Accommodations and Support

Requesting Accommodations

All students with disabilities seeking academic accommodations are encouraged to work with Academic Services to request reasonable accommodations and discuss the various supports available. All students with disabilities seeking housing and/or meal plan accommodations can work with Residence Life. However, the disclosure of a disability and a request for accommodations is an individual choice and one that the College can encourage but not require.

Students wishing to apply for accommodations for documented disabilities must take the initiative in completing the Disability Accommodation Request Form.   Please use this form for Academic Accommodations and for housing and dining accommodations please log onto StarRez (newly admitted students must use their Bennington email address).  Requests can be made at any time; however, the process may take up to 90 days to complete. In order for accommodations to be approved prior to the start of the term, completed forms and documentation must be submitted by June 1 for fall term and January 15 for spring term (these dates vary for Master of Fine Arts programs). Requests made after the deadlines or during the term will be reviewed and determined as quickly as possible. As housing assignments are for the full academic year, accommodation requests made after the June 1 deadline may be more difficult to fulfill.

Once a request for accommodation is submitted to Academic Services and/or Residence Life, students are expected to work cooperatively with staff members to determine appropriate accommodations. Academic Services and Residence Life engage in ongoing dialogue with students, faculty, and staff to determine, provide, and arrange for reasonable accommodations, which are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.

Once accommodations have been approved, students will receive confirmation in writing. Students are responsible for communicating with faculty and staff about approved accommodations and working with them to make necessary arrangements for accommodations. Students are also responsible for communicating with faculty and Academic Services and/or Residence Life about the effectiveness and delivery of the approved accommodations.

Accommodations are not retroactive; accommodation requests granted after the beginning of a term will not apply to previous coursework for that term or previous terms. Academic Services and/or Residence Life will work with students to ensure access to approved accommodations following appropriate review and will assess the efficacy of the accommodations provided.

Providing Documentation

Accommodation requests must be as specific as possible and must be accompanied by a completed Disability Accommodation Request Form, as well as any equivalent report(s) (e.g., a copy of a psychoeducational evaluation) documenting the need for the requested accommodation. Completed forms and supporting documentation should be forwarded or provided to:

• Academic Accommodations
  academicservices@bennington.edu
   

• Housing Accommodations (Housing, Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals, and Meal Plan Accommodations)
  housingaccommodation@bennington.edu
   

Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

Bennington College recognizes the importance of service animals, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), and the broader category of “assistance animals,” which includes emotional support animals under the Fair Housing Act. Service animals and emotional support animals (ESAs) provide physical and/or emotional support to individuals with disabilities.

The College allows individuals with disabilities the use of a service animal on campus to facilitate their access to, and participation in, the College’s programs and activities. The College also permits emotional support animals (ESAs) for students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major activities. An ESA is prescribed by a  mental health professional and an integral part of a student’s treatment.  The ESA must demonstrate excellent temperament and reliable, predictable behavior.

The following policy explains the specific requirements applicable to an individual’s use of an ESA in college housing. Bennington College reserves the right to amend this policy as circumstances require. This policy does not apply to “Service Animals” as defined by the ADAAA.

Students wishing to have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) must complete an accommodation request. ESAs are not permitted on campus until the accommodation request has been made and acted upon, which may take up to 90 days to complete. Owners of service animals or emotional support animals are responsible for cleanup and any damage caused by their animals, and must take appropriate precautions to prevent property damage or injury. The care, supervision, and well-being of a service/emotional support animal are the sole responsibility of the owner at all times. Students found with unauthorized animals in the houses or classroom or failure to clean up will be subject to the student conduct process.

A request for an ESA may be denied as unreasonable if the presence of the animal: 1) imposes an undue financial and/or administrative burden; 2) fundamentally alters College housing policies; and/or 3) poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others or would cause substantial property damage to the property of others, including College property.

Please note that:

• Bennington College may approve your request to have an ESA, but not approve the specific animal you were hoping to bring. For example, most reptiles and rodents may be rejected because of safety and health concerns, as they can carry zoonotic diseases which pose a threat to the general welfare of residents in the communal living environment. 
• ESAs are restricted to the student’s immediate living space. They are not allowed in academic spaces or common areas in the house or apartment as others may have allergies. Moreover, the ESA must be contained (caged or crated) any time the student is not in the room.
• The ESA may not be left in the care of other residents. If the student leaves campus overnight or at the end of term, the ESA must be taken along.
• Students bringing ESAs to campus are fully responsible for the animal’s behavior, and for any damage done. If the ESA is disruptive to the living environment for others (for example, barking or other loud noises, or significant odor from litter boxes or cages), or if there is damage done to housing facilities, the ESA will need to be removed from the premises within 48 hours of notice being given. The student will be responsible for paying for property damage.
• Generally, the presence of only one ESA will be approved for a student, in order to fulfill the intent of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements in providing support to a student with a mental health disability.

Grievance Policy for Students with Disabilities

Students who think they have been denied equal access to the College’s academic programs, resources, or other services because of a disability may file a detailed written grievance with the Dean of the College as soon as possible, but no more than 60 days after, the alleged discrimination occurred. In order to establish the basis for such a grievance, students must have filed a Disability Accommodation Request Form and supporting documentation with Academic Services and/or Residence Life, and discussed their request with a member of Academic Services and/or Residence Life. The College encourages students to first speak with a member of Academic Services and/or Residence Life in order to resolve their complaints informally. If informal steps do not satisfactorily address the complaints or there is a complaint about a member of Academic Services or Residence Life, students may file the written grievance described above to the Dean of the College, who serves as the College’s Section 504 Coordinator. The Dean of the College will investigate the complaint and issue a finding, normally within 30 days.

• Brian Michael Murphy
  Dean of the College
  (802) 440-4664

Appeals Process

Students who are not satisfied with the Dean of the College’s decision may file an appeal by contacting the Provost or designee. Appeals must be submitted within 7 business days of receipt of the Dean of the College’s decision. The Provost or designee may affirm or modify previous decisions made and/or may send the matter back for reconsideration by the Dean of the College. The Provost or designee will communicate a final decision to the student in writing.