Office of Housing and Residential Life
740-427-5142 ∙ reslife@kenyon.edu
www.kenyon.edu/reslife
Policy on Emotional Support Animals
Kenyon College is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities through reasonable
accommodations as required by state and federal laws. While Kenyon College does not permit pets on
campus, the College does comply with federal laws that mandate the consideration of service animals
and emotional support animals in the residential setting for individuals with disabling conditions. The
purpose of this policy is to ensure the well-being of students and community members with respect to
having emotional support animals on campus. Students interested in making a request are asked to
read this policy carefully. This policy pertains to all students living in on-campus housing.
Emotional Support Animals
Kenyon College provides reasonable accommodations for students with a disability, under the Fair
Housing Act (FHA), to have an emotional support animal (ESA) while living in on-campus housing, on a
case-by-case basis when there is a documented need for the same.
An ESA is an animal selected to play an integral part of a person’s treatment process that demonstrates
a good temperament and reliable, predictable behavior. An ESA must be identified, in writing, as
necessary for a student with a disability by a treating healthcare or mental health professional. An ESA
is not a Service Animal (as that term is defined under the ADAAA), and therefore is only allowed in the
student’s immediate residential dwelling (i.e. room only, not in lounges or other buildings on campus
such as classrooms). Having an approved ESA is considered an exemption to the College’s Pet Policy
provided that the ESA’s behavior, noise, odor and waste do not exceed reasonable standards for a wellbehaved animal and that these factors do not create unreasonable disruptions for other community
members.
The Office of Housing and Residential Life, Director of Student Accessibility and Support Services, and
a Representative from the Health and Counseling Center comprise the “ESA Committee” and will
consider these requests based on the following criteria provided by the FHA:
1. The student has a disability
2. The animal is necessary in affording the student the opportunity to use and enjoy their living
space.
3. There is an identifiable relationship, or nexus, between the requested accommodation and the
student’s disability.
The Office of Housing and Residential Life and the above mentioned Committee will make a
determination within 60 calendar days of receipt of an ESA request on whether an accommodation will
be granted.
Reasonable Accommodations
updated 12.02.15
Accommodations must be reasonable. A support animal may be prohibited from a Kenyon College
facility or program if the animal’s behavior or presence poses a direct threat to the health or safety of
others or would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others. A resident whose
approved animal causes a disruption to the residential environment will lose their approval status.
Prohibited animals may include venomous animals and exotic or non-domesticated animals. Reptiles
are discouraged due to their requirement of heat lamps and UVA/B lights which are prohibited in
student housing.
Students are advised that in order to ensure that an ESA does not interfere with the reasonable
enjoyment of housing by other students who may have animal allergies or phobias, the College may
identify certain residential spaces across campus as best suited to accommodate different types of
ESAs. In general, only one ESA per student is allowed.
Process and Documentation
Individuals who are seeking reasonable accommodations for an emotional support animal will be
required to provide written documentation from a treating physician, psychiatrist, or other mental
health professional that the animal provides support that alleviates at least one of the identified
significant symptoms or effects of the existing disability. The following steps must be completed at
least two weeks prior to bringing a support animal on campus:
1. Meet with the Director of Student Accessibility and Support Services to review the ESA Policy.
2. Complete a Housing Accommodation Consideration form and have a treating health or medical
care provider complete the required medical documentation.
3. Once all documentation is received, the ESA Committee will meet and determine if the request
is a reasonable accommodation.
4. If the ESA accommodation is approved, meet with the Associate Director of Housing and
Residential Life or designee to review and complete the ESA Agreement.
5. Provide proof of vaccinations (if applicable) to the Office of Housing and Residential Life.
Please note, as each request is handled on a case-by-case basis, additional interactive
discussions/meetings and/or documentation may be necessary.
Approval will be given on an annual basis, so a resident must complete a new application form each
academic year. Upper-class students should complete all of the steps outlined above before leaving
the campus at the conclusion of the previous school year. Ideally, upper-class students will have
completed the process during the Housing Accommodation process held during Spring semester
typically held in February. First-year and transfer students should complete all of the steps outlined
above at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
Appeal Process
If a student’s accommodation request is denied by the ESA Committee, the student may file a written
appeal to the Dean of Students within five (5) business days of the denial. In the appeal, the student
should describe what new information is being provided. Only one appeal is permitted.
Resident’s Responsibilities
Residents must comply with all state laws and local animal ordinances, as well as Housing and
Residential Life policies. These include, but are not limited to:
● Ohio Animal Cruelty Laws
● Local Animal Ordinances
updated 12.02.15
The resident with an approved ESA is responsible for the control, care and supervision of the ESA at all
times, as well as for ensuring that the animal does not unduly interfere with the routine activities of
the residential facility or any of the students who live there.
The resident is financially responsible for the actions of the approved animal, including damage to
college or personal property or harm to others. Any extra cleaning charges that result from the
approved animal’s presence will be the resident’s responsibility. All spaces must be returned to an
allergen-free level and a third-party, college approved pest control/cleaning service may be used. The
student will also be responsible for any costs incurred should the ESA need to be removed for any
reason by College personnel or animal control professionals.
An approved ESA must remain within the resident’s assigned residential space at all times, except when
being transported outside in an approved manner. Residential Life will work with the resident to
identify appropriate spaces for the animal to exercise and relieve itself, based on where the student
resides. The student is responsible for cleaning up and properly disposing of all of the ESA’s waste.
When outside the residential space, the animal must be controlled and on a leash or in an animal carrier
and the student must carry verification that the animal has been approved. If the resident leaves
campus for a period of time, they must take the approved animal with them and may not leave the
animal on campus overnight or longer, even if under the care of another person. The resident may not
bring the approved animal to class or to other activities on campus. *NOTE: Students needing break
housing must specify this need in their request, as approved ESAs will not be permitted to stay in
another student’s room during a break period.
Reasonable accommodation under the College’s Emotional Support Animal policy does not constitute
an exception to any other policy.
Additional and more detailed items can be found in Kenyon’s ESA Agreement, which must be signed
before an ESA will be permitted on campus.
Additional Information:
Kenyon College may take reasonable steps to notify neighboring residents, appropriate staff (such as
the Office of Housing Residential Life, Campus Safety and/or Maintenance Department), or visitors of
the presence of an animal in the residence hall, to mitigate issues related to allergic reactions, phobias,
religious conflicts, or other health and safety related concerns.
Approved animals must be vaccinated and licensed in accordance with local ordinances.
Documentation of vaccinations is due at time of approval. Dogs and cats must also receive monthly
preventative flea and tick treatments.
Residents who do not follow the policies outlined above or whose animal is not under their direct
control may lose the accommodation of having an ESA on campus. Under these circumstances, the
resident will still be required to fulfill their housing obligations in their assignment for the remainder
of the contract period.
Questions related to this policy should be directed to the Office of Housing and Residential Life, 740427-5142 or reslife@kenyon.edu.
updated 12.02.15