Dietary Accommodations

As a residential college, SUNY Geneseo requires that all students living on campus participate in the meal plan with the exception of those living in the townhouses. Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS) is dedicated to providing the opportunity for all students to fully participate in college life, including the dining experience.  The meal plan description is available through the Campus Auxiliary Services webpage. This policy may be subject to change. 

Your dining experience is an essential component of your residential and academic experience at Geneseo. We recognize that some students have food allergies that necessitate putting in more time and effort when it comes to managing their diet. We make every effort to provide helpful information and dining options to members of our campus community who need to manage their food allergies when eating on campus.

Campus Auxiliary Services offers a wide variety of options accommodating many dietary needs, including food allergies/intolerances and chronic health conditions. More information is detailed in the Food Allergies webpage. The majority of foods offered in the restaurants and cafes are labeled on the CAS online menu for the top nine food allergens (wheat, dairy, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame), and there are several dedicated allergen free stations on campus (Clean Eats). If you are ever unsure, you may ask a manager or chef to confirm the ingredients. Most students’ dietary needs can be met through the standard meal plan options, with simple preparation changes. Exemptions are rare and are made on a case-by-case basis for those students with documented health conditions that rise to the level of requiring an accommodation. Financial restrictions and food preferences are not sufficient reasons to request being released from a meal plan.

If you have a documented condition that requires a modified or restricted diet, please follow the steps below:

• Step 1: Review the Food Allergies page on the Geneseo Dining website. 
• Step 2:  Schedule an appointment with the Nutrition and Wellness Manager, Dr. Heather Carrera. You can also contact the Nutrition and Wellness Manager at carrera@geneseo.edu with questions. 
• Step 3: In your meeting, the Nutrition and Wellness Manager will work with you to determine your dietary needs and identify a plan that would meet your needs. This plan will be appropriately communicated with dining managers and staff. By actively working together, the plan can be modified and adjusted as needed.
• Step 4: If it is determined that your dietary needs rise to the level of a requiring an accommodation and cannot be met through the dietary plan, dining services and the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) will engage an individualized, interactive process with you, treatment provider(s), and other relevant personnel to explore alternative accommodations. This process will generally not be initiated until the previous steps have been completed.