If a student disagrees with the accommodation decision reached by the Office of Disability Resources (ODR) or the Housing Accommodations Committee (i.e., the requested is denied or an alternative accommodation(s) is offered), they may appeal this decision. Students who are appealing should follow the steps below for consideration of their appeal by the Accommodations Appeal Review Committee (AARC). Information can be sent to AARC at SAF.student.affairs@purchase.edu.

  1. A statement sent from the student’s Purchase College email, explaining both the original request and the basis for the appeal. This statement should include any additional information, from the student’s perspective, that the student would want the AARC to consider in reviewing the application.
  2. Please copy and paste the following statement into your appeal:
    • I, (insert student name), give permission for the Accommodations Appeal Review Committee to access my current accommodation request and accompanying documentation as part of my appeal consideration.
  3. Please attach any additional documentation to this appeal email. If a provider is requesting to send information directly from their office, they may fax the documentation to 914-251-7996 or email SAF.student.affairs@purchase.edu. 
  4. Upon meeting to review your request, the AARC will review the appeal and respond within two weeks*. The AARC will provide the student, in writing, the response to their appeal. The response will explain the reason(s) for the decision and will be sent to the student’s Purchase email account. If the student considers the response unsatisfactory, they may file a complaint pursuant to the College’s discrimination complaint policy, which may include external agencies. 

The AARC will only review appeals once all of the above requirements are met. Please note that information from the student must be provided via the student’s Purchase email address. The committee does not hear oral arguments in association with the student appeal. However, the committee will follow up directly with the student through their Purchase College email should they require additional information or clarification. 

Please be aware that the Accommodations Appeal Review Committee (AARC) will review the student’s written statement explaining the basis for the appeal, along with documentation submitted from the student’s treatment provider, student’s self-report of barriers, and the information gathered during the interactive process in considering the appeal. Decisions of the AARC are final.

If at any time there is a change to a student’s diagnosis or therapeutic treatment plan, the student may submit updated documentation to the Office of Disability Resources.

*All timeframes may be extended for good cause (e.g., the parties are working on a resolution and need more time, awaiting necessary documentation, etc.).