Policies of CSU-Pueblo

University Policy

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Policy Title: Assistance Animals in Residence Halls Category: Student Affairs
Owner: Vice President for Enrollment Management, Communications and Student Affairs Policy ID#: 12-001-00
Contact:
Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Web: http://www.csupueblo.edu/StudentLife
Email: marie.humphrey@csupueblo.edu
Phone: 719-549-2919
Effective Date: 7/17/2016
Supersedes Policy ID#: fmla 2003

POLICY PURPOSE

This policy provides guidance regarding students needing assistance animals in their on-campus residence due to a disability. Staff will also be provided with guidance on the behavioral requirements of assistance and comfort animals in residence halls.

POLICY APPLIES TO

Students and residence assistance student staff who reside in campus housing. 

DEFINITIONS

  1. Assistance animal: An animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability.
  2. Service animal: A dog (or miniature horse) that is individually trained to provide support to a qualified individual with a disability.

POLICY

Animals are not allowed in the buildings or sports complexes at CSU-Pueblo except in the case of approved assistance animals in residence halls and service animals, or other university sanctioned working animals.  CSU-Pueblo recognizes that some students may require the aid of an assistance animal to enhance their functioning throughout the day. All requests for assistance animals as an accommodation in campus housing facilities must be submitted to the Disability Resource and Support Center and the office of Residence Life & Housing. A student may be able to have an assistance animal in campus housing as a reasonable accommodation if: 

  1. the student has a verifiable disability; and
  2. the animal is necessary to afford the student with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; and
  3. there is an identifiable relationship or nexus between the disability and the assistance the animal provides. 

CSU-Pueblo is not responsible for the care or supervision of assistance animals. Students with disabilities are responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of their assistance animals, including: 

  1. Compliance with any laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification;
  2. Keeping the animal under control and taking effective action when it is out of control;
  3. Feeding and walking the animal, and disposing of its waste;
  4. Containing the animal to the student owner’s assigned room; and
  5. Caging or crating the animal when the student owner is not in their room.

The assistance animal must be well-behaved to remain in campus housing and its student owner must provide appropriate care. The animal may be removed at the student’s expense if it is determined that the animal is not controlled properly or is unreasonably disruptive.

For specific campus areas designated by CSU-Pueblo for toileting assistance animals, contact Residence Life and Housing. Waste disposal via university plumbing is prohibited in university residences. CSU-Pueblo will not require any surcharges or fees for assistance animals. However, a student with a disability may be charged for damage caused by an assistance animal to the same extent that CSU-Pueblo would normally charge  for  damage caused by the student. Students with disabilities who are accompanied by assistance animals must comply with the same campus rules regarding noise, safety, disruption, and cleanliness as students without disabilities. It is the student owner’s responsibility to dispose of the animal should the animal’s life expire while on university grounds.

CSU-Pueblo will attempt to honor the student’s housing assignment request according to Residence Life & Housing policy and procedure, but reserves the right to place the student in a single-bed room.

Service animals are dogs that  are individually trained to perform a service or task to mitigate a disability and are allowed in other campus buildings in accordance with  the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended by the ADA Amendment Act of 2008) (please refer to the Service Animals in Classrooms Policy for more information). Assistance animals who have not been trained to perform a service or task to mitigate a disability are not afforded such access. 

PROCEDURES

Students requesting an accommodation for an assistance animal to join them in campus housing must request such accommodation from the Disability Resource and Support Center and notify Residence Life and Housing of their request. Such requests and notifications should be made at least sixty (60) days prior to moving into their housing assignment to allow CSU-Pueblo time to review the request and prepare campus housing. Requests made less than sixty (60) days before the start of school may delay the approval of the assistance animal in housing until after the student moves in to student housing. 

Students must complete the process for requesting non-academic accommodations, including providing documentation of disability with the Disability Resource Office, before bringing an assistance animal into university housing. If it is determined by the Disability Resource and Support Center that an assistance animal is a reasonable accommodation for the student, the Disability Resource and Support Center will forward a recommendation to Residence Life & Housing, who will approve or deny the request. The student must provide the following documentation to Residence Life & Housing before the animal may be present in university housing: 

  1. Record of License & Registration for the animal
  2. Record of up-to-date vaccinations
  3. Record of current veterinarian clean bill of health
  4. Completed Assistance Animal Accommodation Form for Residence Life & Housing 

Students who bring an assistance animal into university housing without completing the Disability Resource and Support Center’s process for requesting non-academic accommodations, without approval from Residence Life & Housing, and without providing the aforementioned documentation to Residence Life & Housing will be subject to disciplinary action due to infraction of Residence Life & Housing’s policy on pets. Residence Life and Housing will make a reasonable effort to notify other appropriate campus housing tenants of the existence of an assistance animal. Students with  medical condition  affected by animals should contact Residence Life and Housing if they have a health- or safety-related concern about exposure to an assistance animal. Residence Life and Housing will resolve any conflict in a timely manner, considering the conflicting needs and/or accommodations of all persons involved. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, Residence Life and Housing staff will resolve the conflict. Students who wish to appeal the Disability Resource and Support Center’s decision may follow the Disability Resource and Support Center’s grievance procedure. 

RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: 

  1. Process for Requesting Non-Academic Accommodations
  2. Documentation Guidelines
  3. Grievance Procedure
  4. Service Animals in Classrooms Policy

 AUTHORITY:  

  1. Fair Housing Act
  2. Colorado Revised Statute 24-34-803

 FORMS:   

  1. Assistance Animal Accommodation Form for Residence Life & Housing
  2. DRO Non-Academic Accommodations Form
  3. DRO Grievance Form

 

APPROVED:

Lesley Di Mare, PhD President

7/17/2016