Accommodations

Student Accessibility and Support Services assists in enlarging books and other classroom materials for students with approved visual disabilities. SASS will work with the student’s instructors to ensure that all print materials for the course are accessible.

This accommodation provides “time and a half” (unless otherwise noted), based on the standard exam time. It applies to any timed test or quiz administered during the scheduled class period.

Instructors provide this accommodation by allowing a student the extended time directly before or immediately after a scheduled exam time, during office hours, or at any other mutually agreed upon time. The student is responsible for communicating with the instructor about the logistics of implementing extended time based on the course format. Students must email the faculty member at least one week in advance of a scheduled test/quiz to discuss arrangements for extended time, as acknowledged in the agreement they sign when completing their Accommodation Request Form.

Even if an instructor has provided additional time to the entire class, a student receiving this accommodation must still receive the designated extended time beyond the amount of time provided to the rest of the class.

When possible, it may be easier to implement this accommodation by allowing the student to complete the test in a separate room. This can help minimize distractions and avoid confusion caused by students entering or leaving the testing area during the examination period.

If the student needs to relocate to another space to receive the accommodation, the alternate location should be as free from distractions as possible and, consistent with the Honor Code, should be in the same building where the test is being administered. A hallway is not an appropriate alternate testing environment.

If the student and instructor are unable to identify a mutually workable time or location for administering the exam, please contact Student Accessibility for assistance.

This accommodation permits students to keep their phone on their desk in order to use the audio recording note-taking software provided by Student Accessibility & Support Services.

Students using this software have signed and agreed to the following policy:

1. Personal use only. Recordings may be used only for the student’s personal study related to the class. They remain the instructor’s intellectual property. The assistive technology automatically encrypts recordings, which cannot be exported from the app.

2. Destruction of recordings. Students must destroy recordings once no longer needed, and no later than the end of the course.

3. No sharing. Students may not copy, sell, release, or post recordings.

4. Instructor may pause recording. Recording of class activities must stop immediately if the instructor requests it. Instructors should only make this request when that day’s activities are likely to involve sensitive or private discussions or material- situations where recording could pose a privacy risk or discourage open classroom discussion.

5. Pausing for other students. Recordings should be paused while other students are speaking during class discussions.

6. Violations. Breaking this agreement will result in loss of recording authorization (with accommodations provided in an alternate format) and may be treated as academic misconduct, subject to disciplinary action under the college’s standard process.

   *In rare cases, if it is determined that due to the nature of an individual student’s disability, they are not able to use the note taking software and need a peer note taker, that will be arranged by SASS.

Some students with disabilities may require preferential seating in the classroom. This may include seating in the front, side, or back of the classroom depending on the individual student’s needs. Some students may also require a table and/or chair arranged through Student Accessibility and Support Services. The instructor will be informed of this accommodation and may be asked for suggestions based on the classroom setting.

This accommodation requires the student to complete tests and quizzes in a separate testing location that is as free from distractions as possible. A hallway is not an appropriate alternate testing environment. To support adherence to the Honor Code, the alternate testing location should typically be a classroom in the same building where the test is being administered.

In some cases, students with very specific Learning Disabilities in math (Dyscalculia) may be approved to use a basic 4 function calculator in class and on exams. Instructors will be notified of this accommodation and will have the opportunity to discuss this with Student Accessibility and Support Services if they have questions or concerns.

This accommodation allows a student to use their personal laptop or a computer provided by the college to type answers to written exams and for in-class writing assignments. Students may also receive this accommodation to be able to take notes in class on their laptop.

Air Conditioner Request Form

Allegheny College is committed to supporting and making reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities to the best of our ability and within our policies. Allegheny is also committed to compliance with state and federal laws regarding individuals with disabilities.

Emotional Support Animal Request for Information

General Definitions

Emotional Support Animal (ESA) means any animal that provides comfort or alleviates one or more symptoms or effects of a disabling condition for a person with a qualified disability. An Emotional Support Animal is not a pet. An ESA is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. The person seeking to bring an ESA onto campus must have a verifiable disability, not simply a desire for companionship. An ESA can serve as a “reasonable accommodation” under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHA or FHAct) in those housing communities that have a “no pet” policy. The ESA is not required to have any specialized training or certifications.

Qualifications and Process

• Students are required to meet with the Director of Student Accessibility and Support Services and be approved before bringing an emotional support animal to campus. A pre-application meeting includes consultation with SASS. The meeting consists of a review of the application process and materials. Once approved, a student with a disability may have an ESA in their residence hall room as an accommodation. The ESA must stay within the confines of the residence hall room and grounds immediately surrounding the hall (in the case of a dog that needs to go outside for natural relief). Only animals that do not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, would not cause substantial physical damage to College property or the property of others, or do not fundamentally alter housing operations will be considered. When evaluating an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) request, the college may consider whether the animal’s size is appropriate for and reasonably accommodated within the assigned housing space.
• Though a request may be made to Student Accessibility and Support Services at any time, students seeking to bring an ESA on campus should submit all materials (forms and documentation) by the following dates:

New Students-June 15th; Returning Students-March 1st

Student Accessibility and Support Services will consider requests from newly enrolled students and requests made by current students relating to a newly discovered need on a case by case basis throughout the semester.

