Requesting Housing Accommodations

Columbia College Chicago provides reasonable housing accommodations to students with disabilities who have a verifiable need for the accommodation.  A reasonable accommodation is an exception to the usual rules, policies, practices or services that a resident with a disability may need to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy college housing.    

• Incoming Students and New Requests by Returning Students
  • Housing accommodations are based upon first come, first served and available inventory at the time. We strongly encourage you to submit your application and documentation for a Housing Accommodation Request as soon as possible. If your documentation is not received by the SSD Housing Accommodation Deadlines listed below, the College cannot guarantee it will be able to meet your housing accommodation for the upcoming semester and will be subject to availability. 
    • Fall Semester Deadline: May 1st 
    • Spring Semester Deadline: November 1st 

  
  

  • Housing Accommodation Requests may still be reviewed after the SSD Housing Accommodation Dealine. We encourage all students to submit their Housing Accommodation Request with the understanding that after the deadlines the College cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet your housing accommodation for the upcoming semester and it will be subject to availability.  

  
  

  • Students requesting accommodations due to disability-related housing concerns must also complete a housing application with HRE to be considered for placement. Students should refer to Housing and Residential Experience (HRE) for Housing Application Deadlines which may differ from SSD Housing Accommodation Deadlines. 

  
  

  • If students have submitted their Housing Accommodation Request after the SSD Housing Accommodation Deadline, are approved, and their requested inventory is not available, they may be placed on a waitlist through HRE for an assignment meeting their accommodation needs.

   

  • Campus residential facilities are considered communal environments and are not designed to be, nor should they be viewed as, academic areas or spaces to decompress. Therefore, requests from students seeking private or reduced capacity placement for studying or decompressing will generally not be approved. 

  
  

   

  Application Instructions

  • To apply for Housing Accommodations is a three step process. You must complete all three steps for your application to be complete.  
    • Complete an online Application for Services on MySSD.  
      • Please use the Instruction Guide to help with the application 
      • You will be required to use your Columbia College Chicago credentials. 
    • Submit Documentation 
      • We request that your doctor, therapist, or other reliable licensed third party who can verify that you have a disability and your disability-related need for a housing accommodation to provide you with an equal opportunity to use and enjoy college housing completes a Verification of Disability form, or letter on your provider's letterhead dated, signed, and containing the same information requested in the form.
      • Your provider should include as much information as possible and at a minimum, sufficient detail showing a clear nexus between the functional limitations/impacts experienced by you due to your disability and the need for the requested accommodation for equal access to housing.  
      • Once completed, you will need to submit it online as part of your application. 
    • Attend an Intake Meeting. 
      • After we receive your application and documentation, our staff will review it in the order in which it was received. 
      • SSD will then contact you with questions or to schedule an intake appointment.  
      • The intake appointment allows us to discuss your disability and what accommodations and other supports we can put in place to assist you.  

   

  Approved accommodations will not guarantee a preferred placement location and cannot coordinate requests for specific roommate/suitemates. Upon approval, SSD determines accommodations to meet the functional necessity and accessibility in housing. Placement is then coordinated and communicated to the student by HRE through their process. 

   

  Timeline for Processing Housing Applications

  While SSD strives to respond promptly to all submissions, in times of high volumes (such as the summer months and the period leading up to housing placement), an expeditious timeline cannot be guaranteed. The student should be regularly checking their school email (@colum.edu) for updates from SSD or our Coordinator regarding Housing Accommodation Requests and are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns. 

   

  Questions? 

  SSD 

  P: 312-369-8296 

  Email: ssd@colum.edu 

• Returning Students with Existing Housing Accommodations
  • If you are a student who has previously worked with SSD on a housing accommodation, we recommend you participate in the same room sign-up process. This is the only way to guarantee that the type of room that meets your needs will be available in the housing inventory for the upcoming academic year. Students should refer to Housing and Residential Experience (HRE) for timelines and procedures for same room sign-up. 

  
  

  • If you have concerns or feel that signing up for the same room will no longer meet your needs for the upcoming academic year, please contact SSD.  

  
  

  • If you are a displaced student and unsure about how to proceed, please contact SSD and/or HRE. 

  
  

  • If you have new needs going into an upcoming semester or academic year, please reach out to SSD for next steps.

   

   

  Timeline for Processing Housing Applications

  While SSD strives to respond promptly to all submissions, in times of high volumes (such as the summer months and the period leading up to housing placement), an expeditious timeline cannot be guaranteed. The student should be regularly checking their school email (@colum.edu) for updates from SSD or our Coordinator regarding Housing Accommodation Requests and are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns. 

   

  Questions? 

  SSD 

  P: 312-369-8296 

  Email: ssd@colum.edu