Emotional Support Animal Policy
Animals, including pets, are not permitted in Cornell College’s buildings or residences with the exception of approved Service or Emotional Support Animals for individuals with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require the use of Service or Emotional Support Animals as a reasonable accommodation may be permitted to bring such animals on campus provided that they comply with Cornell College’s policies regarding such animals.
This policy applies solely to Emotional Support Animals (ESA) which may be necessary in College housing. It does not apply to Service Animals as defined by the ADA. Cornell College has developed a separate policy regarding the presence of Service Animals in College housing.
It is important to note that animals that may be needed because of a disability may be identified by various names. For example, an individual may identify the animal as a companion animal, therapy animal, or emotional support animal. ESAs are animals that perform tasks and/or provide service, assistance, or emotional support which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of an individual’s disability. ESAs may not assist with daily living tasks and are not required to have received special training. ESAs stay only in residence; they do not accompany an individual with a disability at all times (i.e., ESAs do not attend class, enter the library, or visit other residence halls or dining halls).
Federal law assures that people with disabilities be allowed to have an ESA in the residence with them if the animal is necessary for individuals to gain the full benefit or enjoyment of College housing and/or participating in the College housing program. This policy explains the specific requirements applicable to an individual’s use of an ESA in College housing.
Cornell College reserves the right to amend this policy at any time, as circumstances require.
Step 1 of the Emotional Support Animal Request Process - Documentation of Need
ESA requests should be submitted by June 1st before the commencement of the academic year. Requests submitted after the deadline or after the student is already placed in housing may take 30 days to process the request; accordingly, students should submit their requests to the Coordinator of Disability Services at least 30 days prior to the date the student would like to bring the ESA to housing.
The ESA process begins with the Coordinator of Disability Services who processes all disability accommodations and maintains disability documentation for accommodations. This is a two-step process that will be assessed on a case-by-case basis: (1) first, the Coordinator of Disability Services must approve the request for an ESA; (2) then, the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Residence Life must approve the specific animal as an ESA. In making these determinations, the Coordinator of Disability Services and the Assistant Dean of Student/Director of Residence Life will consider the needs of the student, as well as the impact of the ESA on the campus community.
When the need for an ESA is not readily apparent, the Coordinator of Disability Services may request additional official written documentation from a physician, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional, include (1) verification of the student’s disability, (2) a statement on how the animal serves as an accommodation for the documented disability, and (3) a statement on how the need for the ESA relates to the ability of the student to use and gain benefit from Cornell College’s housing. We recommend that students share the Emotional Support Animal Request form with their provider as it states all of the information needed to process the request.
Emotional Support Animal Request Form
This information must be submitted to the Coordinator of Disability Services. You can submit this documentation by fax: 319.895.5187, email (disabilityservices@cornellcollege.edu), or mail.
If additional information is needed, the Coordinator of Disability Services will reach out to the student via email to schedule a meeting with the student. The student may be approved for an ESA or the student may be requested to provide more documentation to proceed.
Step 2 of the Emotional Support Animal Request Process - Evaluation of Animal
Once approved, the Coordinator of Disability Services will notify the Residence Life Office of the approval. The student is then required to provide medical records, vaccinations, animal photos, and agree to animal handling guidelines as deemed appropriate by the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Residence Life. The student must provide these records on an annual basis prior to the Fall semester of the academic year. The approval process of the specific animal as an ESA is completed by the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life and may be subject to a number of considerations including the age of the animal, the space needed to house the animal, the care/feeding requirements of the animal, special equipment requirements, and the risk of transmission of zoonotic disease in the communal living setting. Students are typically only approved to have one animal as their ESA in College housing.
In the event that an emotional support animal is approved to be in College housing, the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Residential Life, Coordinator of Disability Services, or designee will meet with the student owner to review and sign the form: Guidelines and Agreement: Emotional Support Animal in Campus Housing. Once this has been completed, the student owner must follow all sections of the Cornell College Emotional Support Animal Policy, including Handler Responsibilities. For example, permission to have an emotional support animal in College Housing does not extend to other campus facilities or to common areas of the residence hall (e.g., lounges, class/meeting rooms, laundry rooms). ESAs must be contained within the student’s privately assigned residential area (room, suite, apartment) at all times, except as otherwise expressly provided with written approval. When transported outside the private residential area, ESAs must be in an animal carrier or controlled by leash or harness.
Under no circumstances can an animal be on the Cornell College campus until a student has been through the entire ESA process with both Disability Services and Resources and Residence Life. Any animal who is not approved is considered to be a pet and the student will be subject to the student conduct process as defined by the Cornell Compass. Information about Service Animals can be found in our Service Animal Policy.
Renewal of Emotional Support Animal Accommodation
After the initial approval of the Emotional Support Animal (ESA), the student will not need to resubmit documentation from a care provider relating to the need for an ESA. The student will need to resubmit to the Residence Life Office up-to-date veterinary records annually and notify the Residence Life Office of the presence of their animal prior to August 1st.
However, the following scenarios are exceptions to renewal and require the student to resubmit documentation from a care provider relating to the need for an ESA:
- The previously approved animal is no longer a viable option to live on campus and the student-owner is requesting a different animal
- The student-owner is found to be in violation of one or more items in the form: Guidelines and Agreement: Emotional Support Animal in Campus Housing