2019-2020 Student Handbook

University Policies: I through Z

Immunizations

All students, graduate and undergraduate, taking 6 or more hours are required to comply with Illinois requirements for documenting immunizations before the first day of class.

Students must go to Wellness Center Online, login with DU credentials and document these Immunizations: 

  • Two MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) after the first birthday.
  • A TDAP (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) within the past 10 years.
  • One Meningitis vaccine since the 16th birthday for students under 22 years of age.
  • Students over 57 years of age need document only the TDAP requirement.
  • International students are required to have a history of two additional tetanus.

Students in education, nutrition, nursing and physician assistant programs must meet additional requirements.

Any waiver of these immunizations requires an appointment at the Wellness Center. Please call 708-524-6229 to schedule.

Illinois state law requires that these immunizations be documented, and if not that students may be subject to removal from classes if there is an outbreak of communicable diseases.  Please be aware Chicago area schools have experienced such outbreaks recently.

Fines: Failure to comply with the law will result in the assessment of fines of $75 per semester and/or the withholding of registration, grades or transcripts until compliance is complete.

Immunization records are available from your high school, previous university or your personal physician and may be uploaded at dom.edu/Wellness. The Wellness Center can affordably provide any missing immunizations and blood tests to verify and document immunity. If you are submitting a blood test as proof of immunity, you need to supply numerical values from an accredited laboratory.

If you have any questions regarding immunization records, please call the Wellness Center at (708) 524-6229.

Information Technology

The policies listed below represent an abridged version of the IT policies. For a detailed list of all IT policies and procedures, please visit the website at: http://duit.dom.edu. All changes will be documented on the website.

E-MAIL
Website: http://mail.dom.edu

Dominican University email is an official form of communication from the university. Students are responsible for communication received from the university through their email account. Staff, faculty, and students are expected to check their official e-mail address on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with University communications. All student records are established so that their Dominican email address is the first used by all university systems.

Student email is hosted by Microsoft Office 365 and will be provided for life to alumni, when requested prior to their graduation. Student emails are formed by your username and “@my.dom.edu”.

You may have your email electronically redirected to another email address; however, if you use email redirection from your DU email address to another email address (e.g., @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com), you do so at your own risk. The University will not be responsible for the handling of email by outside vendors.

It is up to you to take the steps that may be necessary with your personal email account to allow for the receiving of email forwarded from their dom.edu email account. These steps may include, but are not necessarily limited to, adding the dom.edu address to a ‘safe-senders’ list and/or adjustment of any spam filters. Having email redirected does not absolve anyone of the responsibilities associated with communication sent to his or her official email address.

  • For more information on accessing and setting up mobile devices to access your student email account, please visit our IT website at http://duit.dom.edu.

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS

DU provides an Emergency Notification System that will send you a text to a cell phone number that you designate. The intent of this system is to send you a text when an Emergency exists on our campus. You cannot opt out of getting messages to your Dominican email, but you can choose to get email messages and texts to other email address and phone numbers.

  • To enroll in the Emergency Notification System, login to MyDU (http://mydu.dom.edu) and click on the Emergency Notification System link on the left hand side of the page.
  • To check the status of an emergency, visit our online alert system at http://www2.dom.edu/alert

IDENTIFICATION CARDS

The Star Card is a vital component of your day-to-day experience at Dominican University.  Students are required to have their Star Card on them at all times while on campus.  In addition to identification purposes, the Star Card is used for checking out materials in the library, Meal Plan or Dining Services and building/facility access.

Please refer to the website for more details and FAQ. http://www2.dom.edu/starcard

Meal Plan Requirement

Dominican University requires all students living on campus to purchase a meal plan. Meal plan modifications and exemptions are rare, and these decisions are made based on documented health conditions that require special diets for which Dining Services is unable to accommodate. Please contact Dining Services to discuss your dietary needs.

Missing Person

 A student shall be deemed missing when it is reported that the student has been absent from the University for more than 24 hours without any known reason. All reports of missing students should be directed to Campus Safety to begin an investigation. The report of the alleged missing student and any information related to the investigation is maintained confidentially, will be accessible only to authorized campus officials, and may not be disclosed, except to law enforcement personnel in furtherance of a missing person investigation. 

