Grievance Procedures

If you find you are not receiving reasonable accommodations that are appropriate to the documented disability, there are steps to follow to resolve the problem. These steps assume that you have registered with the AccessABILITY Resources (AR) office, have provided documentation of your disability to AR, and, if involving a faculty member, you have notified the instructor of the need for accommodations by sharing your SUNY Cobleskill accommodation plan.

These grievance procedures are set up not only to assist the student in resolving grievances, but also to enable the student and staff to resolve problems easily, and to remain in a strong working relationship.  In order to have a record of these proceedings it is recommended that you take careful notes and consider bringing a friend to any meetings.

1. Make an appointment with the person you have the grievance with (during their office hours - not during class time). During this meeting you must speak freely. It is very possible that the staff or faculty member is unaware of your displeasure, or there has been a misunderstanding. If this does not resolve the grievance, proceed to step 2.
2. If the grievance is not with an AccessABILITY Resources staff person, you may contact an AR staff person to discuss the need for assistance, clarification, advocacy or support with the grievance process. This step may allow for quick problem resolution.
3. Make an appointment with the supervisor of the person you have a grievance with.  Come to this meeting prepared to state exactly what your grievance is, and to provide information about the initial meeting from step 1.  Bring any records you have been keeping supporting your grievance. If this does not resolve the grievance, proceed to step 4.
4. Make an appointment with the Vice President of Academic Affairs, or the Vice President of Student Development depending on the type of grievance. You should come to this meeting prepared to state exactly what your grievance is, and with information about your prior meetings on the issue (steps 1, 2 and 3).
5. Any student who considers themselves a victim of discrimination and has been unable to arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution with designated campus contact and appropriate personnel may file a grievance with the Affirmative Action Officer - the Director of Human Resources, 106 Suffolk Circle, Knapp Hall, 518-255-5423. The SUNY Cobleskill policy on “Grievance Procedure for Review of Allegations of Discrimination” is printed in the "Student Handbook".  This policy outlines procedures for review of allegations of discrimination. Copies of the "Student Handbook" are distributed during registration.
6. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education is a law enforcement agency charged with enforcing federal civil rights laws to ensure that educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance do not engage in discriminatory conduct. For more information, go to Office of Civil Rights page. To file a complaint, use the Office of Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint form.