Intellectually Disabled Student Wins Right to Live in the Residence Halls
Micah Fialka-Feldman, an intellectually disabled student at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, is in a program for students like him; he takes mainstream classes, but uses tutors and other assistants to keep up and complete his coursework. Since he’s a part-time student in a special program, he was not allowed to live on campus. His commute from his parents’ home takes about two hours, and Fialka-Feldman felt he was missing out on campus life. He sued for the right to live in the on-campus residences, and recently found out he won. He’s hoping to move in soon, to begin his last semester at Oakland.
Many institutions limit on-campus housing to full-time students because allowing part-time students to live in campus might lead to other issues: people who are mostly non-students taking advantage of the low rental rates on campus; students with too much free time. However, this sort of policy excludes students such as Fialka-Feldman, who are part-time for other reasons. Students with varying disabilities (diagnosed or otherwise) make managing the living environment more challenging. On the other hand, students who drink too much, who violate the community rules or who avoid participating in community gatherings, also make it harder to nurture a cohesive and safe community. Not all disruptive factors can be controlled, and at what cost? Have you encountered similar issues on your campus? How have you dealt with them?
Tags: Disabilities, News