 

If a missing student is under the age of 18 years of age and is not an emancipated minor, the Dean of Students is required to notify the parent or guardian of the missing student, as well as any additional contact person designated by the student, no later than 24 hours after the determination by Campus Safety that the student is missing. Regardless of whether the student has identified a contact person, is above the age of 18, or is an emancipated minor, Campus Safety will notify the River Forest Police no later than 24 hours after it determines that any student is missing. 

One Process

Dominican University is committed to supporting the dignity of every human person and the development of a community marked by truth, love and justice. Gender-based and sexual misconduct compromise the integrity of human relationships and threaten the security and well-being of all individuals. Not only are gender-based and sexual misconduct unlawful but they also undermine the atmosphere of trust and respect that is essential to creating an authentic, supportive community. The Dominican community expects that interpersonal relationships and interactions will be grounded in mutual respect, open communication and clear consent. Through these policies, the University strives to eliminate all forms of gender-based and sexual misconduct as well as prevent their recurrence, and address their effects on individuals and our entire community.

Members of the university community, guests and visitors have the right to be free from all forms of gender based and sexual misconduct. This includes the right to be free from discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and expression.

In order to foster a campus environment that is safe space for all, Dominican University has a responsibility to investigate and resolve allegations of gender-based and sexual misconduct.  When an allegation of such behavior emerges from the community or from any individual making a complaint, the University will take prompt action to maintain the safety of its community members and will act to protect all parties.  If an investigation reveals violations of the gender-based and sexual misconduct policy, the University will impose sanctions and/or other corrective actions to address the violation and prevent its recurrence.

Please visit One Process for the complete policies and procedures. 

Parking

Campus Safety is responsible for monitoring vehicles parked on campus. Campus Safety officers patrol the parking garage and parking lots to help create a safe environment. They are also charged with the responsibility of ticketing parking violators and enforcing parking regulations.

The Dominican University parking garage and parking lots are only open to properly registered and permitted vehicles. The three parking lots are: the East Lot with an entrance on Park Avenue, the West Lot with an entrance on Division Street and off Thatcher Avenue, and the Greenfield lot adjacent to the parking garage. The parking garage, accessible from the West Lot, is located on the northwest side of the Main Campus. Dominican also offers remote parking at the Priory Campus at 7200 West Division Street. Shuttle service is available seven days a week. A shuttle schedule is available at the Welcome and Information desk or at myDU. 

Visitor parking is reserved for the parking of a non-student, non-faculty or a non-staff member.

Short-term visitor parking, without a permit, is located around the circle, inside the main entrance at 7900 West Division Street. Short-term visitor parking is for visitors who are on campus for less than two hours.

Long-term visitor parking is for visitors who are on campus for longer than two hours. They should not park around the circle, but rather register for a temporary permit and park in the East or West lot or parking garage. Temporary permits are available at the Campus Safety Office or the Welcome and Information Desk.

The East lot is reserved for Resident Parking ONLY. Vehicles not displaying the Resident permit will be ticketed. **Please note that this restriction will be waived during all home athletic events held in the Igini Sports Forum**

Campus Safety will be enforcing the 2am-6am overnight restriction for all vehicles including resident permits in all parking areas seven days a week. Residents can only park in the East Lot overnight or by special instruction from Campus Safety during inclement weather. All overnight guests who need to leave their vehicle on campus overnight will need to obtain a temporary overnight permit.

Roof level parking in the parking garage will only be allowed Monday thru Friday 8am– 8pm. Any vehicles parked outside of those hours will be ticketed. Access to the roof level will be blocked outside of those hours.

Parking Permits

Parking permit information can be found online.

Parking Tickets

Dominican University parking tickets are issued for parking violations on campus. The due date for fine payment or appeal is 14 days from the date of the ticket. The amount of the fine may be added to your tuition bill or deducted from your paycheck.

Campus Safety officers will ticket the following violations:

  • Vehicles without a valid permit.
  • Vehicles improperly parked in lots, fire lanes, near fire hydrants, handicapped spots, loading docks, reserved parking, other restricted areas, and vehicles exceeding the speed limit.
  • River Forest Police also ticket violations in fire lanes, handicapped spaces, and near fire hydrants.

