UC Santa Cruz and the Disability Resource Center are fully committed to compliance with laws and policies protecting students with disabilities. If students have any concerns or feel they have not received a reasonable accommodation from any UCSC faculty or staff member, please contact the assigned DRC Service Coordinator as soon as possible. Timeliness is critical in resolving these concerns promptly and effectively. The assigned Service Coordinator will meet with the student to gather information and work to resolve their concerns with everyone involved.
It’s important to note, while the majority of the time complaints can be resolved quickly through informal means, students are not precluded from using any of the following options to submit grievances.
Admission Appeals
Students with disabilities are admitted to UC Santa Cruz under the general admission requirements; there is no separate admission procedure. All applicants are reviewed by the Office of Admissions using 14 comprehensive criteria. This includes academic accomplishment despite educational disadvantage, such as a disability.
Within the UC application there is the opportunity for students to address their disability, the challenges it presents, strategies used to overcome these challenges, and their academic achievements. These issues are often described in the Personal Insight Questions, some of which address educational barriers and challenges.
If students are notified that they have not been accepted to the University, students may appeal their denial. Instructions for doing so are located on the Admissions website.
It is during the appeal process that the Office of Admissions will consult with the Disability Resource Center. If students have disability-related documentation to support their appeal, that information should be emailed to drc@ucsc.edu. The documentation must be received no later than their appeal deadline. Be sure to include the student’s name and UCSC Student ID Number with their email. It is not required, but could be helpful during an appeal if students submit their medical or psycho-educational documentation to the DRC. The DRC will make recommendations and the Office of Admissions will make the final decision.
Informal Complaints
If students have any concerns or feel they have not received a reasonable accommodation from any UCSC faculty or staff member, please contact the assigned DRC Service Coordinator as soon as possible. Timeliness is critical in resolving these concerns promptly and effectively. The assigned Service Coordinator will meet with the student to gather information and work to resolve their concerns with everyone involved.
Academic Adjustments
In the case of academic adjustments, if a student has not been able to resolve an issue of academic accommodation with a faculty or staff member, the DRC will determine the accommodation that is appropriate in its view, based on the documentation provided by the student. The DRC will communicate its view of the appropriate accommodation to the faculty or staff member involved. If there are still problems in making the appropriate accommodation available to the student, the DRC will bring the issue to the attention of those with supervisory responsibility over the faculty or staff member involved, in an attempt to reach a resolution. This process shall proceed on an expedited basis, with the goal of reaching a resolution generally within 10 calendar days.
DRC Services
If the student has a complaint regarding DRC services or an issue involving their DRC Service Coordinator, and the student has addressed these concerns without acceptable resolution, students can meet with the DRC Director to facilitate a resolution. If the Director is the student’s Service Coordinator, they can meet with the Director’s supervisor to resolve their complaint. In any case, students will receive a written response to their complaint within three working days.
Formal Complaints
Dean of Students Office
Students may file a grievance based on alleged violations of university policy or campus regulations regarding student privacy rights; or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services. The Dean of Students Office is available to assist students with this process.
Address: Hahn Student Services 245
Phone: (831) 459-4446
Email: deanofstudents@ucsc.edu
Equity and Equal Protection Office
The Equity and Equal Protection (EEP) Office is responsible for the administration of UCSC’s policies and procedures regarding discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, religion, disability, sex, gender, age and other protected identities and ensuring that members of our community can engage in protected activity free from retaliation. EEP is responsible for the University’s compliance with state and federal laws relating to discrimination to ensure that no member of our community is denied participation in an academic program or employment based upon a protected identity or engaging in protected activity.
UCSC ADA Compliance Website
For more information about making an ADA-related complaint or filing a formal grievance, please visit the UCSC ADA Compliance website.
Office for Civil Rights
The mission of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. We serve student populations facing discrimination and the advocates and institutions promoting systemic solutions to civil rights problems. An important responsibility is resolving complaints of discrimination.
How the Office for Civil Rights Handles Complaints
OCR Complaint Forms
OCR Office Locations:
California Office
San Francisco
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
50 United Nations Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (415) 486-5555
Fax (415) 486-5570
Email: OCR.SanFrancisco@ed.gov
National Headquarters
U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights
Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Bldg
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Telephone: 800-421-3481
Fax: 202-453-6012; TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: OCR@ed.gov