Binghamton University’s “Animals on Campus” policy was put into effect in late July, clarifying which animals are allowed in University buildings.

The policy, issued by the Environmental Health and Safety Office, aligns the campus with New York State regulations. The policy permits service animals, approved emotional support animals, public safety animals and approved animals used in university programming and events on campus facilities. Domestic animals can be on outdoor properties on a leash.

The policy is intended to “accommodate individuals with disabilities as required by law” and “promote the health and safety of the campus community,” according to BU’s Division of Operations.

The policy will be enforced through infractions that are referred to Human Resources for employees, or the Office of Student Conduct for students, said University Spokeperson Ryan Yarosh ‘02, MPA ‘09.

Dara Silberstein, an associate research professor and the program director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program, found difficulties adjusting to the policy.

“I have brought my dog to my office over the past 7 years since she was a pup,” Silberstein wrote in an email to Pipe Dream. “She has become a fixture in the office and students/faculty/staff have come to my office to interact with her.”

“The limited ‘warning’ time has made it nearly impossible to find alternative care for her and it seems it would have been more decent if the announcement warned that said policy would be enforced in the future (e.g. after Jan. 1),” Silberstein added.

The policy is in accordance with Title 9 of the Official Compilation of New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, which states, “No person shall introduce or possess any animal within a state facility except for service animals and police and fire dogs under the control of their handler, without authorization from the commissioner. No person shall abandon an animal on state property.”

While restrictions had been placed on on-campus buildings previously, including those conducting research, the new policy has added additional exceptions.

Melissa Hardesty, an associate professor at the department of social work, said that barring faculty from bringing animals into offices may impact staff retention.

“My department (and I’ve heard others) has had more difficulty attracting applicants for staff positions because most staff are required to work on campus most of the time,” Hardesty wrote to Pipe Dream. “The university is relatively more rigid about staff working from home than many other employers, and this has made the university a less attractive place to work than it was in the past.”

“The ability to bring pets to work buffers some of the downside of office-based work, and it has been very unobtrusive in my own building, since most staff who bring pets work in private offices,” she continued. “With the new pet policy, the university seems to be moving in the exact opposite direction of other employers.”

Similar policies have previously been put in place in other State University of New York campuses, such as Stony Brook University and University of Albany.

Hardesty also found that bringing her dogs to work helped facilitate interaction with students.

“Pets are also well known to improve mood, decrease anxiety, and generally create a sense of wellbeing,” Hardesty wrote. “As small as this issue seems, I really do think that having animals on campus is far more positive than negative — particularly in the wake of very high rates of anxiety and depression among college students.”