Additionally any vehicle displaying a falsified permit, counterfeit permit, unregistered permit or an unauthorized copy of a permit will be considered in violation of the parking policy and will be ticketed.

Parking enforcement is in effect 24 /7 and 365 days a year. Parking at Dominican University is allowed by permit only, which includes both Main and Priory campuses.

Vehicles receiving a third ticket will have an orange tow warning sticker placed on the driver’s side window. This warning sticker is to inform the vehicle operator that the vehicle is eligible to be towed away at the owner’s expense. On the fourth violation, the vehicle will be ticketed and towed.

The River Forest Police Department also patrols and tickets on campus. River Forest Police generally ticket vehicles blocking fire lanes or throughways and handicapped parking violators. River Forest tickets are completely independent of Dominican University. To appeal, one may have to appear in front of a village hearing officer or in court.

Parking Ticket Appeals

To appeal a Dominican parking ticket, submit a Support Center case at http://supportcenter.dom.edu. A review board will meet and communicate to you via your DU email address only. 

You must file for an appeal within 14 days of the violation or you will be unable to appeal the ticket.

The purchase of a parking permit allows you to park on campus. It does not guarantee you a spot.

The following types of reasons are not acceptable grounds for appeal:

  • lack of knowledge of the regulations(i.e. have not read regulations)
  • other vehicles were also parked improperly
  • late to class or appointment
  • disagreement with or inability to pay the amount of fine(s)
  • lack of space
  • unread or misunderstood signs

Posting

General Guidelines

  1. Publicity can be posted only on designated bulletin boards, limited to 23 posters, including the Priory Campus. An additional 20 fliers may be given to Student Life to be posted in the Residence Halls.
  2. Publicity may not be posted on any doors, doorways, windows or walls.
  3. Publicity must be posted on bulletin boards using a push pin or staple. Do not use tape on the bulletin boards.
  4. Publicity must be in good taste and professional looking. 
  5. Only post one poster per bulletin board.
  6. Publicity is to be removed within 24 hours after the event by the sponsoring department/organization. Removing your outdated publicity will reduce the problem of space limitations. 
  7. Publicity may not be posted over existing approved publicity.
  8. All publicity will be permitted to be posted for a 14-day period. After that time, the publicity must be removed or re-approved by the Office of Student Life or Office of the Dean of Students.
  9. Publicity that is posted incorrectly will be removed and discarded.
  10. All publicity must state “Sponsored by your organization/department” and “For more information contact (708) xxx-xxxx/xxx@dom.edu.”

Additional guidelines are below for student organizations, departments and off-campus postings.

Posting Areas

There are specific posting areas on campus for Dominican University-sponsored events/activities. Publicity may only be posted on these bulletin boards. Any publicity found posted inappropriately will be removed and disposed of immediately. The following is a list of bulletin boards where approved publicity may be posted. Each bulletin board is designated as an on-campus posting area.

Fliers are not to be posted in the Banner/Large Poster areas.  Fliers from these areas will be removed and recycled.

  1. “L”- on the bulletin board near the bookstore
  2. Lower Level of the Crown Library – next to the elevator
  3. Lower Level of Lewis Hall – near Technology Center
  4. Center Lewis Stairwell – on bulletin boards only
  5. Parmer Hall - bulletin boards by elevator on first floor, bulletin board by vending machine on first floor, bulletin board in North entrance foyer
  6. Parking Garage - both stairwells
  7. Fine Arts Building – first floor by the copier
  8. Lower Level Student Center – bulletin board at the bottom of the stairwell from the Clock Lobby to the Underground
  9. MAC – second floor near 210
  10. Priory Campus – first and second floor bulletin boards

The following are NOT approved areas: South and North Stairwells in Lewis; Lewis Alcove; Social Hall; Clock Lobby; Cyber Café Pillars; Cyber Café entrance (between sliding glass doors); Parmer Hall Atrium, Parmer stairwells and doors; lockers; elevators; bathrooms/bathroom stalls; floors; sidewalks.  

Banner/Large Poster Policy
Due to the limited space available to post large publicity, large publicity/banners will be posted for no more than seven days. Fliers are not to be posted in the Banner/Large Poster areas. 

