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Request for On Campus Housing Accommodations

Accommodations (Housing Accommodations)

Occasionally a student may present medical disability which warrant consideration for housing accommodations or may require temporary accommodations outside of the regular housing selection/assignment processes*. In such situations, the student will be asked to provide detailed documentation which supports the request, and which demonstrates how the condition impacts the student's ability to succeed in his or her current living environment. 

Students requesting housing accommodations based on a disability must first contact the Assistant Director of Academic Services for Accessible Education at aes@roanoke.edu. Any documentation submitted should be current and relevant, including that of a medical provider. The provider MUST be a reliable mental health or medical professional in Virginia or your home state who has personally seen you and can verify: 1) the presence of a mental health disability (not just a diagnosis) that severely limits one or more major life activities; 2) what are the functional limitations of that disability (how it limits you); and 3) a description of how the accommodation is necessary to alleviate or mitigate symptoms or impact of that disability. This determination should be based upon access (equal opportunity for participation) and not on a perceived benefit to the student.

All requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the Accommodative Housing Committee. Requests and supporting documentation must be turned in by the deadlines below. You will be notified after the deadline with the status of your request. 

Please note: Neither the presence of a disability nor approval for a housing accommodation guarantees a specific location or a specific roommate. At times, students may have to forgo a preferred building and/or roommate to receive a housing assignment that meets their approved accommodation.

ESA Accommodations

An ESA is an animal that has a therapeutic relationship with a person with a disability. It is not a way to get a pet to live with you in on-campus housing. Therefore, approval for an ESA is for a specific animal. Approval through AES is not the end of the process: Residence Life & Housing has additional rules and requirements for ESAs. The ESA is NOT to be in on-campus housing until AES has given approval and appropriate paperwork with Residence Life & Housing is complete.

Requests for emotional support animals (ESAs) are considered a subset of housing accommodations. Roanoke College has established policies and procedures regarding the consideration of such requests and the presence of ESAs in the residence halls. All accommodations including requests for ESAs follow the following deadlines.

Students interested in applying for ESAs must reach out to Accessible Education Services (aes@roanoke.edu) to request forms. 

Deadlines

Accommodations for various disabilities and chronic conditions can take time to implement. It is important that accommodation requests for pre-existing conditions be complete in a timely manner. Requests for accommodations (including ESA requests) should be made well in advance of room assignments. Once housing assignments are made, requests are subject to availability and other constraints.

Housing accommodations are evaluated by a committee, and space is limited in on-campus housing, therefore requests must be made by the following deadlines:

  • March 15 for Fall housing accommodation requests for returning students
  • April 15 for Summer housing accommodation requests
  • June 15 for Fall housing accommodation requests for new students
  • November 15 for Spring housing accommodation requests

Please contact Accessible Education Services (aes@roanoke.edu) with any questions.

Late requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis if there is a disability-related reason for the missed deadline (such as: the disability impact only recently made the requested accommodation necessary). Otherwise, the request will be considered for the following semester and will be subject to availability.

*Temporary requests for use of a specific room for medical reasons which extend beyond 30 days require documentation from the relevant healthcare provider. 

Students Beyond the Binary

If you feel that you may not fit the mold of traditional gender specific housing, please visit our Beyond the Binary page.