Residence Hall and Dietary Accommodations

Residence Hall Accommodations

Residence Hall accommodations are provided for students with a variety of disabilities in order to provide equal access to campus housing facilities. Under the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act), it is the responsibility of the student to request accommodations and provide documentation of a disability that has a significant impact on the student's ability to access and use on-campus housing facilities. This documentation must demonstrate that this accommodation is a medical necessity in order to have equal access to housing facilities. All requests for housing accommodations must be submitted to the Disability Services Office. Click here for Information on Requesting Accommodations. 

Requests for housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis according to documented need and prevailing standards for reasonable accommodations. If there is sufficient documentation to determine medical necessity, a referral for the accommodation(s) will be sent to the Housing Office. Requests for housing accommodations should be made as soon as the Advanced Registration Deposit (ARD) has been paid to ensure accommodations are in place for the start of the semester. 

Please Note: Being approved for a  housing accommodation does not guarantee that you will be placed in your first-choice residential hall or with your preferred roommates/friends. The Disability Services Office (DSO) makes determinations regarding functional accommodations in housing to ensure equal access, and is not involved in the process of assigning a student's specific room or specific roommates/suitemates. The process of assigning specific rooms and roommates/suitemates is managed by Housing and Dining Services; questions regarding a student's specific room or specific roommates/suitemates should be directed to the Office of Housing and Dining Services at housing@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4027.

Service Animals living in Residence Halls

Students who reside on-campus and who use a service animal (i.e. trained service dog) must notify the Disability Services Office (dso@kutztown.edu) prior to bringing the animal into the residence hall.  Click here for more information.

Requests for Exception to the Residency Requirement Due to Disability

Kutztown University has established a policy that full-time undergraduate students with less than 60 earned credits who are not veterans, married, or living with parents or legal guardians with a zip code within a 30-mile radius of Kutztown, are required to live in a university-operated residence hall. 

All requests for exceptions to the residency requirement due to disability must be submitted to the DSO following the process for requesting accommodations. Click here for Information on Requesting Accommodations. Documentation of your disability must describe functional limitations resulting from the disability or disabilities, as well as the current impact on daily living activities including living on-campus. Additionally, you need to complete and submit the Residency Exception Request Form found on MyKUHousing.

The DSO will forward justified requests to Residential Life, Housing, and Dining Services. 

Dietary Accommodations

Kutztown University Dining Services offers a variety of foods that promote healthy lifestyles. Recognizing that some students may have food allergies, Dining Services makes every effort to accommodate individual dietary needs. 

  • In South Dining Hall an allergen solution serving station, True Balance, prepares and serves foods that eliminate seven of the most common food allergens including milk, eggs, gluten, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat.
  • In all Dining Service locations across campus, nutritional information about foods being served is posted. Foods containing common allergens, such as nuts, will have additional signage.
  • You may request a consultation with a dietitian to discuss any dietary restrictions and to help develop a safe plan for utilizing on-campus dining services.

Requests for a residence hall with access to a kitchen/requests for an exemption to the on-campus meal plan requirement due to disability-related needs must be submitted to the Disability Services Office (DSO) for review.

    Please note:  Students living in campus residence halls, with the exception of Golden Bear Village (apartment style housing with in-unit kitchens), have a contractual/mandatory meal plan.

    1. First, students must complete and submit the Accommodation Request Form available on the DSO website, as well as the Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form, which will allow the DSO to share food/environmental allergy documentation/information with KU Dining/the KU Nutritionist. A link to the Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form can be found below.
    2. Second, students must submit documentation to support their request for an accommodation for a residence hall with access to a kitchen/a request for an exemption to the meal plan requirement. Documentation guidelines cn be found on the DSO website. Documentation can be uploaded on the DSO website, sent to the DSO via email at DSO@kutztown.edu or faxed to the DSO at 610-683-1520.
    3. Third, once the DSO receives and reviews the student’s Accommodation Request Form, Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form, and sufficient supporting documentation, the student will then receive an email from the KU Nutritionist to schedule a meeting to discuss the request. During a scheduled meeting, the KU Nutritionist will make a determination regarding the requested dining accommodation.
    4. Following the meeting, the KU Nutritionist will relay the dining accommodation determination to KU Housing & Dining and the Disability Services Office (DSO).

      Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form

      Students must fill out the Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form in order to allow the DSO to share food/environmental allergy documentation/information with KU Dining/the KU Nutritionist.

      Documentation Guidelines:

      Submit a letter from your treating physician/specialist that includes the following information:

      • A statement of diagnosis
      • A description of the symptoms
      • A description of specific allergens (food, environmental)
      • A description of current treatment methods
      • Information regarding the impact of the diagnosis on the student’s ability to function (to live and to learn) in the college environment
      • Care provider recommendations for accommodations

      Please Note: All documentation must be typewritten on letterhead, dated, and signed by an evaluator who has the training and appropriate licensure to conduct evaluations and render diagnosis. The documentation must be recent and include the name, title, professional credentials, and contact information of the evaluator.