The following are approved areas for posting banners:

  1. Dining Hall
  2. Lower Level of Crown Library or Lower Level of Lewis Hall (publicity may only be in one of these locations)
  3. Dining Hall at Priory

All banners and large posters must be posted using masking tape. All banners must be stamped/approved; otherwise, it will be removed and recycled. 

Table Tents
Table tents may be displayed in the Dining Hall, Cyber Café, and Priory Dining Hall. Table tents must follow the guidelines outlined in section one. All student organization table tents must be approved and stamped by the Office of Student Life. Table tents for departments must be approved by the Dean of Students office.  Fliers on tables do not constitute table tents and will be removed and discarded.

Clubs and Organizations

  1. The Office of Student Life must stamp all advertising: posters, fliers, banners, table tents and other similar notices.
  2. Publicity must state “Sponsored by your organization.” Also, you should always include: “For more information contact (708) xxx-xxxx.”
  3. Publicity will not be approved if all necessary paperwork is not completed and the event/activity has not been approved.
  4. A club or organization found to be in violation of these guidelines will be sanctioned as appropriate.

 

University Departments/Offices
Publicity that is posted by a university department or office does not need to be approved/stamped, with the exception of Banners and Table Tents. It is the responsibility of the department to follow the guidelines outlined in section one which includes the posting and removal of publicity. Publicity that does not follow the guidelines will be removed and discarded. All publicity must state:  “Sponsored by your department” and “For more information, contact (708) xxx-xxxx.”

Publicity can only be posted for 14 days.

Non-Dominican University Events, Jobs, Items for Sale

  1. All non-Dominican University publicity must be approved through the Welcome and Information Desk.
  2. There are only two bulletin board areas on the Main Campus for non-Dominican University items on the main campus: lower level of Lewis Hall near the Vending Machines and the L (near the computer kiosks) and one bulletin board at the Priory Campus.
  3. Fliers will only be posted for 14 days.

If you would like to request an exception to this policy, a written request must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students 14 days in advance.

Residence Halls

Each student in the residence halls is expected to exercise self-discipline and to respect the rights and privacy of other students. In a community living environment, rules and policies must be observed by everyone in order to maintain the operation of the residence halls, as well as the personal and academic success of all residents.

If a student engages in behavior that violates student life or university policies, an incident report can be filed. Any student or staff member may file an incident report. Students and staff members should inform the involved parties when they are being documented for an incident. Policy violations will be subject to the Student Conduct process or One Process.

Appliances and Electrical Equipment

Students may not cook in their room. Electric skillets, broilers, hot plates, toasters and other equipment normally used to cook food are not allowed. For safety reasons, halogen lamps, space heaters, candle warmers, electric blankets, electric sheets or mattress pads, soldering tools and sun lamps cannot be used in student rooms. Students will be held financially responsible for damages caused. Other small appliances, such as coffee makers and popcorn poppers, can be used if the heating element is completely enclosed. Incandescent and fluorescent study lights are allowed. Small refrigerators and small microwaves are allowed. The electrical requirement limits are 120 volts, 60 hertz, 2.5 amps.

No antennas of any type are to be attached to the outside of the residence halls. This includes CB antennas and satellite dishes outside windows of student rooms.

Air conditioners are not allowed in the public areas or private rooms of residents. The buildings are not equipped to handle the electrical needs of such items. Anyone needing a window unit A/C must submit proper documentation to the Disability Support Services office and receive approval prior to installing any air conditioning units. A room assignment may need to be shifted to accommodate the electrical requirements in the building.

Check-In/Out Procedures and Dates

All residents must officially meet with a member of the Student Life staff when checking into a room, when checking out of a room or when changing rooms. Failing to check in and check out is a violation of residence hall policy. Improper check-out will result in a fine of $150 or more. Students not leaving by the closing date will be charged $150/day. Damages or missing items will result in additional charges to the students’ account.

When moving into a room, students must fill out and sign a room condition report indicating necessary repairs, along with a checklist indicating the general condition of the room. When students check out of the room, students will fill out and sign the same room condition report. Students will be held responsible for damages to their rooms during the time they lived there or any missing furniture.

Students may also elect to do an express check out, in which case they return their keys and ID in an envelope provided by Student Life. By selecting this option, students agree that any charges that may be applied at check-out cannot be disputed.

