Admitted students with disabilities may apply for reasonable accommodations they need to achieve, lead and serve at Susquehanna University. The Office of Disability Services provides equal educational access to qualified students with disabilities, affirms the right of persons with disabilities to obtain access in a manner promoting dignity and independence and provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations.
Accommodations are determined by the Office of Disability Services on a case-by-case basis depending upon the supporting evidence and recommendations given in the documentation. There must be a
direct connection between the disability/condition and the accommodations being requested.
If the documentation is incomplete or does not support the request(s), further information may be needed.
Accompanying documentation (e.g., IEPs/504 plans, accommodation memos from SAT, ACT, GRE, etc., and/or letters from previous educational institution’s disability offices) are welcome to complement medical documentation; however, these supporting materials alone do not substantiate the need for accommodations and will not be accepted as approved documentation for a request for accommodations. Accommodations will not be approved if they alter the essential fundamental elements of a course.
For more information on how to request Academic Accommodations, please review the Documentation Guidelines. If you have any questions, please reach out to our office at DisabilityServices@susqu.edu or at 570-372-4412.
These services will only be provided to students with documented disabilities who have been approved by the Office of Disability Services for that specific accommodation.
If you are requesting an accommodation for dietary and/or allergy related needs, you must follow the 3-Step process outlined under Dining Accommodations on the Office of Disability Services website.
Process for Requesting Housing Accommodations
Housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, according to documented need in the supporting evidence in addition to recommendations given in the medical documentation.Please be advised that students are not making a request for a specific housing assignment, but rather a request for an accommodation.
The Housing Accommodations Committee, which is comprised of staff from the Office of Disability Services, Residential Life, Student Health Center and Counseling and Psychological Services, will review the student’s documentation and determine an appropriate and reasonable housing assignment.
The major objective of the Housing Accommodation Committee is to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to participate in residential life and to assess whether Susquehanna’s standard residential housing expectations cannot be met for a student due to substantial limitations that exist as a result of the student’s documented disability and current symptomology.
A student’s preference, rather than necessity, for a living environment or location will not be honored (e.g., student with ADHD or a learning disability seeking a single room to serve as a quiet undisturbed place to study represents a preference, but not a necessity).Accommodations are not granted solely on the recommendations of care providers, but on the documented functional limitations posed by the student’s disability under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Housing accommodations are not intended to resolve roommate conflicts, circumvent housing procedures, and/or to satisfy housing preferences. Documentation must establish a clear link between the disability or disabilities and requested accommodation(s) and explain why regular housing options would not be sufficient to meet the needs of the student. While every effort is made to accommodate all approved requests, requests made during the semester may not be possible to implement as spaces (especially single rooms) are very limited.
Please be advised that single rooms are reserved for individuals whose documentation illustrates substantial needs, and for whom a standard housing assignment with a roommate is not viable and cannot be addressed by alternative options.
In determining the extent of a student’s limitation and whether the requested accommodation is reasonable (e.g., meets the threshold of necessity under the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) the following is considered:
whether the request is a disability-related need
the nature, severity, duration and impact of the student’s condition
the impact on the student’s health if the request were not granted
the care provider’s qualifications for making the recommended accommodations
whether the request is an integral component of the current treatment plan for the condition
whether the request is determined by the care provider to be essential (vs beneficial)
if there are any alternative options that will meet the student’s need(s).
To submit a request for housing accommodations, please follow the 3-Step process as outlined on the Disability Services page.
What does Access vs. Success mean when it comes to campus housing?
Here are some examples of requests when 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.”
All Susquehanna University students are expected to seek out and discover places in their campus community to decompress, unwind, or process their emotions in places other than the room where they sleep. Here are several ideas:
Use the VIP Center’s Wellness Room located in the Blough-Weis Library. The space is complete with weighted blankets, salt lamps, bean bag chairs and a variety of other amenities. This restorative space is a great spot to study, find a moment of calm or spend quiet time with a friend.
Explore the offerings at the Amy E. Winans Center for Wellness on campus and join a Koru mindfulness class, a yoga and/or meditation class.
Use a Take 5 Relaxation Room on campus.
Reserve a “Chill Out” room in the Blough-Weis Library
Find a private nook in the library or other academic buildings to nestle in and read, think, write or draw.
Relax in one of the vibrating massage chairs located in the Degenstein Campus Center.
Walk to see the sheep that roam freely in the solar panel field.
Walk on the indoor or outdoor all-weather track located at the Garrett Sports Complex
Join an intramural sport team.
