Department of Community Living

All students who submit paperwork for Medical Housing Accommodations will have their documentation reviewed and will be followed up with. Please read carefully below about important steps in the Medical Housing Accommodation Process. 

If you submitted Medical Housing Accommodation Paperwork after March 1, 2021, and completed the Housing Application for 2021-2022 Academic Year in order to participate in the Housing Selection Process for the 2021-2022 Academic Year: 

1. Select a room through the housing selection process
2. After the Housing Selection Process is complete, the Housing Accommodations Committee will review your Medical Accommodation paperwork and follow up with you regarding your approved/pending accommodations. We will also be checking to see if you chose a space to live on campus for the 2021-2022 academic year. 
   • If your selected space aligns with your approved accommodations, you will remain in that space for the 2021-2022 academic year.
   • If your selected space does not meet your approved accommodations, Community Living will reach out to discuss available spaces that may meet your accommodations and the process of changing rooms. 

1. If you did not participate in the 2021-2022 Housing Selection Process, you will be added to the waitlist. The Housing Accommodations Committee will inform you of your approved/denied accommodations. This will also allow you to have time to obtain additional documentation if any of your paperwork that was originally submitted was deemed insufficient. 
2. If you are moved along the waitlist and become eligible to live on campus, Community Living will meet with you to discuss your options for available rooms that are appropriate for your approved accommodations. 

If you did not submit Medical Housing Accommodation Paperwork, but you completed the Housing Application for 2021-2022 academic year in order to participate in the Housing Selection Process for the 2021-2022 academic year:  

1. Select a room through the housing selection process.
2. Submit the Housing Accommodation Forms under the "Forms" drop-down on the Community Living Housing Accommodation Website. The Housing Accommodation Student Request Form is to be completed by you, the student. The Medical Care Provider Verification Form link needs to be sent to your Medical Care Provider(s) to complete. Both forms must be submitted before the Housing Accommodations Committee can review your request.
3. After the Housing Selection Process is complete, the Housing Accommodations Committee will review your Medical Accommodation paperwork and follow up with you regarding your approved/pending accommodations. We will also be checking to see if you chose a space to live on campus for the 2021-2022 Academic Year. 
   1. If your selected space aligns with your approved accommodations, you will remain in that space for the 2021-2022 academic year.
   2. If your selected space does not meet your approved accommodations, Community Living will reach out to discuss available spaces that may meet your accommodations and the process of changing rooms. 
4. If you did not participate in the 2021-2022 Housing Selection Process, you will be added to the waitlist. The Housing Accommodations Committee will inform you of your approved/denied accommodations. This will also allow you to have time to obtain additional documentation if any of your paperwork that was originally submitted was deemed insufficient. 
5. If you are moved along the waitlist and become eligible to live on campus, Community Living will have a meeting with you and discuss your options for available rooms that are appropriate for your approved accommodations. 

If you did not submit a Housing Accommodation Request, and did not complete the Housing Selection Application for 2021-2022 academic year:

1. Sign into your MyHousingPortal and complete the Housing Waitlist Application for the 2021-2022 academic year. You will be placed on the waitlist for on-campus housing. Please note: housing for students on the waitlist is not guaranteed.
2. Submit the Housing Accommodation Forms under the "Forms" drop-down on the Community Living Housing Accommodation Webpage. The Housing Accommodation Student Request Form is to be completed by you, the student. The Medical Care Provider Verification Form link needs to be sent to your Medical Care Provider(s) to complete. Both forms are submitted to a secure site. We need both forms submitted before we can review your application.  
3. The Housing Accommodations Committee will review your paperwork and will inform you of your approved/denied accommodations. This will also allow you to have time to obtain additional documentation if any of your paperwork that was originally submitted was deemed insufficient. 
4. If you are moved along the waitlist and become eligible to live on campus, Community Living will have a meeting with you and discuss your options for available rooms that are appropriate for your approved accommodations. Please note that Community Living can only offer spaces to students from what is available on-campus at that time.

We understand that there may be delays in providing documentation due to medical offices being closed or over-taxed at this time. Unfortunately, in order to provide accommodations to students and create housing assignments for all of our incoming students in a timely manner, we are unable to move the priority submission deadlines.

The following guidelines have been created in order to optimize our ability to review your request during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If your care provider is not comfortable or unable to submit the Medical Care Provider Verification electronic form:

• Please email dclaccommodations@brandeis.edu and we will send you a PDF version of the Medical Verification Form for your medical care provider to fill out and return to you. You will then upload the documents directly to the secure link shared in that email. 

