Office of Accessibility
Call: 802.865.5764
Email: accessibility@champlain.edu
Champlain College recognizes that Service Animals and Assistance Animals can play an important role in facilitating the independence of some individuals with certain types of disabilities. In addition, the health and safety of all Champlain College students, faculty, staff, and the Service Animal or Assistance Animal is an important concern. Therefore, Service Animals and Assistance Animals that meet the criteria described below will be exempt from the pet provision above. College community members who have questions about the presence of Service Animals or Assistance Animals on campus should direct those questions to the Office of Accessibility. See below for a description of the student's responsibilities and the reasons for removal of Assistance Animals.
Students are not allowed to have pets in classrooms, residence halls, in College vehicles (including shuttle buses) or at College-sponsored events. Service Animals (as defined below) are allowed in the spaces previously listed. Assistance Animals (such as Emotional Support Animals), must remain in the approved student's room within their residence hall. Fish are permitted in residence halls in an aquarium that holds 10 gallons of water or less. Fish must be removed from the residence halls during extended break periods.
A Service Animal is defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as any dog (or in some cases, a miniature horse) that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The work or task must be directly related to the person's disability. The provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship does not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition (see "Assistance Animals," below). Service Animals in training who are with a member of the College community who has a disability, and with whom the animal will be working as a Service Animal, are provided the same rights as Service Animals under this policy. Students with Service Animals are permitted generally to bring their Service Animals in all areas of a place of public accommodation, such as classrooms, residence halls (including the private residence assigned to the student), activities and events, and dining facilities. However, Service Animals are not permitted if they pose a direct threat to health or safety, if their presence constitutes a fundamental alteration to the nature of a program or service, if they cannot effectively be controlled, or if they are not housebroken. Students planning to bring a Service Animal to campus are encouraged to work closely with the Office of Accessibility. The Office of Accessibility may ask the student if the animal is required because of a disability, and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform, but will not ask about the nature of the student's condition for this purpose. The Office of Accessibility will not require documentation about the training of the Service Animal. Students are encouraged to provide identification that the animal is a Service Animal so that others are aware it is a working animal. See below for a description of the student's responsibilities and the reasons for removal of Service Animals.
Link to this FAQAn Assistance Animal provides emotional support, comfort, companionship or therapeutic benefits. A person qualifies for a reasonable accommodation involving an Assistance Animal under the Fair Housing Act if:(1) The person has a disability; (2) the animal is necessary to afford the person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the residence halls; and (3) there is an identifiable relationship between the disability and the assistance the animal provides. Assistance Animals are allowed generally within the residence halls, but not in other College buildings or college vehicles. The College will not, however, permit Assistance Animals in residence halls if they pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others; would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others; would pose an undue financial and administrative burden; or would fundamentally alter the nature of the College's operations.
Link to this FAQStudents planning to bring an Assistance Animal (such as an Emotional Support Animal) to campus must obtain approval from the Office of Accessibility by submitting a request by the appropriate deadline.
If you would like to request to bring an Assistance Animal to campus, please contact the Office of Accessibility.
**Please note that Emotional Support Animals do not require "certification." Beware of online scams claiming to certify your animal.
The Office of Accessibility will provide the student with an ESA Request Form. The form will need to be filled out by a provider, such as a physician, psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional. Once received, the Office of Accessibility will review the student's ESA Request Form. If a student's request is approved, the student shall be required to provide vaccination records and a clean bill of health from a veterinarian. The student's roommate(s) must also consent to having the animal in their shared living space.
The Student Accessibility Handbook is your tool for understanding all the resources available to you on campus, how to request services and the policies that govern accommodations.
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