Colgate is committed to providing reasonable and appropriate housing accommodations to students with disabilities who need accessible housing. There is a review process and committee designated for that purpose.
Accessible Housing Consideration Process
The accessible housing accommodations process is intended to be a fair and effective means to address housing needs that cannot be met readily through the general room selection process. It begins with identifying the student's essential needs and then determining a housing placement that addresses those particular needs.
Accommodations in the residential environment are not granted based on preference or a desire for a particular type of location or for a desire for a quiet, undisturbed place to study.
Submit an Application and Documentation
To receive consideration for an accessible housing assignment, students are required to submit an accessible accommodations application (for returning students and new students). Please know that when your requests are submitted after the application deadline, there is no guarantee that the same housing opportunities will be available.
Along with the application, complete and current documentation from a professional who is not a relative and who is qualified to address the student's needs is required. Students may also send additional documentation to:
Evelyn Lester
Director of Student Disability Services
Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research
101A Lathrop Hall
Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, NY 13346
Email: elester@colgate.edu
Fax: 315-410-5635
Consideration and Determination
Accommodations are not based on a diagnosis, per se, but rather on a full understanding of the nature of a student's symptoms and how their disability interferes with one or more major activities as would be encountered in the residential living environment.
All information is considered confidential and appropriate information in the documentation is shared with Colgate’s Accessible Accommodations Committee solely for the purpose of determining appropriate and reasonable accommodations.
Committee members:
- Evelyn Lester, director of student disability services
- Ellen Larson, MD, director of student health services
- Mo Muckinhaupt, director of residential housing
Please note: Students with dietary concerns should contact Allison Bowers, registered dietitian, Colgate Dining Services (315-228-7670).
Documentation provides a complete and current picture of the student’s functioning as it relates to living in a residential setting. It should include the nature of the condition and its severity, its impact on the student’s academic or social development, treatment plan, and recommended accommodations.
Incoming first-year students are expected to submit an accessible housing accommodation application along with their housing preference form. Upper-class students are expected to submit the form by date listed on the application, which typically is near the end of February.
Students are notified in advance of other housing deadline.
Once the committee determines whether an accommodation is appropriate, the director of student disability services will inform the student of the decision and direct them to the Office of Residential Life for specifics about their placement.
Yes, a student will need to submit a new application each year and provide updated documentation as appropriate.
A student can choose to do so but the consequence are likely to be that fewer options, if any, will be available should the student want to apply at a later date.