Resolving Accommodation Disagreements

Portland Community College supports you and your right to complain when you believe that you have been denied equal access in the form of appropriate accommodations or that you have suffered discriminatory treatment as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. While we encourage you to resolve your concerns directly with the PCC staff person involved, we recognize that this may not always be appropriate and offer the following informal and formal resolution procedures.

Informal Dispute Resolution Process For OSD Students

The following informal process is for students receiving services from the college’s Office for Students with Disabilities and is a non-exclusive alternative to resolve issues of immediate concern:

I. Resolving Concerns with General College Staff, Programs, Departments, and Organizations

  1. You are encouraged to discuss your concerns with your disability services counselor.
    • Your counselor will assist you in resolving concerns by clarifying your concerns and facilitating communication with the staff person, program, department, or organization. Your counselor may contact the appropriate department chair, dean of student development, or other necessary staff in an effort to clarify and resolve the situation.
    • Most situations are positively resolved through counselor support and mediation. You and other involved parties will be notified by your counselor of progress, findings, or resolution within fourteen business days. Due to the urgency of many issues, it is likely that many problems will be resolved much sooner.
  2. At any time during this informal resolutions process, you may choose to submit a complaint or file a formal grievance. The college’s “Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook” provides information on these procedures.

II. Resolving Concerns with Disability Services Staff

  1. If you cannot directly resolve an issue with the disability services staff member or if you do not feel comfortable discussing this directly with the staff member, you may contact the appropriate supervisor.

    The supervisor will attempt to resolve your concerns regarding the staff member. The supervisor may contact other necessary staff in an effort to clarify and resolve the situation.

    Most situations are positively resolved through supervisor support and mediation. You and other involved parties will be notified by the supervisor of progress, findings, or resolution within fourteen business days. Due to the urgency of many issues, it is likely that many problems will be resolved much sooner.

    1. If you have concerns regarding your disability services counselor, contact the supervisor listed below:
      • Cascade Campus: Dean of Student Development, 503-978-5307.
      • Extended Learning Campus/S.E. Center: Associate Dean of Student Development, 503-788-6252.
      • Rock Creek Campus: Dean, Office of Student Development, 503-614-7249.
      • Sylvania Campus: Division Dean, Student Support Services, 503-977-4191.
    2. If you have concerns about your in-class service providers, contact the following staff listed below:
      • Coordinator of Access Resources, Office for Students with Disabilities, 503-977-4483.
      • Coordinator of Deaf Services, Office for Students with Disabilities, 503-977-4345 (voice), 503-246-4072 (tty).
    3. If you have concerns regarding your accommodation services, the Coordinator of Access Resources, or the Coordinator of Deaf Services, contact the Dean of Curriculum and Support at 503-977-4481.
  2. At any time during this informal resolutions process, you may choose to submit a complaint or file a formal grievance. The college’s “Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook” provides information on these procedures.

Resolving Concerns of Discrimination or Harassment on the Basis of Disability

Portland Community College policy prohibits any college employee, representative, or student from engaging in harassment or discrimination of another member of the College community on the basis of disability. Harassment is verbal, visual, or physical behavior that can reasonably be perceived by the receiver as unwelcome/offensive and refers in a demeaning way to a disability, creates a hostile educational environment, and subjects students to different terms or conditions based on disability. The College will not tolerate such behavior and will promptly attend to complaints. If you believe that you have been discriminated against or harassed, you are encouraged to file a complaint through the Affirmative Action Office. The Affirmative Action Director may be reached at 503-978-5841. See PCC’s Non-Harassment Policy to view a complete copy.

Resolving Discrimination Concerns Outside of the College

You may file an external complaint of disability discrimination with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, 915 Second Avenue, Room 3310, Seattle, WA 98174-1099, (206)220.7900 (v), (206)220.7887 (fax), http://www.ed.gov/ocr/complaintprocess.html.