Expand the section navigation mobile menu

Disability Support Services

202 Wilson Hall
371 Wilson Boulevard
Rochester, MI 48309-4454
(location map)
(248) 370-3266
Fax: (248) 370-4327
[email protected]

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Disability Support Services

202 Wilson Hall
371 Wilson Boulevard
Rochester, MI 48309-4454
(location map)
(248) 370-3266
Fax: (248) 370-4327
[email protected]

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

lake with a fountain, beige and brown building with Oakland University on it in the background

Housing Accommodations

Oakland University is committed to the full participation of students in all aspects of college life including housing and dining experiences. In certain situations, students may need to request special housing and/or dietary accommodations. This is an interactive process, and decisions are made on a case by case basis. Please see below tabs for more information.

To submit a housing and/or dietary request, please download the Housing and/or Dietary Request form and return to 103A North Foundation Hall.

Housing

Students seeking special housing and/or dietary accommodations should complete the following steps:

  • When requesting housing and/or dietary accommodations, students are expected to have already completed all Oakland University housing applications and payment deadlines.
  • Schedule a meeting to register as a student with a disability with the Disability Support Services Office. Provide appropriate documentation. Documentation must come from a licensed professional, establish that the student has a disability, and necessitates a special accommodation. (If the request is a special diet, a diet prescription must be included). Please note that the DSS Office may ask for additional information from the student and/or their practitioner.
  • Obtain and complete the “Housing and/or Dietary Accommodation Form”. This form can be obtained from the Disability Support Service Office or their website www.oakland.edu/dss.
  • Both medical documentation and “Housing and/or Dietary Accommodation Form” should be turned into the Disability Support Services Office.
  • Please do not make a building specific request, but, instead request the accommodation needed (i.e. first floor or building with ac etc.) A building specific request is not considered a reasonable accommodation and cannot be evaluated by the DSS Office.

Upon receiving this information, the following will happen:

  • The DSS Office will review the completed “Housing and/or Dietary Accommodation Form”. They will determine if additional information is needed to support the requested accommodation(s).
  • The DSS Office may consult other professionals to determine appropriate accommodations.
  • Once the DSS Office has sufficient information, they will review the material and disclose the appropriate information to Housing and/or Dining Services.
  • If housing/dietary accommodations are approved they will be provided based on availability.
  • To complete the housing accommodation, the student will then need to meet with the Housing Department.
  • To complete the dining accommodation, the student will then need to meet with the Dining Services Department.
  • A request for an exemption from the residential meal plan will only be approved if the following condition is met: The student has a specific prescribed diet consistent with a medical diagnosis which cannot be accommodated by Dining Services.
Dietary

Students with Food Intolerances or Food Allergies can successfully navigate the Dining Services of Oakland University.

  • Food Intolerances
    A food intolerance is a response that takes place in your digestive system. It occurs when you are unable to properly breakdown food. Often, people can eat small amounts of the food without causing problems. Other times it may cause stomachaches and/or gastrointestinal sensitivities.
  • Food Allergies
    A food allergy involves the immune system. Unlike a food intolerance, a food allergy can cause a serious or even a life threatening reaction by eating even a microscopic amount of a particular food, or touching or inhaling it. Symptoms are allergic reactions such as hives, itchiness, swelling, vomiting and diarrhea. Severe reactions can include Anaphylaxis which includes difficulty breathing, dizziness or loss of conscious. Without immediate treatment, this can be fatal.
  • What Can You Do?
    Typically, if you have a food intolerance, you will want work with Dining Services to become familiar with and aware of the food choices available to you. If you have a food allergy, and it raises to level that it is disabling you from eating with Dining Services, you will want to register with the Disability Support Services. We will verify, through documentation you provide, the severity and nature of your allergy. We will then work closely with you and Dining Services to create a specific and individualized meal plan to meet your needs.
  • Who to contact
    If you have questions, you can contact either Chartwells Dining Services or the Disability Support Services Office. They can provide you information and direct you to the appropriate office. Both Offices’ contact information is listed below:

Chartwells
Patrick Strzyinski
Director of Operations
248-302-6203 Office
[email protected]

Disability Support Services
202 Wilson Hall
248-370-3266
[email protected]

Emotional Support Animals

An Emotional Support Animal is an animal that provides a therapeutic benefit to an individual with a disability. In order to bring an Emotional Support Animal into campus housing, the student must first obtain approval from the Disability Support Services Office.

Students seeking an Emotional Support Animal must complete a two-step process.

Step One:

  • The student will need to register with the Disability Support Services Office on campus.
  • The student will need to provide documentation from a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist currently working with the student. This should be in the form of a signed letter, on professional letterhead, from the individual’s health care provider.
  • Such documentation must include:
    • The nature of the disabling condition or impairment
    • What major life activity is affected?
    • The provider’s professional opinion regarding the relationship between the disability and the support that will be performed by the animal.
    • What are the providers qualifications for recommending an ESA?
    • What symptoms of disability the animal will alleviate, that other measures will not.
    • The provider’s professional opinion regarding the necessity of the animal and why the student could not live in housing without it.
    • The provider’s professional opinion regarding the impact of caring for the animal (financially and emotionally) will have on the student.
    • DSS has an ESA Request form available upon request. This form is preferable to a letter as it provides all necessary information a letter may not include.

Step Two:

Once the Disability Support Services approval process has been completed, the student will be directed to University Housing. The student must complete a required meeting with University Housing regarding the procedures and guidelines for implementation of an Emotional Support Animal in University Housing.

Please contact the Disability Support Services Office if you would like to schedule an appointment.