Any student who believes he/she has been discriminated against by a member of the faculty, an employee of the University, or by a fellow student is encouraged to file a complaint.
If a student believes he/she has been discriminated against in accordance with policies and practices listed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, or section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, he or she may make a claim that his or her rights have been denied. Claims or grievances should be filed with the appropriate University official.
Gardner-Webb University is committed to complying with all requirements of the ADA of 1990 (ADA) Title III and its amendments and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). The University is committed to ensuring that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability is denied reasonable accommodations or denied access to courses, programs, activities, services, jobs or facilities.
A student who believes he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of a disability is encouraged to file a complaint with the University. The University will treat all information related to the grievance as confidential. However, The Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other applicable privacy laws permit the investigating official to provide information as necessary to those persons who have a legitimate need to know in order for the official to conduct a meaningful and thorough investigation. Gardner-Webb University prohibits retaliation for submitting a grievance. Retaliation includes threats, intimidation, reprisals and adverse actions.
A student can voluntarily choose to begin the process with an informal grievance by submitting an electronic Student Complaint Form.
If the student is not satisfied with the resolution of the informal grievance, or elects not to use the informal process, a Formal Grievance may be initiated by submitting a written statement to the Provost and Executive Vice President. The Provost will then instruct the ADA/504 Coordinator who will begin an investigation of the grievance. If deemed necessary, the investigating official may refer documentation issues to the Documentation Review Committee and deference will be given to the committee’s decision.
If a student believes he/she has been discriminated against because of race, gender, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service, the student should contact the University’s Title IX Coordinator who has been identified on the previous page. In the case of harassment, the complaint should be made in accordance with the University’s Non-Harassment Policy as stated in the current TUG Student Handbook. If a student is not sure how to file a complaint, the Provost and Executive Vice President will assist the student.
Dr. Ryan ErckExecutive Director, Student SuccessTucker Student Center(704) 406-3980[email protected]
Ms. Pam ScruggsAssociate Athletics Director and Senior Women’s AdministratorLutz-Yelton Convocation Center, Room 144(704) 406-4341[email protected]
Mr. Eric PlemmonsAssociate VP Human ResourcesWebb Hall, Room 106(704) 406-4259[email protected]
Lesley Villarose, M.EdVice-President for Student Development and Dean of StudentsP (704) 406-2081[email protected]
Julie FlemingAssistant Vice President for Undergraduate AdmissionsDover Campus Center(704) 406-4491[email protected]
Complaints regarding the institution that cannot be resolved at the institutional level, particularly complaints regarding applicable state laws, may be directed to the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice. The mailing address of the Consumer Protection Division is:
North Carolina Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division9001 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-9001Website: https://ncdoj.gov/(877) 566-7226An online complaint form is available at: https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/.
The person designated to oversee policies, procedures and complaints related to possible discrimination on the basis of disability (including compliance with the American with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973) is:
Lesley Villarose, M.EdVice-President for Student Development and Dean of StudentsInterim Title IX Coordinator and ADA CoordinatorGardner-Webb UniversityPO Box 7271Boiling Springs, NC 28017P (704) 406-2081[email protected]
For further information on this required notice of nondiscrimination you may visit this website for the address and phone number of the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights that serves your area or call (800) 421-3481.
Complaints should be filed in accordance with the procedure appropriate to the specific type of grievances. For grievances not covered by a specific policy (e.g., “non-harassment policy”), students may use the following general procedure.
Complaints should be presented orally to the appropriate University officials described above. If an informal discussion of the matter is not satisfactory, a written statement of the complaint will be requested. A written statement should contain the following:
The University official who receives the written complaint will investigate the complaint and take whatever action is deemed necessary and appropriate and will respond to the student in a timely manner. If a student has followed the grievance policy process and remains dissatisfied with the response to the complaint, the student may appeal to the Educational Policies and Standards Committee for academic matters and to the University Appeal Board for non-academic matters. Decisions by the Educational Policies and Standards Committee and the University Appeal Board are subject to review by the Provost. The Provost may take whatever action he deems necessary and appropriate. The Provost’s conclusions and actions regarding the complaint are final.
If discrimination is established, the University will take appropriate corrective and remedial actions and steps will be taken to prevent recurrence of any discrimination.
The above procedure does not prevent or substitute for a student’s right to file a complaint with the Federal Office of Civil Rights. A student who believes he/she has been discriminated against by the University based upon violation of the ADA and its amendments and/or Section 504 can file a complaint with the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.
The Office of Civil RightsUS Department of Education400 Maryland Ave, SWWashington, DC 20202Telephone: (202) 245-8300Fax: (202) 245-8301; TTD: (887) 521-2172Email: [email protected]
