Formal Employment or Appointment Accommodation Process

Rackham Graduate School has a Resolution Officer designated to assist graduate students with disabilities (including those in GSI, GSSA, GSRA, or temporary hourly positions) seeking procedural assistance and information on matters pertaining to the employment or appointment accommodation process. Graduate students with disabilities may contact the Rackham Resolution Officer, via email at [email protected] or by phone at 734.764.4400 to schedule an appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines, available disability services, request accommodations, and to assist you with arranging appropriate reasonable accommodations with your employing or appointing unit.

In addition, each of the graduate and professional schools within the university has an administrative designee to assist with disability accommodations. You may contact the administrative designee for information about campus resources, to request an accommodation, or to seek assistance if you are having difficulty with the implementation of an accommodation.

Steps in the Formal Employment or Appointment Accommodation Process

Step 1

The student submits the Graduate Student Accommodation Request Form to the Rackham Resolution Officer, administrative designee for the appointing unit, or electronically.

If the student submits the forms to the administrative designee, the administrative designee will then submit the forms to the Rackham Resolution Officer.

Step 2

Following receipt of the forms, the Rackham Resolution Officer will initiate the interactive process with the student and appointing school or college’s administrative designee. The interactive process is an on-going dialogue and collaboration to address barriers that are present because of a disability that poses difficulties in performing the essential functions of the appointment. This includes a discussion of possible reasonable accommodations that have the potential to remove the barriers.

Step 3

The appointing school or college administrative designee, in consultation with the Rackham Resolution Officer, who may in turn consult with Services for Students with Disabilities, the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office (ECRT), the Office of the General Counsel as needed, will:

1. Determine what reasonable accommodations (if any) will be provided
2. Facilitate implementation of the accommodation(s)

Step 4

The Rackham Resolution Officer will provide timely written notification to the student, administrative designee, and the student’s supervisor of the determination regarding the request for accommodation.

In the event that a request is denied, the Rackham Resolution Officer will provide timely written notification, including the reason for the denial. If a request is denied based on the nature of the accommodation requested, the interactive process may continue in order to determine whether an equally effective reasonable accommodation is available.

If you believe that you have been unlawfully discriminated against or treated unfairly because of a disability, visit Complaints on Disputes Related to Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for additional information and resources. Students with a GSI or GSSA appointment whose request for an accommodation is denied may have access to grievance procedures under the GEO Contract.

Students with GSI, GSSA, GSRA, or temporary hourly appointments may make informal accommodation requests directly to their immediate faculty supervisors, appointing unit faculty or staff, or administrative designee. Students are not required to disclose the medical basis for the requested accommodation.