Students must check out either 24 hours after their last final or by noon on the Saturday of winter closing, or 5 p.m. the Friday of spring closing. Any belongings left in the student’s room after the official date of closing becomes property of the university and will be disposed of appropriately.  Students may be fined for an improper check-out.

Dates for check-in are as follows: August 23, 2019, for new students and August 24, 2019, for returning students for the fall semester. Halls close for the winter break at 12 p.m. on December 14, 2019. Halls re-open on January 12, 2020 at 12 p.m. for the semester. Halls close for the year on May 10, 2020, at 5 p.m.

Common Areas

Commons areas are available for studying, socializing, meetings and programs. The lounge furniture is not to be removed for use elsewhere. If furniture is missing from a lounge or damaged or unusual cleaning is needed, the hall, floor, cluster, suite and/or wing will be held financially responsible. A charge of $25 per day will be assessed for unauthorized university furniture found in a student’s room. Resident students may not leave any furniture from their rooms or any other personal belongings in any common area of the university. Student Life may conduct searches for missing common area furniture at any time.

A kitchen is available for student use adjacent to the Coughlin Commons. Students must supply their own cookware. Any damages in the kitchen will be included in the resident’s damage billing. Residents choosing to use it are expected to maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen. The kitchen may be closed down due to lack of cleanliness.

Sporting Equipment

Students are not allowed to use any type of sporting equipment in the residence halls, including student rooms, hallways, lounges, stairwells and restrooms. Wearing cleats, roller blades or skates is not permitted in any building.  Dribbling, kicking, or other playing of balls/athletic equipment is also prohibited.

Disruptive Behavior

Each Resident student can have a maximum of three additional individuals in their room at one time.  This includes guests and other resident students.  If, in the opinion of a university official, the number of people in a room is disruptive to the community, the individuals may be asked to leave. 

Quiet Hours

Quiet hours are in effect from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. During these hours, residents are expected to reduce their noise level, both inside and in the vicinity of the residence halls, to a level that will not disturb other residents. During final examinations, the Student Life staff will institute a strictly enforced 24-hour quiet hour policy.

Courtesy Hours

Courtesy hours are in effect at all times, 24 hours a day. A student should request another resident to alter their noise level if it is disruptive.   A student or staff member can document a situation if noise is excessive, including loud music, yelling, etc. 

Pets

 

Fish are the only pets allowed in the residence halls, with all roommates’ permission. Spot

inspections will be made if there is a probable cause to believe that animals other than fish are

living in the residence halls. Aquariums must be removed from the residence halls during all

breaks. Students who are found to have animals other than fish living in their rooms will be

referred to the student conduct process.

Room Changes

Room changes are not encouraged and are not allowed until the third week of the semester. After this time, a room change is warranted only after all residents of the room have attempted to work out any differences. Any resident wishing to change rooms should contact his or her RA who will mediate a conflict resolution meeting. If a room change is still requested, Student Life staff will meet with the students involved to determine a resolution and/or room change. Roommate agreements will be utilized as a tool during mediation conversations and will be revised to meet the changing needs and expectations in the resident’s shared space. Students must follow proper check-out and check-in procedures when changing rooms. If a student changes a room without authorization from the Office of Student Life, they are subject to a fine.

For room changes that are mutual swaps and agreed upon by all parties, students need to fill out the room change form from the Student Life website. For students whom are unhappy with their current room and would like to change rooms, they can go on the wait-list, also available on the Student Life website. Student Life will review the wait-list periodically each semester. For any students switching rooms at the semester break, all room changes must be completed prior to leaving campus in December.  Room change requests will not be accommodated after March 30, 2020 unless there is an emergency or safety concern approved by Student Life.

Room Condition

Rooms should be in the same general condition when residents move out as when they moved in. Residents should be careful not to cause any permanent damage to their rooms.

If a resident damages his or her room, the Student Life will bill the resident’s account for the damage, replacement and labor cost. Student Life has discretion with regard to billing students for damages and improper check out. Final charges for damages will be assessed after check-out and cannot be appealed after June 15, 2020.

