AccommodationsCounseling Center

The Counseling Center can help students seek academic and housing accommodations on the basis of mental health concerns.

Academic and Housing Accommodations

The Gustavus Adolphus College Counseling Center can provide documentation for current clients to the Accessibility Resources in the Academic Support Center for academic accommodations. We are also willing to provide documentation to Residential Life for housing accommodations. The content of this documentation is up to the individual practitioner as is the decision to provide it. It is expected that you are a known client to your therapist, having met with them long enough that they can make a diagnosis and assess if accommodations are appropriate. If you are a new client and needing immediate documentation it will be suggested that you request this from prior medical or mental health care providers.

Excused Absence

We do not provide “excuse letters” for missed classes or for missed academic work, though in rare cases we may advocate for a client in an academic setting. We partner with the Dean of Students Office to support students if an extended absence becomes necessary to manage mental health care needs. Follow this link for information on a Medical Leave of Absence.

Medical or Dietary Accommodations

Students seeking non-mental health related medical accommodations or accommodations regarding dietary needs should connect with Gustavus Adolphus College Health Service.

Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Policy

Recent research has highlighted the mental and emotional benefits of interacting with domestic animals. Because of the increased awareness around this topic, it has become more common for those with mental, emotional, and/or psychiatric disabilities to ask their mental health providers to “prescribe” (write supporting documentation for) an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in order to be allowed to have a pet in a living situation such as a residence hall or apartment that might otherwise prohibit them.

While the providers in the Counseling Center at Gustavus Adolphus College recognize the benefits that ESAs provide, we want students to know that we do not provide diagnosis, official assessment, or supporting documentation for such accommodations in our center. We are happy to talk with students to generate ideas for resources in the community that might offer this type of assessment and documentation for the purposes of accommodations.

If you are seeking accommodations for a mental health and are not currently a client of the Counseling Center, call or stop in our office to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our therapists to discuss accommodations. Call us at (507) 933-7027 or stop in our office in JSU 204. If you already work with one of our therapists, feel free to ask them about accommodations on campus.