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The Office of Student Accessibility does not handle specific hall assignments, only the features needed for accommodations.

Examples of accommodations include first-floor or elevator access, a strobe fire alarm for students with hearing loss or permission to have a support animal live with them. An accommodation such as a service or nonservice animal does not guarantee admittance to a certain hall or the opportunity to have a single occupancy room in the residence halls.

Nonservice Animal-Related Housing Accommodations

Nonservice animals may include emotional support animals, but are not limited to this category. These animals differ from service animals, which are governed by a separate set of federal and institutional standards. Guidance for nonservice and service animal distinctions, as well as related requirements, can be found in ÈÕ±¾avÊÓƵ Policy 3.6 Reasonable Accommodation Involving Animals.

Steps for Requesting Nonservice Animal-Related Housing Accommodations

1. Submit a Request: Complete the nonservice animal release of information form. This form begins the accommodation request process.
2. Health Care Provider Verification: The Office of Student Accessibility will send your designated health care provider your completed authorization to release information form and our verification document.
3. Individualized Review: Once OSA receives verification from your health care provider, staff will review the documentation and may reach out to you for additional information and/or clarification.
4. Notification of a Decision: OSA will inform you of the outcome of their review. If your request is denied, you may reapply with updated or complete documentation or submit an appeal through the accommodation grievance process on the Office of Student Accessibility website.
5. Next Steps if Approved: Housing and Residential Life will follow up with information about your responsibilities and requirements for having a nonservice animal in university housing to include licensing, vaccination and spay/neuter requirements, and how to submit documentation for HRL approval. Once all requirements are met, HRL will inform you of your approval to bring the nonservice animal referenced in your documentation into your residence hall. Changes to your approved nonservice animal must be approved by HRL prior to bringing a different nonservice animal into your residence hall.

Note: You may not bring a nonservice animal into your residence hall unless you receive written notification of approval from both OSA and HRL.

Unapproved Animals

Students may not bring an animal into their residence hall before receiving approval through both OSA and HRL. If an unapproved animal is found in university housing, the student will be required to remove the animal immediately to ensure the safety and well-being of students and animals in congregate housing.

Timeline for Reviews

The OSA is committed to providing timely review of all accommodation requests. Accommodation decisions involve individualized review and are not immediate. The timeline for approval may vary and can take several weeks up to several months depending on factors such as:

• Date of submission;
• Available housing occupancy;
• Completeness of submitted documentation;
• Student response time if additional information is needed; and/or
• Verification processing time with the health care provider.