Student housing questions

lambdaindenver · #1 04-03-2007, 10:27 AM

John - is your question related to reasonable accomodation for a student who may be qualified for reasonable accomodation as a result of a short term or long term physical or mental condition. Then the question of what state, and the nature and ownership of the housing will matter. Some more details please.

john1082 · #2 04-03-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lambdaindenver

John - is your question related to reasonable accomodation for a student who may be qualified for reasonable accomodation as a result of a short term or long term physical or mental condition. Then the question of what state, and the nature and ownership of the housing will matter. Some more details please.

Exactly. The kid is a student at Northern Arizona University and has been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorder. For the past couple of years he has had a single in a dorm (a double room wherein he was the sole ocupant; he paid for both spaces).

For next year the University is saying no dice on that. NAU is enjoying a massive increase in enrollment andthey are short of dorm space for they want everyone to be in a double.

Tom Earp · #3 04-03-2007, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john1082

Exactly. The kid is a student at Northern Arizona University and has been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorder. For the past couple of years he has had a single in a dorm (a double room wherein he was the sole ocupant; he paid for both spaces).

For next year the University is saying no dice on that. NAU is enjoying a massive increase in enrollment andthey are short of dorm space for they want everyone to be in a double.

John, I really do not understand this question. If the individual is willing to pay for a double room then what seems to be the problem?

The Un. wants money for the space and he is paying for it, so where is the problem?

Not knowing the full extent of his problems are medication available to help him?

Isn't there a "Government Agency" that would cover a situation such as this?

I know, a lot of questions but I am very interested in a situation like this.

Good luck.

john1082 · #4 04-03-2007, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

John, I really do not understand this question. If the individual is willing to pay for a double room then what seems to be the problem?

The Un. wants money for the space and he is paying for it, so where is the problem?

Not knowing the full extent of his problems are medication available to help him?

Isn't there a "Government Agency" that would cover a situation such as this?

I know, a lot of questions but I am very interested in a situation like this.

Good luck.

No Federal agency gives a damn right now. Official policy in disability seems to be pray and God will help you. Enforcement of ADA rules has fallen to the lowest level since passage of ADA years ago.

In this case the University wants bodies in rooms, not dollars in pockets. A kid with a single keeps another kid out of a dorm room. This is a balancing act betwen a "reasonable accomodation" for a disabled student and the need of a non-disabled student for a bed in a dorm.

EM1843 · #5 04-03-2007, 05:07 PM

That seems like a reasonable accomodation to me, but what do I know.

john1082 · #6 04-03-2007, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EM1843

That seems like a reasonable accomodation to me, but what do I know.

You know as much as anyone else that I've spoken with.

JonoBN41 · #7 04-03-2007, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john1082

Exactly. The kid...has been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorder.

And sitting all alone in a double room all the time is a good thing??? This doesn't make any sense, nor does the classification as disabled. If he's attending college, how is he disabled?

Tom Earp · #8 04-03-2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

And sitting all alone in a double room all the time is a good thing??? This doesn't make any sense, nor does the classification as disabled. If he's attending college, how is he disabled?

That is a good question and what about medication for the problem?

Hell, I am living alone and that doesn't mean I do not want people around?

If He was physically disabled that may be a difference.

But having a friend roomie should always be good I hope.

GammaZeta · #9 04-03-2007, 06:40 PM

John, I will help out with anything you need me to. Although I am limited, if you point me in a legal direction I can help out.

Just out of curiousity, he has depression and anxiety and has in the past been allowed to live by himself in a double? Why can't he just live in a single by himself? Is there a medical condition where he needs to have the extra room?

GammaZeta · #10 04-03-2007, 06:46 PM

http://www.azada.gov/RightsInfo/PubAccom.asp

john1082 · #11 04-03-2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GammaZeta

http://www.azada.gov/RightsInfo/PubAccom.asp

I appreciatethe link to the codes. I was thinking about crusing overto the law school @ Chapman University to look these up.

The downside to this whole affair is that I'd have to ask the State of Arizona AG to enforce the law againstthe State of Arizona, his employer. That is a tough thing to do. Much better to find some Federal case law that settles the issue.

To compound the situation, the plaintiff wouldn't come off as a sympathetic plaintiff. He's not from Arizona, is overweight, and pursues "an alternate lifestyle". A gay plaintiff just wouldn't garner much support for anything in the State of Arizona.

Matter came to me via a colleague in Alaska who knows that do some work on college campuses - I guess being a High Pi without chapter does this!

john1082 · #12 04-03-2007, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GammaZeta

John, I will help out with anything you need me to. Although I am limited, if you point me in a legal direction I can help out.

Just out of curiousity, he has depression and anxiety and has in the past been allowed to live by himself in a double? Why can't he just live in a single by himself? Is there a medical condition where he needs to have the extra room?

The school doesn't have any singles, that is the problem. If it did then we wouldn't be havingthis discussion. The back story is that NAU has been having an unprecedented surge in enrollment and they are short of dorm space and would like to fill every bed that they can and giving one individual a single occupancy of a double room deprives someone else of that bed, regardless of the price paid.

He has been allowed to live in the double dorm room by himself, paying the goingrate for two spaces for his first two years, but they are balking at year three.

Apparently the anxiety issue drives the need for a single, the ability to go someplace and close the door and not be disturbed.

JonoBN41 · #13 04-03-2007, 09:24 PM

A dorm is not like a hotel. Paying for the double room doesn't pay for the lost tuition of another student who could be living there and attending school.

In effect, this kid is kicking another kid out of college. What gives him the right to do that?

john1082 · #14 04-03-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

And sitting all alone in a double room all the time is a good thing??? This doesn't make any sense, nor does the classification as disabled. If he's attending college, how is he disabled?

Mental illness manifests itself in many ways. One need not be drooling on a park bench in order to be suffering from mental illness, nor does one need to be heavily medicated as we saw in the movie "One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest".

If it affects the ability to engage in daily tasks and he's under some sort of medical treatment then he likely qualifies for some sort of an accomodation. Whenther allowing him to be the sole occupant of a double dorm room (even though he's paying for two spaces) is reasonable is the question.