Students may not make permanent structural changes in their rooms. This includes painting, wallpapering, wallpaper borders, attaching loft panels and paneling. Residents are asked to use masking tape to fasten pictures and posters to the walls. Glued picture hooks, nails, and/or scotch tape are not permitted. Waterbeds are not permitted. Lighted signs, alcoholic beverage or drug related signage, alcohol container displays, and street or public works signs are not permitted and will be considered stolen property. Window screens must remain in place and closed at all times. Residents may be charged for screens that are not in place.

The outside of a room, including doors and windows, is considered a common area. Displays offensive to others or decorations that are a fire hazard are prohibited.  Nothing is permitted to be visible in the windows, hanging or attached outside the window.

Room Consolidation

Student Life has the authority to move a resident into a double room that is being occupied by only one person. First-year students are rarely allowed to occupy single rooms. First-year students will be consolidated into double rooms if at all possible. Any student who has been assigned to a double room as a single may be assigned a roommate at any time. Advance notice will be given to those students, when possible.

Room Entry. Room Search and Confiscation

Students can expect to have a reasonable degree of privacy in their residential spaces and in the community at large.  However, when circumstances warrant, Campus Safety Officers are authorized to enter a student's room.  Circumstances warranting entry relate to safety, security, health, legal, student conduct, or general well-being concerns.  Students are expected to cooperate with those conducting a search and/or carrying out their duties associated with room entry.  Reasonable effort will be made to ensure that the student whose room or property being searched is present.  If a student(s) is present and does not permit a search, Campus Safety will inform the student(s) that local law enforcement may be contacted and an involuntary search may be conducted. If the student is not present, the student will be notified in writing of the search, the reason for the search, and its outcome. 

Campus Safety personnel and/or Student Life staff may enter rooms when staff has reasonable cause in the following circumstances:

  • A violation of health or safety regulations or of university or residence hall policy is suspected.
  • Possibility of an emergency exists involving immediate danger to life, safety, health and/or property.
  • When a noise disturbance exists in the room.
  • Illegal use of drugs or alcohol or evidence of another crime or policy violation is suspected.
  • It is suspected that an act of vandalism has occurred or is occurring.
  • If a particular item or piece of information (such as medication or telephone number) is located in the room and would be useful in responding to an emergency involving immediate danger to life, safety, health or property.
  • For periodic environmental checks (i.e. furniture inventory, engineering/cleanliness concerns). All efforts will be made to conduct these checks during fall, winter and spring breaks and at the discretion of the university.

 

Confiscations

  • Any items confiscated during a room search will be photographed where found as evidence. Those items seized in a search will be secured in a locked evidence locker by Campus Safety personnel. If the item(s) are legal but not allowed in the residence halls, they may be returned depending on the circumstances and/or the outcome of the student conduct hearing. Returning items is at the sole discretion of the university.

Room Inspections

Scheduled room inspections will occur before breaks and after the halls have closed. These inspections are conducted to ensure that building maintenance, safety, sanitation and property control requirements are being followed. The Director of Student Life and/or their designee will notify students of a room inspection explaining how to properly prepare the room. Failure to prepare one’s room is considered a violation of policy.

An unscheduled room inspection may happen at any time. Students should be aware that any items prohibited by law or university policy may be confiscated and the incident will be referred to the Student Conduct process. 

If a student leaves belongings in their room after they move out of the residence halls, those items become property of the university and the student will be charged an improper check-out fee.

Theft

Thefts should be reported to campus safety staff immediately. Doors should be locked at all times and personal belongings should not be left unattended. Dominican University does not accept any responsibility for loss or theft occurring in the halls. Residents are financially responsible for all damage and loss of university property. Students are encouraged to obtain renters’ insurance policies.  If students would like the River Forest Police called for an alleged theft, they can make that request to the Campus Safety staff.

Vacation and Break Housing

Residents are expected to vacate the residence halls during break periods. Dining, recreational and other university services may not be available during university break periods. Students who receive permission to stay during school breaks may be assessed a housing charge and may be required to participate in a university meal plan.

At the end of each semester, all students must officially check out of the residence halls within 24 hours after completing their last final examination or by the time the residence halls officially close, whichever occurs first.

Since students receive the university schedule at the beginning of each year, travel plans must be made accordingly. Extensions to arrive prior to the start of a semester or stay after will not be given readily. Early arrivals or drop-offs will only be made in special situations.

