Meal Plan Accommodation Instructions

Request for Meal Plan Accommodation or Exemption Due to Dietary Restrictions

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ

As a residential institution, Ithaca College requires students living on campus to be enrolled in a dining plan. Modification of this requirement is possible only if

·        1.) There is an established and verifiable medical diagnosis

and

·        2.) Your dietary requirements cannot be met within a standard meal plan

Ithaca College cannot entertain dietary accommodation requests that are based on food preference, the desire to prepare one’s own meals, or perceived food intolerances that cannot be medically verified. Our Dining Service provides a broad selection of high quality, healthy, well prepared foods at its three locations, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items at every meal, and can accommodate many other special dietary needs within the standard meal plans.

Some questions to ask yourself if you are thinking about requesting meal plan accommodation or exemption:

• Have I explored all of the available options in all three resident dining locations? Contacting Dining Services at 274-1187 or checking out their website can help you identify options you may have been unaware of.
• Could my dietary needs be accommodated within an existing meal plan?
• Will my request be based on dietary need, or dietary preference?    IC’s residential philosophy and our dining service’s ability to meet a wide variety of meal preferences mean that we will only consider requests based on needs that can’t be met within an existing meal plan.
• Do I have the necessary documentation of a medical condition requiring special consideration? Documentation that you submit must:     

1.) Be written by someone who has the credentials and expertise in a relevant area to make the recommendation.

2.) Not be provided by a relative. 

3.) Be recent.

4.) Provide sufficient detail about your dietary needs to allow Ithaca College to make a reasonable decision regarding your request.

If you decide to submit a request for a meal plan accommodation or exception, please complete the application found in the sidebar to the Right.  Submit the application to the IC Student Health Service Office in the Hammond Health Center, and note the following:

•  Each request is individually evaluated based on the merits of the supporting documentation.
• You MUST meet with Jeff Scott in Dining Services (email him to set up a time to meet at jscott@ithaca.edu) to discuss options available to you through dining currently and let him know what you need.
• Requests may take up to 4 weeks to process after all supporting documentation is received, although the actual length of the review process can vary depending on the application volume. Requests will not be considered until supporting documentation is complete.
• Approval of all requests is at the discretion of Ithaca College. Outside physicians, regardless of their expertise, cannot know what is or is not available within the IC dining programs: the treating physician’s responsibility is to outline your specific dietary needs in as much detail as possible. We will then do our best, in consultation with Dining Services, to help you meet those needs. Decisions may be based on available resources.
• Once your documentation has been received and your request has been evaluated, the Health Center will notify you of the College’s decision.

By completing this application, you are requesting that the Ithaca College Health Center evaluate your eligibility for meal plan accommodation, based upon the medical documentation that you have provided.

Meal Plan Accommodations that also Require Housing Accommodation

If your dietary accommodation is judged to also require a housing change, you will be asked to fill out a Special Housing Request Application at /acssd/docs/Special_Request  and submit it to Student Disability Services for approval.

Ithaca College is a residential institution, and policy limits the choice of off campus to seniors only.