Housing Accommodations
The College of Charleston's (CofC) Office of Campus Housing works in cooperation with the Center for Disability Services to assist students with on-campus housing needs. The College will consider reasonable housing accommodations for students with disabilities.
Housing accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
- Wheelchair-accessible room and bathroom
- Flashing fire alarms and bed shakers
- Kitchen access
- Private rooms (student has their own bedroom but shares common spaces, including bathrooms)
Please complete the following forms and submit to the Center for Disability Services via SecureShare. Students are asked to submit these materials using their CofC email account. Documents sent to us must be in a PDF format in order to upload into our data management system. When a file has successfully been submitted using SecureShare, you will receive the following message: "You will receive a download receipt when your files have been downloaded."
Student-completed form: Housing Accommodations Application with Permission for Release of Information - pdf format or Microsoft Word (.doc) format
Physician-completed form: Documentation of Disability-Related Need for Housing Accommodations - pdf format or Microsoft Word (.doc) format
ESA Information form (to be completed by provider) - pdf format or Microsoft Word (.doc) format
Note: The physician-completed form should be disregarded only when a student is requesting an emotional support animal (ESA), and no other housing accommodation is being requested.
1. Requests for housing accommodations for the Fall semester must be submitted by:
-
- February 15 for the fall semester for all returning students
- May 1 for all incoming students
2. Requests for housing accommodations for the Spring semester must be submitted by November 15.
3. Requests for accommodations received after the deadline will be considered on the basis of availability.
4. Each case will be individually evaluated with respect to the documentation presented and the accommodations requested.
5. Students who intend to live on campus and have a disability-related housing accommodation request need to complete both the Housing Accommodations request forms (above) and the housing application found by logging into MyPortal and clicking on the MyHousing/Dining Portal.
6. The student will be sent a letter to their CofC email account notifying them whether or not the request was approved. This letter will be sent approximately 7-10 business days after receipt of their materials.
7. Housing Accommodation requests must be submitted annually.
If a private bedroom or similar accommodation is a necessary method of meeting the housing needs of a student with a disability, CofC will consider exceptions to its general room rate structure unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration to the housing program. Each case will be evaluated individually and necessary modifications will be provided in accordance with the law.
The Center for Disability Services will carefully consider each request when reviewing documentation and recommendations.
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.