All students must vacate the residence halls by May 9, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.

Service and Assistant/Emotional Support Animals

As outlined in Dominican University’s One Process policy, Dominican University provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. The University allows individuals with Service Animals access to buildings on campus, including University Housing. The University will allow qualified students with disabilities to have Assistance/Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in University Housing on a case-by-case basis according to the policy outlined below.

 

Service Animals

Per Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Dominican University allows a person with a disability to be accompanied by a service animal in all places where students and members of the public are permitted to go, except where animals are specifically prohibited due to a health or safety hazard. Service animals are defined as dogs (and in some cases miniature horses) that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, and alerting/protecting a person who is having a seizure. The provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of defining a service dog. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

 

Assistance/Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)

Per the Fair Housing Act, Dominican University provides reasonable accommodations for a student with a disability to have an assistance/emotional support animal (ESA) in University housing. An ESA is an animal that is necessary to afford a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling when there is an identifiable relationship or nexus between the person’s disability and the assistance the animal provides. Assistance or Emotional support animals include species other than dogs and miniature horses. An ESA is prescribed to an individual with a disability by a health care or mental health professional and is an integral part of a person’s treatment process.

 

Assistance or emotional support animals are generally only allowed within a student’s residence in University housing, though requests for the emotional support or assistance animal to accompany the student to other campus locations will be considered on a case by case basis. Requests should be made to the Disability Support Services Coordinator, located in the Lower Level of Parmer Hall. There must be a link between the animal and a disability. Emotional distress resulting from having to give up an animal because of a “no pets” policy does not qualify a person for an accommodation under federal law.

 

Dominican University Service and Assistance and Emotional Support Animal Policy Requirements

1.         Students who seek to have a service or assistance animal in University Housing must notify the Disability Support Services Coordinator as soon as possible, ideally at least 45 days prior to move-in.

2.         The student must complete the Service and Assistance Animal Agreement in full and comply with its rules.

3.         The student must provide documentation of the disability and disability-related need for an emotional support animal from the student’s health care professional.

4.         Review and approval by the Dominican University DSS Office.

 

No animal may be permitted in University housing that:

  1. Is not approved by the Disability Support Services office (DSS Office).
  2. Is out of control or not housebroken.
  3. Poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
  4. Would cause substantial physical damage to University property or the property of others.
  5. Would pose an undue financial and administrative burden.
  6. Results in a fundamental alteration of the University’s program(s).
  7. Is too large for the space.

 

Appeal

If a requested accommodation is not approved, or a student is required to remove a service or assistance animal due to a violation of the Service and Assistance Animal Agreement, the student may attempt to work with the Disability Support Services Coordinator informally to resolve the complaint. If the informal process is unsuccessful or if the student does not wish to use it, a formal grievance may be initiated. All formal grievances should be submitted via Dominican University’s One Process Policy.

Student Complaints and Grievances

Dominican University provides several means by which student complaints and grievances may be addressed. In all cases, students are advised to put their complaints in writing and carefully document the events that led to the complaint or grievance.  For complete information click here. 

Tobacco

The use of tobacco products is prohibited at all times while on Dominican University property.

  • Tobacco is defined as all tobacco‐derived or containing products, including, but not limited to, cigarettes (clove, bidis, kreteks), electronic cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, hookah‐smoked products, and oral tobacco (spit and spitless, smokeless, chew, snuff).
  • Use of tobacco product is defined as follows: The inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying of any lighted smoking material on campus property, including but not limited to all outside property or grounds owned or wholly leased, sidewalks, parking lots, outdoor seating areas, stadium seating and all landscaped and recreational areas and all university vehicles and moving equipment.
  • Smoking materials must be extinguished and disposed of prior to entering upon Dominican University property*, or exiting your vehicle. Improper disposal includes but is not limited to: littering (i.e. discarded cigarette butts and/or throwing cigarette butts out of windows).

*The Priory Campus main entrance is accessed through property owned by the Village of River Forest: ORDINANCE 111201: AN ORDINANCE REGULATING USE OF THE PARKS OF RIVER FOREST, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS states that the smoking of cigarettes, cigars, or pipe tobacco is prohibited inside or within 25 feet of any building, facility or structure, or within 100’ of any organized activity within the Park System.