Stupid Required Meal Plans!

[Mandy F.]

O.k. so I sent in all my medical info and said I had a restricted diet and everything and planned to take an exemption to the required meal plan because I'm a commuter student and have no intentions of eating on campus. (Wow! that's one long run-on sentence...) I went to get the form today (which I had origionally sent in with my paperwork) to resubmit it because I thought it had gotten lost. I got the form and there was no medical exemption request on it. I asked the person who gave me the form and she said "Oh yeah, we don't do medical exemptions anymore because the school has a dietician now." I said "Well, I still want one because I don't plan to eat on campus do you know who I need to talk to?" That's when all the run around started... I went to Food Services but they're just a company contracted through the school. I was sent to see another lady in another building who had NO IDEA why anyone would send me to her, but was kind enough to get the head chef and have a chat with me.

The chef was really nice and said that there was another person at the school with Celiac who they made special accomodations for ("she eats a lot of plain grilled chicken breasts"). He was really nice and said he would gladly work with me and asked me to bring in a list of foods I normally eat. The other lady (who I think was like the manager of the kitchen) politely took notes on all of the stuff I told her about Celiac even though she couldn't actually get me the exemption. She referred me to another person, who I have yet to talk to...

This is just so annoying! Who the heck decided that there couldn't be anymore exemptions from the meal plan and why the heck doesn't anyone know who made the decision?! None of this would bother me if I lived on campus and ever planned on eating there, but I don't and I can't see any reason I would... I would be really pleased at their willingness to accomodate me if I were on campus...

[penguin]

They don't give a damn about your health, they just want your money

Take it to the Dean of Students. Trust me, it comes in VERY handy to be friends with this person...

[ravenwoodglass]

O.k. so I sent in all my medical info and said I had a restricted diet and everything and planned to take an exemption to the required meal plan because I'm a commuter student and have no intentions of eating on campus. (Wow! that's one long run-on sentence...) I went to get the form today (which I had origionally sent in with my paperwork) to resubmit it because I thought it had gotten lost. I got the form and there was no medical exemption request on it. I asked the person who gave me the form and she said "Oh yeah, we don't do medical exemptions anymore because the school has a dietician now." I said "Well, I still want one because I don't plan to eat on campus do you know who I need to talk to?" That's when all the run around started... I went to Food Services but they're just a company contracted through the school. I was sent to see another lady in another building who had NO IDEA why anyone would send me to her, but was kind enough to get the head chef and have a chat with me.

The chef was really nice and said that there was another person at the school with Celiac who they made special accomodations for ("she eats a lot of plain grilled chicken breasts"). He was really nice and said he would gladly work with me and asked me to bring in a list of foods I normally eat. The other lady (who I think was like the manager of the kitchen) politely took notes on all of the stuff I told her about Celiac even though she couldn't actually get me the exemption. She referred me to another person, who I have yet to talk to...

This is just so annoying! Who the heck decided that there couldn't be anymore exemptions from the meal plan and why the heck doesn't anyone know who made the decision?! None of this would bother me if I lived on campus and ever planned on eating there, but I don't and I can't see any reason I would... I would be really pleased at their willingness to accomodate me if I were on campus...

You need to make an appointment and talk to the dean. He or she may be able to do something. I would stress the fact that you want to be a good student and you don't want to miss classes becasue you are sick. Be prepared to show them on paper what can happen and that eating at their facility just is not safe for you. I would not stress that you were not going to eat there anyway, I don't think I would even bring that up. Most colleges are accomodating once they understand how difficult it is for us to eat and not get sick if someone else cooks. When you go bring as much info as you can pertaining to the issues of cross contamination and ingredient issues. Once my DD's school fully understood they set her up in upperclass housing the first year so she would have her own kitchen. And although we have to reapply every year we do get a refund of the dining fees. Good luck with this.

[RiceGuy]

Meal plan? You mean they actually try to dictate exactly what the students eat?

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Is there a Dean of Student Affairs or a Dean of Student Life or something like that? That is who you should go to?

[penguin]

Meal plan? You mean they actually try to dictate exactly what the students eat?

Yep. Deep fried, gluten-filled, pre-packaged crap. At a massive premium. For the longest time I thought it was the dining hall making me sick, until I moved off-campus and didn't have to eat it anymore.

[munchkinette]

Wow, that's awful! I thought the meal plans were connected to housing plans. I've never heard of them making commuter students buy the plan. Is this a private or public school?

As someone in education, I can tell you the bureaucracy is maddening. You just have to be persistant. Talking to individuals (like the deans, the cooks, etc.) is always more productive than going through the official communication channels. (Even if you still have to do that as a formality.)

[eKatherine]

Wow, that's awful! I thought the meal plans were connected to housing plans. I've never heard of them making commuter students buy the plan. Is this a private or public school?

I've never heard of a college doing this to commuter students either, but it's just a reflection of the ways that colleges are getting creative in charging fees to students.

They weren't expecting you to eat student meals. They were expecting you to gripe to your friends, pay the fees, and let them keep your money for nothing at all.