Housing Accommodations
College of Charleston provides housing accommodations on a case-by-case basis for students with a documented disability AND a housing contract with Campus Housing, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Center for Disability Services (CDS), Campus Housing, and other college partners work collaboratively to provide approved accommodations for students with disabilities to allow for full inclusion in the housing community. The college will prioritize requests based on documented need and space availability. This means, housing assignments are made in accordance with the approved accommodation(s) and specific residence areas or buildings are not guaranteed.
Requests for housing accommodations must be based on a documented disability and supported by disability documentation that illustrates clear and substantial barriers to being placed in a standard housing assignment. Requests for housing assignments based on student's preference (i.e., particular building, room, or roommate, or access to a quiet study space, etc.), rather than medical necessity, will not be honored.
Reasonable housing accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
- ADA equipped room (wheelchair accessible, grab bars, roll in shower)
- Strobe/Flashing Alarm equipped room
- Private rooms (student has their own bedroom but shares common spaces, including bathrooms)
- Semi-private bathroom
Housing accommodation requests must be submitted to CDS and will be reviewed on a yearly basis. Requests can be submitted to CDS at any time; however, for best consideration in terms of availability, requests for housing accommodations for the Fall semester (or full academic year) must be submitted by:
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- February 15 for the fall semester for all returning students
- May 1 for all incoming students
Requests for housing accommodations for the Spring semester must be submitted by November 15.
Requests for accommodations received after the above noted deadlines will be considered on the basis of availability.
The CDS Housing Accommodation Committee reviews housing accommodation requests to determine what is needed to provide equal access to CofC's residence halls on campus. The Committee engages in an interactive process with the student, Campus Housing, Residence Life staff, and other CofC departments, as needed.
For more detailed information regarding this process, please read the information below about Housing Accommodation Requests and Emotional Support Animal Requests as they are two distinct processes.
Applying for a Housing Accommodation
Step 1: Complete the housing contract process with Campus Housing. Students who intend to live on campus and have a disability-related housing accommodation request need to complete both the Housing Accommodations Verification Form (see below) and the housing application found by logging into MyPortal and clicking on the MyHousing/Dining Portal. Please refer to Campus Housing for more information about applying, deposit requirements, and deadlines.
Step 2: Complete CDS application for services
Step 3: Complete the Request for Housing Accommodation Verification Form (PDF). NOTE: This form should be disregarded only when a student is requesting an emotional support animal (ESA), and no other housing accommodation is being requested. If an ESA request is being made see information below about that process.
- Section I of the form must be completed by the student. Section II of this form must be completed by a licensed health care provider within the field of specialty pertaining to the disability.
- The information provided by the student and the healthcare provider must
- Be recent (within the current year of applying for housing)
- Document a disability
- Establish a direct link between the disability and the need for the requested housing accommodation
Step 4: Submit the application for services and Request for Housing Accommodations Verification Form via our CDS SecureShare portal as PDF documents. Alternatively, these items can be emailed to snap@cofc.edu, faxed to 843.953.7731 or delivered to the CDS office, Lightsey Center, Suite 104.
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) request
Under the Fair Housing Act, a student with a disability may request an emotional support animal (ESA) in college housing as an accommodation if needed to provide the student with an equal opportunity to enjoy and use their residential dwelling. An emotional support animal (also known as a "comfort animal' or "therapy animal") provides emotional support and comfort to a student with a therapeutic need for the animal. An ESA does not need to be trained to provide a specific task and is not considered a service animal. Because of the therapeutic nature of an ESA, this animal is not considered a pet. An ESA is a housing accommodation and, as such, is to be kept in the student's residence hall and is not allowed to accompany the student into other campus buildings.
Students with disabilities who wish to request an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in campus housing must follow these steps:
Step 1: Complete the housing contract process with Campus Housing. Students who intend to live on campus and have a disability-related housing accommodation request need to complete both the Housing Accommodations Verification Form (see below) and the housing application found by logging into MyPortal and clicking on the MyHousing/Dining Portal. Please refer to Campus Housing for more information about applying, deposit requirements, and deadlines.
Step 2: Complete CDS application for services
Step 3: Complete the Request for Emotional Support Animal in College Housing Verification Form (PDF).
- Section I of the form must be completed by the student. Section II of the form must be completed by the mental health care provider.
Step 4: Submit the application for services and Request for Emotional Support Animal Housing Accommodation Verification Form via our CDS SecureShare portal as PDF documents. Alternatively, it can be emailed to snap@cofc.edu, faxed to 843.953.7731 or delivered to the CDS office, Lightsey Center, Suite 104.
Approval Process
- The CDS Housing Accommodation Committee meets to review students' request and documentation.
- A determination email is sent to the student's CofC email address.
- Approved housing accommodations are communicated to Campus Housing.
- Campus Housing determines the students room assignment based on the approved accommodation(s) and current space availability.
- Students will be placed on a waitlist if their housing accommodation request is approved but is not available at the time. They will be moved when a vacancy occurs.
Important Points to Remember
- Requests for preferred residence halls and/or roommate (s) are not considered through the accommodation process.
- Students must contact Campus Housing with all inquiries related to features or specifications of their housing assignment. CDS is unable to provide detailed information regarding residence halls and rooms.
- Disability documentation provided to CDS will be kept confidential and shared with relevant staff in a discreet manner and only as needed to evaluate the accommodation request.
Please be aware that applying for a housing accommodation is a separate process from requesting classroom/academic accommodations. Please see CDS's Registering with CDS website for further information.
If a disability related housing accommodation request is denied, the student may appeal that decision in writing, with any supporting documentation, to:
Ann Almasi-Bush
Associate Vice President for Student Well-Being
almasibusha@cofc.edu
Said appeal should be filed within five (5) working days from the date of the original decision as to the request for the reasonable accommodation. The Associate Vice President for Student Well-Being shall make a written determination within ten (10) days from the date that they received the appeal.