Get a ‘to go’ meal from one of our campus eateries and a blanket and have a picnic on the lawn in front of the Degenstein Campus Center
View the art displayed in the Degenstein Art Gallery
When is your roommate out of the room for extended periods of time? Schedule relaxation time during your roommate’s classes or extracurricular activities.
Walk on the sidewalk which leads directly from campus into downtown Selinsgrove and visit the local coffee shop or eateries.
Walk along the river on the Isle of Que.
The University provides many, many places on campus where you can study alone in peace and quiet. Here are some ideas:
Discover the many nooks in academic buildings.
Empty classrooms and seminar rooms! Any student can “claim” an empty classroom for their study session. Make a sign for the door, or use a whiteboard marker on the glass of the door to say, “In use.”
The Center for Academic Success study lounge is a quiet and peaceful place to study.
Use the Blough-Weis Library and reserve a private study room.
In typical housing, each student needs to recognize what is in their locus of control in a shared living experience. It is unreasonable to expect to be able to control the entire room. However, it is reasonable to expect to be able to control your own belongings and set boundaries with your roommate accordingly. All Susquehanna University students need to learn how to share a space and set boundaries and express them with their roommates. This is an extremely valuable skill living in a residential community, such as Susquehanna University. However, it is a new skill for many students who either have been only children or have never had to share a room with a sibling. It gets easier with practice!
Work with Residence Life for guidance on conversation starters and healthy boundary setting.
Just about any college alum can recall a less-than-perfect roommate situation. It can happen, and it doesn’t make that past bad experience go away. However, it is possible to move on in a positive way. Taking what you can learn from a bad roommate situation and applying those lessons to a new situation is how to utilize a growth mentality to come through adversity.
Work with the Counseling and Psychological Services staff to talk through your past experiences and determine strategies and receive support for moving into a new roommate relationship.
Make an appointment with Residence Life staff to discuss your fears or concerns; attend one of the Roommate Socials held for returning students for the purpose of meeting new roommate possibilities.
All students should consider locking up valuables, including medications.
We recommend buying a lockbox or small safe to keep tucked away and out of sight.
Lock your room door when you leave.
We understand that students enjoy having snacks and drinks available within their room for convenience. However, there are designated areas on campus for students to have a meal.
Work with Residence Life staff for guidance on conversation starters and healthy boundary setting within your room.
All students are advised to work collaboratively with the Dining Services staff on campus to discuss individual dietary needs, restrictions, and preferences
Emotional Support Animal/Assistance Animal
Susquehanna University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who seek to bring an emotional support animal (ESA) to campus must adhere to the guidelines described on page 32 of the student handbook. Documentation from a qualified professional is necessary in determining the need for an ESA as part of the reasonable accommodation process conducted by the Office of Disability Services. Students are not permitted to keep emotional support animals in residential buildings without prior approval as a reasonable accommodation through the Office of Disability Services. Please refer to the steps below in making a request for an ESA accommodation.
What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. The person seeking the emotional support animal must have a verifiable disability (the reason cannot just be a need for companionship). The animal is viewed as a “reasonable accommodation” under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHA) to those housing communities that have a “no pets” rule. In other words, just as a wheelchair provides a person with a physical limitation the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, an emotional support animal provides a person with a mental or psychiatric disability the same opportunity to live independently. Most times, an emotional support animal will be seen as a reasonable accommodation for a person with such a disability.
What is the difference between an ESA and a Service Animal?
Service Animals are defined as dogs or miniature horses that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. These tasks can include things like pulling a wheelchair, guiding a person who is visually impaired, alerting a person who is having a seizure, or even calming a person who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The tasks a service dog can perform are not limited to this list. However, the work or task a service dog does must be directly related to the person’s disability. Service dogs may accompany persons with disabilities into places that the public normally goes. This includes state and local government buildings, businesses open to the public, public transportation, food-service facilities, and non-profit organizations open to the public. The law that allows a trained service dog to accompany a person with a disability is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal (typically a dog or cat though this can include other species) that provides a therapeutic benefit. The animal provides emotional support to help mitigate symptoms of a psychiatric disability or other mental impairments. An ESA isnot specifically trained to perform tasks for a person who has emotional disabilities. Unlike a service animal, an ESA is not automatically granted access to places of public accommodation.
Psychiatric disabilities require the expertise of one of the following professionals who can diagnose these conditions:
Psychologists
Neuropsychologists
Psychiatrists
Neuropsychiatrists
Licensed Professional Counselors /Licensed Social Workers
Other relevantly trained medical doctors
It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own family.
Note: Documentation needs to demonstrate that the student is under the care of the mental health professional and that they have a therapeutic relationship. Purchasing documentation from a website or therapist you are not currently being treated by is not sufficient documentation.
