As part of our mission to foster diverse and inclusive learning and living environments, Bates College is committed to supporting students with sincerely held religious beliefs. Bates recognizes the importance of students having the opportunity to exercise their beliefs and practices and seeks to provide reasonable accommodations to enable them to do so.  Every effort will be made to meet an accommodation request unless doing so would create an undue hardship or would fundamentally alter the college’s work, program, or mission.

Reasonable religious accommodations are necessarily determined on a case-by-case basis.  The possibility of accommodating requests depends on the nature of the request, the availability of certain dining and housing options, and the timing of the request.

Academics

Students seeking academic accommodations should first discuss their request with their instructors.  Students may reach out to Gwen Lexow, Associate Vice President for Title IX & Civil Rights Compliance (AVP for TIX and CRC) if they have further questions.

Dining

Dining services provides options for those seeking plant-based, vegan, halal, and kosher diets at all times. Those with additional dining needs should reach out to Josh Palomera, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Educator.

Housing and other accommodations

Students requesting housing or other accommodations should submit the request to Gwen Lexow, Associate Vice President for Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance (AVP for TIX and CRC).  This request must document:

• a description of the accommodation(s) requested;
• the reason for the accommodation; and
• how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a college policy, procedure, or other requirement.

Once the request is received, the AVP for TIX and CRC will initiate an interactive process to determine if the request can be approved as requested and, if not, what, if any, alternative arrangements can be made.  The AVP for TIX and CRC may request additional information from the student to support the request.  Based on the type of request, other parties may need to be consulted and/or notified, including but not limited to the Multifaith Chaplin, Student Affairs, Housing, Facilities, and/or Campus Safety.

Requests for particular housing assignments based on a student’s preference for a particular type of living environment are not considered reasonable religious accommodations. Single rooms represent a small portion of available housing options and it is not possible to provide them as accommodations. It is important to note that student requests for changes in their housing assignment based on their religion are treated as requests for accommodation, not requests for specific housing assignments. 

Housing accommodation requests are reviewed by a committee comprised of representatives from the Office Title IX & Civil Rights Compliance, Residence Life and Health Education, and the Multifaith Chaplaincy.

Timeline for Requesting a Housing Accommodation

Incoming students who are requesting housing accommodations are encouraged to submit their requests by June 1.

Current Bates students are encouraged to submit their housing accommodation requests by February 1 for the following academic year. This date allows the review committee adequate time to review requests prior to the complex lottery process, which begins in March.

If the need for a housing accommodation arises outside of the above timelines, students should still follow the same request process. The committee will review post-deadline requests and the college will make every attempt to implement approved accommodations based on current availability. Please note that availability for certain types of accommodations may be limited at later points in the year.

When the committee concludes that it cannot approve an accommodation based on the information submitted, the student will have the opportunity to engage in a further dialogue with the AVP for TIX and CRC. Students whose housing accommodation requests are not approved may request to be placed on a waitlist to transfer to a location that better meets their preferences through the established housing procedures. Students who wish to do so may contact housing@bates.edu.

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