Thursday, March 5, 2026
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Create Clearer Policies & Decision Frameworks

Institutions of higher education are facing increasing challenges around housing accommodations as students’ needs grow more complex and more visible. In contrast, campus housing systems remain largely built around uniformity and limited flexibility. The obligation to provide individualized, legally compliant accommodations and the practical constraints of shared residential environments, finite space, and rigid timelines regularly causes tension.

Colleges are seeing a rise in requests tied to mental health conditions, chronic illness, neurodivergence, and invisible disabilities, many of which require nuanced, case-by-case decision-making and coordination across housing, disability services, and legal teams. This complexity creates policy uncertainty, inconsistent application, and communication breakdowns, increasing the risk of grievances and legal exposure.

Join us on March 5, 2026 when our expert presenter will help you navigate the high stakes, limited resources, and knowledge that housing decisions directly impact student safety, equity, and retention. She will help you move beyond compliance checklists and theoretical guidance to better distinguish reasonable accommodations from fundamental alterations in shared residential environments, supporting flexibility while managing institutional risk. Review hot topics in housing accommodations and learn how to say “no” to an accommodation request without triggering a complaint or a potential lawsuit.

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Use a clear, consistent framework for individualized assessment of housing accommodation requests, reducing uncertainty and increasing confidence in decision-making.
• Strengthen cross-office collaboration by clarifying roles, responsibilities, and communication pathways between housing, disability services, and key stakeholders.
• Communicate accommodation decisions more clearly and compassionately, setting realistic expectations and reducing student anxiety and conflict.
• Better distinguish reasonable accommodations from fundamental alterations in shared residential environments, supporting flexibility while managing institutional risk.
• Shift from a reactive, crisis-driven approach to a proactive mindset that frames housing accommodations as central to student success, retention, and equity.
  

Presenter

Leigh Davis Fickling is the Deputy Director of the Title IX and Clery Compliance and an Accommodations Consultant at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Click here for full bio.