All dogs in Pennsylvania must be licensed if they are three months of age or older.
In order to stay in compliance with PA Law, if an accommodation for an ESA is approved through the Office of Disability Services, specifically a dog that is over 3 months of age, the student will need to provide evidence of the animal’s license to the Office of Residence Life prior to the animal being permitted to reside on campus.
Licenses are issued by the county treasurer, and new tags must be displayed by January 1 of each year. Licenses are available annually or for life and can be purchased in person at the treasurer’s office, by mail or online.
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Susquehanna University has established procedures to ensure that students with documented disabilities have access to reasonable on-campus dietary accommodations.
Students (and parents/guardians/supporters) should bear in mind that, as a four-year residential college, all students living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. Students in need of dietary modifications should not expect an exemption from this meal plan requirement. University Dining Services makes every effort to meet individual dietary needs.
Dietary modifications can be facilitated through University Dining Services where every reasonable effort will be made to support a student’s documented dietary needs, while maintaining Susquehanna’s core belief that dining with fellow students is an important facet of life at a residential college. Dietary modifications that are currently available through University Dining Services offer a variety of foods that promote healthy lifestyles including gluten-free and lactose-free options, meals for vegan diets as well as an allergen station. While Dining Services is committed to the dietary health of each student, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about the ingredients in the foods served. In all Dining Service locations across campus, nutrition information is either posted or available upon request.
Please note that unused meal swipes at the end of the semester are not evidence the suggested modification was not provided to the student.
How Will My Dietary Needs Be Met While Living on Campus?
STEP 1: Meet with the General Manager of Dining Services on Campus
Susquehanna University students must first request and schedule an appointment and meet with the university’s General Manager of Dining Services. This request can be made by completing and submitting the Request a Meeting with Dining Services form. Once the form is submitted, the General Manager of Dining Services will reach out to the student directly through the student’s SU email and schedule a date and time for a mutually agreed upon initial meeting to discuss the student’s dietary needs, available dining options and meal planning.
The initial meeting may include consultation with Susquehanna University’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, if appropriate, as well as a tour of Evert Dining Hall, if needed. During the initial meeting with Dining Services additional information will be made available to the student regarding the variety of eatery locations on campus available to all students, faculty, and staff. These include Benny’s Food Court, located in Degenstein Campus Center, which houses Bistro 58, Field and Fork, Firebox and Nosh, as well as Elle’s Eatery, located on University Avenue, and Bento Sushi, located within the James W. Garrett Sports Complex.
Please be aware that the student is expected to meet with the General Manager of Dining Services, or designee as outlined in this step to determine if a student’s dietary needs can be sufficiently met with the dining offerings available to all students on campus prior to any request for accommodations.
STEP 2: Submit your request for Dietary-based Dining Accommodations with Documentation
Sometimes students may have special needs based on documented health conditions which may necessitate dietary accommodations which extend the regular food offerings available to the campus community.
Therefore, if after meeting with the General Manager of Dining Services or designee, it is determined by the Dining Services staff a student’s dietary needs cannot be sufficiently met with the dining offerings readily available and will require a specialized diet or plan, the student will be advised to request Dietary-based Accommodations with the Office of Disability Services. This is accomplished by completing the Disability Disclosure and Request for Accommodations Form.
An official letter, written by your medical provider on their professional letterhead, dated and signed by your medical provider, outlining all the necessary information can be accepted as documentation as well.
Once a request for Dining Accommodations is submitted to the Office of Disability Services, the Housing Accommodations Committee, a committee of professional staff representing the Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Residence Life as well as the Office of Disability Services, will review the Request for Accommodations, taking into full account the record of interactions between Dining Services Staff or contained in the professional’s letter, in determining reasonable dietary-based accommodations.
There must be a Dietary-based Disability documented and verified by a student’s medical provider to be considered for Dietary-based Dining Accommodations.
STEP 4: Notification
The Office of Disability Services will contact the requesting student and the General Manager of Dining Services about the recommendation and decision of the Housing Accommodations Committee to approve or deny a student’s request for Dietary-based Dining Accommodations. The decision will be sent to the student’s university email address and General Manager of Dining Services by way of DocuPhase, Inc.
A student denied a request for a Dietary-based Dining accommodation can file an Appeal with the Assistant Vice President of Student Life or designee at vpsl@susqu.edu.
The following are some examples of Temporary Accommodations:
Broken limbs
Concussion
Sprains
Long Covid-19
Process for Requesting Temporary Accommodations
For those requesting the types of Temporary Accommodations noted above (e.g., broken limb, concussion, etc.), please submit a Request for Accommodations Form.
It is not considered appropriate for professionals to evaluate members of their own family.