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• A grievance must be filed as soon as possible after the grievant becomes aware of the alleged violation.
• A grievance must be filed in writing, contain the name and address of the person filing it, and briefly describe the alleged violation.
• Address your written grievance to:
  Section 504 Coordinator
  Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance
  1800 Sherman Ave. Suite 4-500
  Evanston, IL  60201
  Phone:  847-467-6165
  Fax:  847-467-0698
  OCR@northwestern.edu
• If a grievance is about the Section 504 Coordinator, the grievance should be addressed to:
  Vice President for Human Resources
  720 University Place
  Evanston, IL  60208
  Phone: (847) 491-7505
  Fax: (847) 467-2688

• An investigation, as may be appropriate, will follow the filing of a grievance. The investigation will be conducted by the Section 504 Coordinator or his/her designee. Investigations will be conducted as expeditiously as possible and are usually completed within 30-60 days, though this may vary based on the availability of witnesses, the scope of the investigation or unforeseen circumstances. 
• These rules contemplate informal but thorough investigations. During an investigation, the grievant will have the opportunity to describe his or her allegations and present supporting witnesses or other evidence. The respondent will have the opportunity to respond to each allegation and present supporting witnesses or other evidence. The investigator will review evidence presented and will meet with additional witnesses identified by the grievant, the respondent, or third parties, as determined appropriate by the investigator. All parties involved in the investigation are expected to cooperate and provide truthful information throughout the investigation process. 
• During the investigation process, both the grievant and the respondent may ask a non-attorney support person from the University community to accompany him or her. The support person must be a member of the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ community (faculty, staff, or student), cannot be a family member, and cannot be a potential witness in the matter or another grievant or respondent in the same or a related matter. Since investigations are internal University proceedings, the persons involved may not have legal counsel present at any interview during the investigation. The support person does not serve as an advocate on behalf of the grievant or respondent, and he or she must agree to maintain the confidentiality of the investigative process. Witnesses and others involved in an investigation are not entitled to have a support person accompany them to interviews. 

• Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ cannot ensure total confidentiality in its investigation of grievances filed under these procedures. However, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ makes every reasonable effort to conduct investigations and related proceedings in a manner that protects the privacy of all parties. Each situation is reviewed as discreetly as possible, with information shared only with those who need to know about it in order to investigate and resolve the problem. All participants in an investigation will be advised that they should keep the grievance and the investigation confidential.
• At the conclusion of an investigation, the Section 504 Coordinator will determine whether the preponderance of the evidence indicates that the respondent violated Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of disability. The Section 504 Coordinator will provide, in writing, his or her conclusions and any recommended actions to the appropriate University office.  For staff, the appropriate office is the Office of Human Resources in collaboration with the respondent’s manager(s). For students, the appropriate office is the Dean of Students. For faculty, the appropriate office is the faculty member’s Chair or Dean. The appropriate office will review the recommendations and, in consultation with the Section 504 Coordinator, make a decision concerning the resolution of the grievance and any corrective actions that will be imposed. The grievant and the respondent will be notified in writing of the outcome of the investigation upon its conclusion.

• When a grievance is found to have merit, the University’s response is based on several factors, including the severity of the conduct and aims to prevent problems from recurring and ensure compliance with the ADA and Section 504.  Violators will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, in accordance with relevant University policies and/or procedures and other requirements set forth in the Staff Handbook, Faculty Handbook, or Student Handbook.
• In cases of disability harassment, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ will take steps to prevent any recurrence of the alleged harassment and to correct discriminatory effects on the grievant and others, if appropriate.

• The grievant or respondent may request a reconsideration of the case in instances where he or she is dissatisfied with the outcome.  The appeal must be made within ten (10) business days of the party’s receipt of the determination from the Section 504 Coordinator.  An appeal must be in writing, submitted to one of the individuals listed below, as appropriate, and specify the substantive and/or procedural basis for the appeal.  The appropriate individual below will review the appeal and issue a written decision, which shall be final and not subject to further appeal. Reviewers may delegate the review of an appeal to a designee. The decision will be issued within a reasonable period of time, generally no longer than ninety (90) days after receipt of the appeal.
• An appeal by an employee or third party should be addressed to:
  Vice President for Human Resources
  720 University Place
  Evanston, IL  60208
  Phone: (847) 491-7505
  Fax: (847) 467-2688
• An appeal by a student should be addressed to:
  Vice President for Student Affairs
  633 Clark Street
  Rebecca Crown Center
  Evanston, IL  60208
  Phone: (847) 491-5360
  Fax: (847) 467-2523
  vpsa@northwestern.edu
• An appeal by a faculty member should be addressed to:
  Provost
  633 Clark Street
  Rebecca Crown Center
  Evanston, IL  60208
  Phone: (847) 491-5117
  Fax: (847) 467-1630
  nu-provost@northwestern.edu

Retaliation is strictly prohibited