Housing Accommodations

Spring Hill College recognizes the importance of providing reasonable accommodations when necessary for students with disabilities to access campus housing and fully participate in the residential experience. Residential Life works closely with Disability Services to coordinate housing accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Students who require housing accommodations must first register with DS through their online disability services registration page. On the application, students must describe how their disability impacts them in the context of housing and explain why the particular request is needed. As a part of the online application, students must submit documentation of their disability to DS. Please Note: Students are still required to pay all applicable fee(s)/deposit(s) through the Office of Admissions prior to accommodation consideration.

The documentation must:

Include a detailed explanation of how the student’s disability currently impacts the student’s housing needs;
Provide clear housing accommodation recommendations that include an explanation of why the accommodation is necessary for the student to live on campus or participate in the residential experience; and
If applicable, provide suggestions for alternative accommodations [in addition to the primary recommendation(s)] that may also meet the needs of the student.

DS may contact the medical professional who provides the disability documentation to obtain additional information or discuss alternative accommodations. DS may also consult with practitioners in the Counseling Center to discuss proposed accommodations on a limited basis. DS and Residential Life consider all accommodation requests on an individualized, case-by-case basis. However, as students navigate this process, they should note the following:

Accommodation recommendations approved by DS are based on the disability-related need (for example, housing on the ground floor, housing with a low student-bathroom ratio, a wheelchair accessible room/bathroom). Accommodations do not require Residential Life to place a student in a specific residence hall if multiple buildings meet the stated need.
While DS reviews and implements all requests on a case-by-case basis, SHC residential facilities typically do not include rooms with a private bathroom.
SHC residential facilities include a very limited number of single-occupancy bedrooms – students still share a unit with roommates in other bedrooms. Access to a single bedroom will only be approved as an accommodation in cases where it is clearly documented that a student cannot live on campus without this accommodation.

After submitting your application and documentation to DS, students will receive a written response from DS. If the request is approved, the accommodation recommendation will be communicated by DS to Residential Life, and a Residential Life staff member will contact the student regarding their specific housing placement.

DS does not share the student’s diagnosis or other details of the student’s disability documentation with Residential Life, unless specifically requested by the student or required to implement the approved accommodation.

Please Note: Residential housing is not a distraction-reduced environment. Accordingly, students are not granted housing accommodations for learning or attention disabilities. Students who need distraction-reduced study environments should consider submitting a Disability Services Self-Identification Form here.

Students with environmental allergens will be permitted to purchase and bring allergen-proof fabric covers for bedding, a dehumidifier and/or HEPA filter air purifier. Generally, housing accommodations are not granted for environmental allergens. Students with allergies are encouraged to visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website for specific tips & support at: www.aaaai.org.

Documentation from a treating physician should include the medical diagnosis or disability and an explanation of a disability-related need/necessity for a certain accommodation.

Application Deadlines

Initial requests

Requests must be submitted and are reviewed on a yearly basis in accordance with the deadlines posted by Residential Life for housing selection.

Incoming first year and transfer students: Students must complete their registration and submit their housing deposit by June 1^st in order for their accommodation to be considered before students are assigned.
Rising sophomores/juniors/seniors: Students must complete their registration for the upcoming fall semester with DS by March 1st in order for their accommodation to be considered before the housing selection process begins.

DS will review requests for housing accommodations made after these dates. However, some accommodations may not be available after students have already been placed and residential spaces are full. Students who do not meet the deadlines for applying for housing accommodation must go through the regular housing lottery process. If a housing accommodation is approved by DS after the stated deadline, Residential Life will assess whether it is reasonable to implement the accommodation after the housing lottery process is complete. If the accommodation cannot be fulfilled, the student will be placed on a waitlist for the accommodation, and it will be implemented if it is possible.

Ongoing Need for Accommodation

Once a student is approved for a housing accommodation, a DS staff person will email the student at the beginning of each subsequent spring semester prior to the start of the housing selection process to confirm the student’s continuing need for the accommodation. Students must respond to DS to confirm their continued need for the accommodation by the deadline stated in the email. If the student does not respond to this communication, DS will assume the accommodation is no longer needed and will not provide any information about the student’s needs to Residential Life for the subsequent academic year.

Questions and Appeals

Students may contact DS by email or phone (251) 380-3470 with any questions related to requesting housing and/or academic accommodations.

Students with disabilities who believe they have been improperly denied a housing accommodation should consult the DS Grievance Policy.