• The request must include documentation from a licensed mental health professional (i.e., psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker) or otherwise qualified medical or disability professional (not employed by or contracted with Allegheny and not related to the student) who is providing on-going treatment for the disability, and must include a completed Emotional Support Animal Request For Information form or the same information being asked for in the form in a different format. The form is provided as a convenience.Any and all forms/information related to the ESA request MUST be sent directly from the provider to Student Accessibility and Support Services. Students should not be submitting the form to our office.
• If approved, the student must complete an Animal Registration Form that provides a physical description of the animal including height and weight and confirmation that the animal is housebroken or confined such that housebreaking is not necessary (e.g., fish in a fishbowl). For dogs and cats, applicants must submit a completed Veterinary Verification Form along with current and appropriate records (evidence) of their animal’s immunizations and vaccinations. Also, shot records must be updated as necessary and when applicable, the animal must wear a rabies vaccination tag. For animals that aren’t required to have immunizations or vaccinations, applicants must submit a Veterinary Verification Form completed by a licensed veterinarian. The form is required and provides documentation of their animal’s “clean bill of health.”
• The request will be reviewed by Student Accessibility and Support Services. The student will be notified of a decision on their request within (14) days after the application has been reviewed. Appeals for decisions should be submitted to the Dean of Students within (7) days of the official notification of the decision. If a student is approved to have an ESA, they are generally permitted to have (1) one animal in their Residence Hall room.

Students approved to have an ESA in their residence hall are required to sign a Letter of Agreement and shall be subject to the following rules. The owner must:

• Keep the animal in their residence hall room. An ESA must be contained within the owner’s privately assigned individual living accommodations except to the extent the individual is taking the animal out for natural relief. When the animal is outside the private individual living accommodations, it must be in an animal carrier or controlled by a leash or harness. ESA’s are not allowed in any College facilities other than the housing to which the resident is assigned.
• Keep the Animal under Control. The ESA must be properly housed and restrained or otherwise under the dominion and control of the owner at all times. No owner shall permit the animal to go loose or run at large. If an animal is found running at large, the animal is subject to capture and confinement and immediate removal from College housing.
• Abide by Laws and Policies. The owner must abide by current city, county, and state ordinances, laws, and/or regulations pertaining to licensing, vaccination, and other requirements for animals. It is the owner’s responsibility to know and understand these ordinances, laws, and regulations. Dogs must be licensed in the City of Meadville in addition to their home state license because they reside here longer than 6 months per year.The College has the right to require documentation of compliance with such ordinances, laws, and/or regulations, which may include a vaccination certificate and license.. Additionally, the owner must abide by all equally applicable residential policies, such as assuring that the animal does not unduly interfere with the routine activities of the residence or cause difficulties for individuals who reside there.
• Ensure the Animal is Well Cared-For. The owner is required to ensure the animal is well cared for at all times. Any evidence of mistreatment, abuse, neglect, or leaving the animal unattended for unreasonably long periods of time may result in immediate removal of the animal and/or discipline for the responsible individual pursuant to the College Student Code of Conduct and/or any housing-related sanctions. College personnel shall not be required to provide care or food for any animal including, but not limited to, removing the animal during emergency evacuation for events such as a fire alarm. Emergency personnel will determine whether to remove the animal and may not be held responsible for the care, damage to, or loss of the animal. Additionally, ESA’s may not be left overnight in College housing to be cared for by any individual other than the owner. If the owner is to be absent from his/her residence hall overnight or longer, the animal must accompany the owner. The owner is responsible for ensuring that the animal is contained, as appropriate, when the owner is not present during the day while attending classes or other activities.
• Be Responsible for Property Damage. The owner is required to clean up after and properly dispose of the animal’s waste in a safe and sanitary manner and, when provided, must use animal relief areas designated by the College. An individual with a disability may be charged for any damage caused by his or her ESA’s beyond reasonable wear and tear to the same extent that it charges other individuals for damages beyond reasonable wear and tear. The owner’s living accommodations may also be inspected for fleas, ticks or other pests if necessary as part of the College’s standard or routine inspections. If fleas, ticks or other pests are detected through inspection, the owner will be billed for the expense of any pest treatment above and beyond standard pest management in the residence halls. The College shall have the right to bill the owner’s account for unmet obligations under this provision.

Removal of the Animal

The College reserves the right to ask the student to remove the animal from campus if: The animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or causes substantial property damage to the property of others, including College property;  The animal’s presence results in a fundamental alteration of a College program; The owner does not comply with the Owner’s Responsibilities set forth above; or  The animal or its presence creates an unmanageable disturbance or interference with the College community.

Violations of this policy and/or the student’s letter of agreement will be referred to and enforced by Student Life and Residence Life.

Meal Plan Accommodation Request

Meal Plan Accommodation Verification

Allegheny recognizes the value and need of service animals to assist some students with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as “… any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders or sound, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.”

Allegheny reserves the right to ask that the animal undergo additional training or be removed if it does not fit this description or if it has become disruptive. For example, a properly trained service animal will remain at its owner’s feet. It does not run freely around, bark or growl repeatedly at other persons or animals, bite or jump on people, or urinate or defecate inside buildings. An animal that engages in such disruptive behavior shows that it has not been successfully trained to function as a service animal in public settings.

The good health of the animal is the responsibility of the owner. If the animal is in ill health (bowel/bladder control problems, fleas, etc.), the owner may be asked to remove it from the college.