Housing Accommodations
Kenyon believes that a major feature of attending a residential college is the opportunity for all students to live in a community with their peers. As such, all students enrolled at Kenyon are required to live in College-owned housing and enroll in the meal plan. Given the logistical challenges related to preparing housing assignments for the entire student body, Kenyon requires students with disabilities who require a reasonable housing accommodation to affirmatively request a housing accommodation by the established deadlines.
The Office of Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) works closely with the Office of Residential Life to provide students with reasonable housing accommodations. Reasonable housing accommodations currently available include, but are not limited to:
- Single or double room with the following features: first-floor accessible room with accessible semi-private restroom en suite
- First-floor accessible room with proximity to accessible restroom
- Visual strobe alarm
- Allergen-specific space (AC and/or no carpet)
- Animal free space
- Proximity to classes
- Proximity to dining
- Proximity to parking
- Proximity to restroom
- Access to gender neutral restroom
- Access to semi-private restroom
- Access to semi-private kitchen
Students who may need housing accommodations because of a medical dietary disability and/or condition, other than access to a community kitchen, must also follow the process for requesting a meal plan accommodation.
Emotional Support Animals
An ESA is an animal selected to play an integral part of a student’s treatment process, providing emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a student’s disability. An ESA does not perform work or tasks that would qualify them as service animals as defined by the ADA. Emotional support animals are not considered pets. To preserve student health and safety, pets are prohibited in all College residences, with the sole exception of fish in bowls or tanks that do not exceed 10 gallons. Having an ESA is considered an exemption to the College’s Pet Policy and is an approved animal. As such, the College requires that students who require an ESA to affirmatively request an emotional support animal within established deadlines. In general, only one ESA per student is allowed.
An ESA must remain in the student’s assigned residential living space (bedroom) at all times, except when being transported outside in an approved manner. ESAs are not permitted in shared residential spaces, such as bathrooms, kitchens, hallways and/or lounges. A student may not take an ESA to class or into any other building on campus. When an ESA is outside a student’s assigned residential living space, it must be in an animal carrier, or controlled by a leash or harness. The Office of Residential Life will work with a student to identify appropriate spaces for that student’s ESA to exercise and relieve itself, based on where the student resides. The student is responsible for cleaning up and properly disposing of all of the ESA’s waste.
Each student is responsible for the control, care and supervision of their ESA at all times, as well as for ensuring that the animal does not unduly interfere with the routine activities of the residential facility or any of the students who live there. If that student leaves campus for a period of time, they must take the approved animal with them and may not leave the animal on campus overnight or longer, even if under the care of another person.
Students who receive approval for an ESA will select their residential living space through the regular room selection process or lottery. Students will be required to complete an ESA agreement two weeks prior to bringing an animal to campus and must submit an ESA roommate agreement to the Office of Residential Life. Students are advised that in order to ensure that an ESA does not interfere with the equitable enjoyment of housing by other students who may have animal allergies or aversions, the College will identify certain residential spaces across campus as animal-free spaces, and they will not be able to live in these spaces with their approved animal.
Accommodation requests for an ESA must be reasonable. An ESA should demonstrate a good temperament, reliable and predictable behavior, and be able to live with others in a reasonable manner. The ESA's behavior, noise, odor and waste may also not exceed reasonable standards for a well-behaved animal. A specific animal may be prohibited from serving as an ESA in residential living spaces if that animal’s behavior or presence poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others; would cause substantial physical damage to the residential living space and/or property of others; may force another student(s) from their residential housing space(s); and/or creates unreasonable disruptions for other community members, including their right to peace and quiet enjoyment. Prohibited animals may include venomous animals and exotic or non-domesticated animals. Reptiles as ESAs are discouraged due to their requirement of heat lamps and UVA/B lights, which are prohibited in residential living spaces.
Students must comply with all village, county and state ordinances, laws and/or regulations, as well as College and Office of Residential Life policies, pertaining to animals. These include, but are not limited to, Ohio animal cruelty laws. The ESA must have all veterinarian-recommended vaccinations to maintain its health and prevent contagious diseases. Proof of vaccination is required before moving the ESA into any residential living space. Kenyon reserves the right to request an updated health record at any time during the ESA’s residency. In addition, dogs will need to be licensed in accordance with local ordinances. Dogs and cats must receive monthly preventative flea and tick treatments.
The resident is financially responsible for the actions of the ESA, including damage to College or personal property or harm to others. Any extra cleaning charges that result from the ESA’s presence will be the student’s responsibility. All spaces must be returned to an allergen-free level and a third-party, College approved pest control/cleaning service may be used. The student will also be responsible for any costs incurred should the ESA need to be removed for any reason by College personnel or animal control professionals.
Students must complete the ESA request process and receive approval before engaging in any behaviors related to the requested ESA. Additional and more detailed information can be found in the College’s ESA agreement, which must be signed before an ESA will be permitted in a student’s residential living space.
This does not include Service Animals, as defined by the ADA.