If you already have documentation of your condition, but your medical care provider is not able to complete the Verification Form:

• Email dclaccommodations@brandeis.edu to request a secure upload link for your documents. The committee cannot open any medical documents sent via email. We will reach out to you if additional documentation is needed. 
• The committee will consider documentation that is outside of the typical guidelines (6-months to 1-year) due to extenuating circumstances. Please submit the most recent records you have available. 

Please reach out via email if you have additional questions or concerns that are not addressed above.

We ask that communication regarding Accommodation Requests come from students’ Brandeis email address. One of the major shifts students experience in college vs K-12 education is that medical accommodations are provided on a system of self-advocacy. Due to the priority of privacy, ADA regulations for colleges and universities require self-disclosure by the student, as well as an interactive process. It is our hope that in going through our process students will develop helpful skills in communicating their needs. As part of the interactive process, our department will reach out via email to the student with any communications regarding a request.

1. Submit the Student Housing Accommodation Request Form
   • Provide as much detail as possible. Ensure you are explaining how the accommodations you are requesting will help you be successful on-campus.
2. Send a copy of your Request Form and a link to the Medical Care Provider Verification Form to your doctor/medical provider. 
   • The medical provider cannot be a family member. The accommodations requested should be the same on the Student Request Form and the Medical Care Provider Verification Form.
3. Ensure your doctor/medical provider has submitted the Medical Care Provider Verification Form, or reach out to the Housing Accommodations Committee for instructions on securely uploading medical documents. 
   • The committee is able to confirm that both forms have been received but will not open any emailed medical documentation. Please email dclaccommodations@brandeis.edu if you need to upload your medical documents securely.
4. Once both forms have been submitted, the Housing Accommodations Committee will meet to review your request.
   • The committee reviews requests once a month during the year. Accommodation requests for the following academic year will be reviewed before the Housing Selection process begins. The committee does not review requests until both forms are submitted for a student. If you have a time-sensitive request or question, please email dclaccommodations@brandeis.edu
5. Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive an email from the committee with your accommodation status.
   • This email will include what accommodations you were approved for, which accommodations requests are denied, or it will notify you if more information is needed before a decision can be made. 
6. After receiving your decision, you can schedule a meeting with a Housing Accommodations Committee Member to select from available spaces that meet your approved accommodation(s) or discuss the next steps for denied requests.
   • If your approved accommodation allows you to select a new housing assignment (for either the current academic year or the next), please note you are only able to pull in one room/suitemate if you select a suite/apartment-style housing assignment. 
   • Please keep an open mind and be realistic in prioritizing your needs. We will work to provide you with options that meet your approved accommodations but are limited in the number and types of spaces that are available.

 

The due dates for submitting accommodations documentation vary by class year. Please see the following deadlines:

• March 1:  Deadline for currently housed students and students returning from abroad or a leave of absence
• March 15: Deadline to complete the 2021-2022 Housing Contract
• June 15: Deadline for Incoming First-Year & Transfer Students
• Fall 2021 (TBD): January 2022 First-year students/transfers

A request is considered complete when we have received your Student Housing Accommodation Request Form, the Medical Care Provider Verification Form. Please note: you should also complete the Housing Application for the academic year you are requesting accommodations for. Requests submitted after deadlines will still receive consideration, but priority will be given to students who submit their documentation according to the timeline.

The Review Committee must receive both the Request Form and the Verification Form before they will review a request. Please read the instructions for each form closely. 

Housing Accommodation Student Request Form

Medical Care Provider Verification Form

Please see below for examples of each form:

Example Student Request Form

Example Medical Care Provider Verification Form

 

Students are asked to abide by the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook while enrolled at the University and living in the residence halls. There are two sections of the Handbook which pertain to service and support animals: 

• Section 9.14 Pets
• Section 2.16

 All students who register a Service Animal or ESA on campus must fill out the Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Agreement

Service Animals

Students with disabilities who require the use of service animals are permitted to bring such animals on campus. Students should notify Student Accessibility Support and Community Living in order to ease the animals' transition onto campus and into the residence halls.

While service animals do not need to be approved through the accommodations request process, a Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Agreement must be completed before the animal joins the student in the residence hall.

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)

Students who wish to bring an emotional support animal should complete the accommodation request process. If approved, the student will work with members of Student Accessibility Support and Community Living to complete the Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Agreement. Once the agreement is submitted, the student will then be approved to bring the animal into their residence hall.

The animal must not be in residence prior to receiving approval from the Housing Accommodations Committee. The approval of a request is animal-specific, is not transferable to another animal, and must be renewed every year.