Policies

Office of the President

504/ADA Advisory Committee

POLICY:

Utica College will establish and maintain a formally recognized, permanent 504/ADA Advisory Committee. The committee will be charged with recommending to the 504/ADA Compliance Officer and the President of the College:

Plans for improving and maintaining reasonable accessibility for persons with disabilities;
Prioritization of expenses related to accessibility planning;
Suggestions about reasonable accommodations and issues related to staff and faculty training, student education, etc.

SCOPE:

Because the 504/ADA Advisory Committee has responsibility for reviewing the College’s compliance with state and federal laws that protect individuals with disabilities, this policy will apply to all members of the Utica College community as well as visitors to the campus.

REASON FOR POLICY:

Utica College is committed to providing a welcoming environment that embraces and celebrates individuals from a variety of backgrounds and with varying interests, abilities, and strengths. As such, Utica College endeavors to ensure that all members of the College community as well as visitors to the campus are able to participate in, and have access to, programs and services offered by and at the College. Utica College is additionally committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students, employees, and visitors with disabilities.

In addition, the 504/ADA Advisory Committee is charged with providing support to the 504/ADA Compliance Officer, who is responsible for enforcing the legal mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

PROCEDURE:

The 504/ADA Advisory Committee will consist of the following ex-officio members:

504/ADA Compliance Officer, Chair
Coordinator of Learning Services
Director of Human Resources
Director of the Student Health Center
Director of Environmental Health and Safety
Director of Facilities Management

Additional members of the committee will include at least one faculty member, who will serve a renewable three-year term, and at least one student, who will serve a renewable one-year term. The President may additionally appoint other faculty, staff, and/or students, as he or she deems necessary. The committee will meet on a regular basis to monitor the College’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, as amended. The committee will make recommendations to the 504/ADA Compliance Officer, who will in turn make recommendations to the President of the College.

RESPONSIBILITY:

The President of the College will appoint the 504/ADA Compliance Officer, who in most cases will be the Vice President for Financial Affairs and Treasurer. The President will also appoint the ex-officio, faculty, and student members of the 504/ADA Advisory Committee, as well as other faculty, staff, and/or students the President deems necessary. The 504/ADA Compliance Officer will have responsibility for convening the committee, setting its agenda, and reporting to the President.

ENFORCEMENT:

Enforcement of Utica College policies is the responsibility of the office or offices listed in the “Resources/Questions” section of each policy. The responsible office will contact the appropriate authority regarding faculty or staff members, students, vendors, or visitors who violate policies.

Utica College acknowledges that College policies may not anticipate every possible issue that may arise. The College therefore reserves the right to make reasonable and relevant decisions regarding the enforcement of this policy. All such decisions must be approved by an officer of the College (i.e. president, vice president for academic affairs, or vice president for financial affairs).

RESOURCES/QUESTIONS:

Vice President for Financial Affairs and Treasurer
Coordinator of Learning Services

Please note that other Utica College policies may apply or be related to this policy. To search for related policies, use the Keyword Search function of the online policy manual.