Assistance/Emotional Support Animals

“Emotional Support” are:

• animals that work, provide assistance, or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or
• animals that provide emotional support which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.

Some, but not all, animals that assist persons with disabilities are professionally trained. Other assistance animals are trained by the owners. In some cases, no special training is required. The question is whether or not the animal performs the assistance or provides the benefit needed as a reasonable accomodaon by the person with a disability at all times. Assistance animals my be considered for access to university housing, however, they are not permitted in other areas of the university (e.g. libraries, academic buildings, classrooms. labs, student center, etc.).

Assistance/Emotional Support Animal Policy

Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), a person may keep an assistance animal in his/her residence hall or campus apartment as a reasonable accommdation if:

• The individual has a disability;
• The animal is necessary to afford the individual with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing; and 
• There is an identifiable relationship between the disability and the assistance the animal provides.

Assistance animals are primarily allowed in the residence hall(s) or campus apartments for which the individual with a disability is assigned by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. The initial request and disability verification forms must be submitted to Student Accessibility Resources by June 1st for the fall semester, and October 1st for the spring semester.

Students must complete the intake interview and submit any requested additional information by July 1st for fall semester and November 1st for spring semester.

An individual with a disability may be asked to remove an assistance animal from campus housing if the animal:

• is out of control and individual does not take effective action to control it.
• poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others (that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation),
• causes substantial physical damage to the property of others (including University housing), or
• poses an undue financial and administrative burden to the University.

SAR and Housing and Residence Life may place reasonable conditions or restrictions on approved animals, depennding on the nature and characteristics of the animal. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis using an interactive process involving the student and staff of the aforementioned offices.

Prior to bringing an animal to campus, you must print and return the Assistance Animal Agreement and the List of Owner’s Responsibilities to the Housing and Residence LIfe Office. The university has policies and procedures in place that outline what animals are allowed on campus and in residence halls and buildings.

For more information, please visit the Student Accessibility Resources webpage.