Process for Requesting Reasonable Accommodations:

The College of St. Benedict and St John’s University are dedicated to providing equal access in residential living spaces for those individuals with documented disabilities. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is responsible for determining whether to approve or deny housing accommodation requests. In the process of evaluating requests, SAS will consult with Residential Life and other campus departments as needed to make informed determinations.

Requesting a Housing Accommodation:

SAS requires a two-step process for individuals seeking housing accommodations. Those steps are detailed below:

1. Complete the Housing Accommodation Request Form.
2. All students are required to submit our Housing Accommodation Documentation Form

Deadline for new requests (not renewals) for pre-selection considerations is March 12^th, 2024.

What to expect:

SAS will evaluate complete housing accommodation requests submitted on or before the deadline. Complete requests are those for which the Housing Accommodation Request Form and Documentation Form have been received. Those individuals whose requests are approved will be provided a pre-selection offer of a specific space by Residential Life. SAS will notify students whose requests have been denied.

Requests received after the deadline will not be considered for pre-selection offers.

Housing Renewals

Current students previously approved for accommodations, who are requesting renewals with no significant changes, simply need to complete the Request for Renewal of Housing Accommodation by 3/6/2024.

Incoming First Year and Transfer Students:

Housing Accommodation Request Form and Documentation Forms will be reviewed on 7/1/2024. Following this date, requests will be considered on a rolling basis.

Mid-Year Requests

Reasonable accommodation must be provided in a timely manner. Room availability is limited following the housing selection process. We will review mid-year requests; however, we may not have the capacity to meet certain requests after assignments have been made.

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs):

Information regarding the ESA process can access this link.

Reasonable Accommodations

• Disability accommodations are deemed “Reasonable”, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, if they are necessary to ensure equal access to the same opportunities as provided to all CSB+SJU students.
• Accommodations are not considered Reasonable if they are merely to improve chances of success. The College certainly wants all of its students to succeed, however now that the student is an adult, success is the responsibility of the student, not the institution.
• Disability accommodations are only appropriate when there is a barrier to equal access.
• Accommodations are reasonable when they include the student in the same opportunities everyone else has. Accommodations are not reasonable if they let students with disabilities out of the responsibilities or expectations CSB+SJU holds for everyone else.

What does Access vs. Success mean when it comes to campus housing?

Here are some examples of requests where an accommodation would not be approved. In the following scenarios the requested accommodation would be helpful or desirable, and could improve chances of success — especially when the student’s disability makes these situations more difficult. But when, generally speaking, no student has access to the opportunity requested, the request is generally regarded as a fundamental alteration to the college housing program, and legally not considered “Reasonable”.

CSB+SJU reserve the right to amend the Procedure for Requesting Reasonable Accommodations for Housing to ensure it best reflects ADA and relevant laws’ guidance.