All dining hall stations have signage identifying the top eight allergens. Top eight allergen and nutrition information can also be found on our online menu at (add link), and through our mobile BiteU Sodexo app, allowing for students to plan their meals before entering the dining hall.
Students may ask a Dining Manager, Registered Dietitian, and/or Executive Chef for full ingredients lists or product labels at any time. Please state your known allergies when requesting for ingredient/product lists.
1. We provide access to ingredient information for made-to-order* items. *Made-to-order - Meals that are prepared on request and to your specification in the dining hall. Examples include a sandwich station, omelet station, burrito station, etc.
Students may ask a Dining Manager, Registered Dietitian, and/or Executive Chef for full ingredients lists or product labels at any time. If you have a food allergy, please speak to the Dining manager, Registered Dietitian, or Executive Chef and ask for items from the backup supple. Please state your known allergies when requesting for ingredient lists or back up ingredients.
2. We provide access to ingredient information for self-serve* items. *Self-serve - Meals that are served buffet-style in a dining hall. These are typically high risk for cross-contact and are best avoided by diners with food allergies.
Cross-contact procedures are in place for each station and throughout the dining hall. All dining services staff who work at made-order stations are trained upon hiring and are monitored for compliance with cross-contact procedures. For stations that offer items made without requested allergen(s), for example gluten, employees are trained to wash hands, change gloves, use clean utensils and prep surface, pull ingredients form back up storage, prep the item in a safe environment, and hand the item directly to the student.
3. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in made-to-order areas.
All dining services staff are trained to monitor self-service areas for cleanliness and will clean up spills as quickly as possible. Separate tongs and utensils are also used for all self-service items. If you have a food allergy, please speak to the Dining Manager, Registered Dietitian, or Executive Chef and ask for items from the backup self-service items supply.
4. We have procedures in place to lower the risk of cross-contact in self-serve areas.
Students with food restrictions that qualify as a medical necessity (as approved by the Disability Access Office) have the ability to pre-order meals and will work directly with our Executive Chef and Registered Dietitian to set up an accommodation for customized meals.
Note: Our dining facilities are not considered free from any food allergen or gluten. While we take care to minimize cross-contact, from receiving to service, between allergen-free and allergen-containing foods but cannot totally eliminate exposure to food allergens and gluten.
Our Simple Servings station can safely serve students with the following allergies: gluten, wheat, soy, egg, milk, peanut, tree nut, and shellfish.
5. We have pre-order meals* available. *Pre-order meals - Custom meals that can be ordered in advance by a diner so they are ready for pick up at a specific time. Typically these can be ordered online or by phone/text.
This is a gluten, peanut and tree nut FREE station located in the COG to further accommodate students with nut allergies, gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease. This station is strategically placed separately from gluten-containing products and has a dedicated toaster and refrigerator.
6. We have an allergy-friendly station*. *Allergy-friendly station - A food station where specific ingredients are banned, typically including many or all items in the Top 8 allergens and gluten.
Simple Servings is our resident dining option, providing safe and appetizing food choices "ready to go" for our customers with food allergies, gluten intolerance, or for those who prefer plain and simple foods. The Simple Servings station does not offer foods made with the FDA's most common allergens of peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, milk products, or eggs. All foods offered will be made without gluten-containing ingredients. Simple Servings staff members are carefully trained to avoid cross-contamination of their menu items. Separate equipment, storage areas, utensils, and preparation areas minimize but do not totally eliminate, the chances of gluten and allergens in our Simple Servings foods.
Note: Separate equipment, storage areas, utensils, and preparation areas minimize, but do not totally eliminate, the chances of gluten and allergens in our Simple Servings foods.
Simple Servings is open to anyone and is located at The COG, running five days a week.
7. We train dining services staff members.
8. We have a registered dietitian* on staff. *Registered dietitian - Registered dietitians are food and nutrition experts who are often tasked with helping students with food allergies navigate the dining halls.
9. We train our RA's.
Student staff members are reminded to provide food that meets all dietary restrictions. When planning a program providing food, the student is prompted to provide details of how that food will be inclusive of all student’s needs.
This is not current practice, but it would be helpful for all students to understand that Housing and Residence Life does not monitor what is stored or cooked in common area kitchens. If there are students who have food allergies, requests that certain foods not be stored or prepared in the common area would be accommodated.
10. We have inclusive resident life programs* including food. *Inclusive resident life programs - Programs in the resident halls often include food. Inclusive resident life programs will offer students with food allergies the opportunity to request safe food alternatives for events they attend in the dorms.
11. We offer accommodations for roommate assignments. *Every accommodation request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A housing accommodation cannot be guaranteed prior to an individual evaluation.
12. Our disability office processes food allergy and celiac disease accommodation requests.
13. We have stock, undesignated epinephrine* available for emergency response. *Stock, undesignated epinephrine - Epinephrine that is prescribed to a college or university rather than to a particular student. This epinephrine is kept on hand to use for any student that experiences anaphylaxis.
We provide basic first aid and trauma first aid along with all other emergency response expectations (Crime, fire, accidents, etc.)
14. Our campus emergency responders carry epinephrine.
See what our emergency response policy allows for >