Unity College Emotional Support Animal Protocol
Overview and Definition of Emotional Support Animal
Unity College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. An emotional support animal (ESA) is one that is necessary to afford a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy Unity College Housing. An ESA may provide physical assistance, emotional support, calming, stability, and other kinds of assistance. ESAs do not perform work or tasks that would qualify them as ‘service animals’ under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students with disabilities who seek to bring an ESA to campus must follow the processes described below.
It is important to note that having a diagnosis of a mental disability, by itself, is not sufficient to qualify a student for an ESA unless that disability is so severe that it disables the student. To qualify as disabled student under federal disability rights laws, a student must experience substantial limitations on one or more major life activities because of their disability.
In pursuant to the Fair Housing Act (FHA), and if specific criteria are met, ESAs that are not service animals under the ADA may be permitted in Unity College Housing.Since approved ESAs are limited to Unity College Housing, the approval would only apply to the student’s living situation. Approved students would not be authorized to have the animal accompany them to any other college buildings. (e.g., library, cafeteria, student activities center, classrooms, labs, residence hall common areas, residence hall rooms other than the owner’s room, etc.).
The FHA ensures that people with disabilities are allowed to have an assistance animal in residence with them if the animal is necessary for the individual to have full benefit, enjoyment, and use of the residential facility. The term “assistance animal” encompasses both service and emotional support animals. Unlike a service animal, an ESA does not assist a person with a disability with activities of daily living, nor does it accompany a person with a disability at all times. This protocol addresses only the presence of ESAs in Unity College Housing. Unity College has developed a separate policy regarding the presence of service animals on campus.
Criteria and Procedures for Requesting Emotional Support Animals
In order to be considered for an ESA accommodation, the student and animal must meet the following criteria:
- The student provides appropriate documentation that clearly links a diagnosis of disability with the specific treatment of an ESA
- The animal is necessary to afford the student with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the residence halls
- The animal does not pose a safety, health, or disruptive threat to the Unity College Community
Incoming residential students must submit their request for the accommodation of an ESA in college housing with their initial housing application. This request must be completed 60 days prior to the start of the semester for incoming students. Returning students must complete the accommodation request one month prior to the housing selection date (for fall semester) or by November 1 (for spring semester). Submissions outside of deadlines fall under the discretion of the ADA Coordinator.
To make a request, a student must complete the Student ESA Request Form and an independent (non-Unity College) licensed health care practitioner must complete and return the Health Care Practitioner Form. The Unity College ADA Coordinator can answer questions about the process and provide forms upon request. All completed forms should be submitted to the ADA Coordinator as email attachments or via fax.
ADA Coordinator/Learning Specialist:
Lisa Bierre,
Phone: (207) 509-7262 Fax: (207) 512-1177
Documentation for ESAs
The student making a request for an ESA must have an external licensed health care practitioner complete and return the Unity College Health Care Provider Form. The health care practitioner must provide the following information before the respective student will be considered for an ESA in Unity College Housing:
●A diagnostic statement identifying the disability
●A statement as to how the animal serves as an accommodation for the verified disability
●A statement as to how the specific animal relates to the ability of the student to use and enjoy residential housing.
The student making the request must also provide documentation that the animal has received a report of good health (including appropriate vaccinations and preventative care) signed by a licensed veterinarian. A valid vaccination tag must be worn by the animal at all times (if applicable).
Please also note that the student’s roommate (if applicable) must also approve this request by responding affirmatively to email notification or providing a written statement of consent.
ESA requests must be resubmitted on an annual basis and any time there is a relevant change in the student’s housing situation.
Review Process
The ADA Coordinator will determine, on a case-by-case basis, and in collaboration with the Director of Residence Life and other offices on campus, whether to approve the student’s request for an ESA. In making this determination, they will consider the needs of the student, as well as the impact of the animal on the campus community. They will collaborate with other college offices, including Student Affairs and Facilities Management, to determine if there are any issues (including student conduct) that may impact the ability to effectively control and provide a safe environment for the ESA. Once the review is complete, the decision will be provided in writing to the student.
If the request for an ESA is approved, the Residence Life staff will make a reasonable effort to notify the other residents in the housing unit where the ESA will be located.This notice will be limited to information about the animal’s presence as an accommodation to a student with a disability: there will be no disclosure of the student’s disability. All roommates or suitemates of the handler must consent to the presence of the ESA in their residence by responding affirmatively to email notification or providing a written statement of consent to the ADA Coordinator. Other resident students with medical condition(s) who are directly and negatively impacted by animals (e.g., respiratory diseases, asthma, severe allergies) are asked to contact the ADA Coordinator if they have a health or safety related concern about exposure to an ESA. Such affected students may be eligible for a disability accommodation when living in proximity to an ESA.
The ADA Coordinator and Residence Life staff will collaborate, as necessary, to resolve conflicts related to an ESA. Staff members will consider the needs and/or accommodations of all resident students involved.
Expectations, Rights, and Responsibilities Related to ESAs on Campus:
Care and Supervision
The student will assume full responsibility for the ESA. The student must be consistently in control of the animal. If the animal is disruptive, uncontrolled, or poses a risk to the health or safety of others, College officials will mandate that the student remove the animal.
ESAs are only allowed in the student’s residence room and designated outside areas. The Chief Facilities Management Officer will determine which rooms in a specific residence hall may have ESAs and which outside areas will be designated for use by ESAs. ESAs may not be washed in a residence hall and may never enter a residence hall restroom facility. As the student leads the ESA on any necessary trips outside, the ESA must not enter any areas that provide food. College personnel and other authorized individuals must be able to enter all rooms on campus without threat of harm. College officials may remove any animal that threatens an officer or other college official while attempting to enter a campus room in the line of duty.
All students considering requesting an ESA should be mindful of how much time the ESA will likely be left alone, and of how much commitment an ESA requires. Approved students are frequently occupied with issues of appropriate animal care. The owner is responsible for removal of animal waste. Owners will be responsible for any damage to Unity College furnishings and buildings, as well as any costs for necessary disinfection or parasite removal.
Unity College has the authority to remove or require removal of an animal from its grounds or facilities if the animal becomes disruptive, unclean, and/or unhealthy to the extent that it causes problems such as:
●A direct threat to the health or safety of others
●Inhumane treatment of the animal
●A fundamental alteration in the College’s services, programs, or activities.
As is the case for any type of concern, if a student feels that they have been treated unfairly or established policies and procedures have not been followed, they are encouraged to speak with the personnel involved and the responsible supervisor and attempt to reach a resolution. If they are unable to resolve their concerns, they are entitled to file a grievance using the process outlined in the Student Handbook for non-academic complaints.
Revised 10/2017 ldb