and Disability. The student shall be notified in writing of the decision of the committee within a reasonable amount of time of the committee meeting. All decisions of the committee are final and binding on the student without further appeal.