It is the intent of Siena College to provide an environment that fosters respect and dignity towards all students. For students with documented disabilities, Siena strives to provide reasonable accommodations, including an Emotional Support Animal (ESA). Eligible students should review this ESA Policy and request this accommodation through the Office of Accessibility.
Definitions
Accommodation: A modification or adjustment in policies, procedures, or work/housing/school environment to enable a student to partake in equal opportunities and access to College benefits and services based on a documented disability.
Assistance Animal: This is the umbrella term that encompasses service animals and emotional support animals. Service animals and emotional support animals are not pets; they are animals that provide assistance, perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provide emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptom or effects of a person’s disability.
Service Animal: An animal that is individually trained (or in the process of being trained) to do work or perform specific tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The work or tasks performed by the service animal must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Emotional Support Animal (ESA): An animal that provides emotional support to alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability. Some, but not all, animals that assist persons with disabilities are professionally trained.
Individual with a Disability: For the purpose of this policy, an individual with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
How to Register an Emotional Support Animal
Emotional Support Animal Policy
1. Register with the Office of Accessibility
2. Submit supporting documentation or ESA Documentation Form.
3. Submit up to date Veterinarian Records, if applicable
4. Intake meeting with Director, Lindsay Green
5. ESA Emergency Contact Agreement must be signed and submitted.
6. After approval, the ESA Housing Agreement must be signed.
How to Register a Service Animal
1. Register with the Office of Accessibility.
3. Submit up to date Veterinarian Records.
4. Intake meeting with Director, Lindsay Green.
5. Service Animal Emergency Contact Agreement must be signed and submitted.
6. The Service Animal Agreement must be signed.