Housing and Board Policy

Kalamazoo College affirms the educational benefits inherent in the residential undergraduate experience. Residential living is supportive of one’s academic preparation and plays an integral role in one’s experiential education, providing rich opportunities for involvement and development. Therefore, Kalamazoo College requires all students to reside within the College’s residential system and board at the College’s dining center through their sophomore year. The full residential policy can be found here.

Disability Services will work with students who have special needs when completing housing assignments. The College will provide accessible housing to students with disabilities. Contact Dana Jansma, Dean of Students at 269.337.7209, dana.jansma@kzoo.edu, or Tanya Jachimiak, Kalamazoo College 504 Coordinator, at 269.337/7480, tanya.jachimiak@kzoo.edu.

Process to Request Accommodations

1. Complete the online Request for Accommodations form and include relevant documentation.
2. Requests will be reviewed by the Dean of Students and discussed with the student to determine appropriate accommodations.

Deadlines for Accommodations to Housing Policies

For fall housing for continuing students:  January 1

For fall housing for first years and transfer students: June 1

In order to provide housing accommodations, the request for an accommodation needs to be made in a timely fashion, and the student with the request has the responsibility to do so. All deadlines reflect the housing assignment process for students seeking accommodations and are identified with the aim of facilitating access to housing accommodations; thus, in the absence of extenuating circumstances, students must request their accommodations in accordance with these deadlines before rooms are assigned to the general student body. After the posted deadlines, options available for accommodations may be severely limited.

Medical and Psychological Consideration

Priority will be given to individuals who are eligible to receive accommodations under n compliance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended, and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). These laws require that individuals must document the impact of their disability on major life activities.

All disabilities and medical history pertaining to the disability must be documented by a licensed medical provider with competence and expertise in the area of diagnosis. This documentation should be submitted with professional letterhead and the qualifications of the examiner provided (please see criteria of qualifications below). A decision on housing accommodations cannot be made without proper documentation. The Dean of Students can provide support or can answer questions, but this information alone is not sufficient documentation to support an accommodation.

Required Documentation

All documentation should include though not necessarily be limited to the following:

• The credentials of the evaluator(s). Documentation should be provided by an appropriate licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional who has relevant experience and no personal relationship with you. Letters must be signed and on letterhead.
• A diagnostic statement identifying your disability and the diagnostic methodology used. Documentation should include a description of the diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, procedures, tests, and dates of administration, along with a clinical narrative, observation, and specific results.
• A description of the current functional limitations. Documentation should include how the disabling condition(s) currently impact your functioning. Documentation should provide a clear sense of the severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the condition
• A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability. Descriptions of the chronic, cyclical or episodic nature of the disability and known or suspected environmental triggers to the episode provide opportunities to anticipate and plan for continuing as well as varying functional impacts. Recommended timelines for re-evaluations can also be helpful.
• Suggested accommodations. While accommodations are determined through the interactive process, it may be helpful to have suggestions from the evaluator(s) to use as a starting point. This is not a requirement though, to engage in the process.
• If the file containing documentation is large and you are unable to upload it to the form, please email it directly to Dana Jansma, Dean of Students dana.jansma@kzoo.edu.

Please note the following:

• Providing the college with medical or support information does not guarantee accommodations. Due to limitations in the residential system, students making special requests must demonstrate very high need.
• Placements will be made on a case by case basis based on the information provided and a dialogue with the requesting student.  The most suitable living accommodations appropriate will be made.

The following commonly received requests generally are not grounds for medical/psychological accommodations:

• I can’t study around other people.
• I’m a light sleeper and noise bothers me.
• I get stressed being around roommates.

Although requests for accommodations for these reasons are generally denied in the absence of a medically documented disability, Residential Life staff will assist you in making good choices in the housing process or will work with you after the housing process to help you make the room meet your needs. Accommodations that include roommates are also frequently denied. Your documentation must state clearly why a particular roommate may be a part of your housing accommodation request.

Requests for single rooms based on a student’s desire to have a “quiet, undisturbed place to study” will be considered only in unusual circumstances. By virtue of the shared facilities, resources, and number of people living under one roof in the residence halls, a single room does not provide for such quiet, distraction-free space to any appreciable degree beyond living in a standard double room. Students who need distraction-reduced study environments should speak with the Dean of Students, who will assist students in identifying quiet study places.

Kalamazoo College follows the guidelines of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in granting housing accommodations for environmental allergens. Consistent with those guidelines, students with housing accommodations due to environmental allergens will be permitted to purchase and bring an allergen-proof fabric covers for bedding, a dehumidifier and/or HEPA filter air purifier, and/or an air conditioner.

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