Dining Accommodations

Dietary Accommodations

Kutztown University Dining Services offers a variety of foods that promote healthy lifestyles. Recognizing that some students may have food allergies, Dining Services makes every effort to accommodate individual dietary needs. 

  • In South Dining Hall, an allergen solution serving station, True Balance, prepares and serves foods that eliminate seven of the most common food allergens including milk, eggs, gluten, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat.
  • Nutritional information about all foods being served is posted in all Dining Service locations across campus. Foods containing common allergens, such as nuts, will have additional signage.
  • You may request a consultation with a Dining Services employee to discuss any dietary restrictions and to help develop a safe plan for utilizing on-campus dining services.

Requests for a residence hall with access to a kitchen/requests for an exemption to the on-campus meal plan requirement due to disability-related needs must be submitted to the Disability Services Office (DSO) for review.

    Please note:  Students living in campus residence halls, with the exception of Golden Bear Village (apartment style housing with in-unit kitchens), have a contractual/mandatory meal plan.

    1. First, students must complete and submit the Accommodation Request Form as well as the Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form, which will allow the DSO to share food/environmental allergy documentation/information with KU Dining/the KU Nutritionist.
    2. Second, students must submit documentation to support their request for an accommodation for a residence hall with access to a kitchen/a request for an exemption to the meal plan requirement. Documentation guidelines can be found below. Documentation can be uploaded on Accommodate with your request form or once you have signed in to your account, sent to the DSO via email at DSO@kutztown.edu, or faxed to the DSO at 610-683-1520.
    3. Third, once the DSO receives and reviews the student’s Accommodation Request Form, Informed Consent to Release Confidential Information: Allergies Form, and sufficient supporting documentation, the student will then receive an email from the KU Nutritionist to schedule a meeting to discuss the request. During a scheduled meeting, the KU Nutritionist will see how the dining hall can meet your needs and information will be passed along to KU Dining Hall Staff.
    4. Following the meeting, the KU Housing & Dining will relay the accommodation determination to Disability Services Office and the student.

    Documentation Guidelines:

    Submit a letter from your treating physician/specialist that includes the following information:

    • A statement of diagnosis
    • A description of the symptoms
    • A description of specific allergens (food, environmental)
    • A description of current treatment methods
    • Information regarding the impact of the diagnosis on the student’s ability to function (to live and to learn) in the college environment
    • Care provider recommendations for accommodations

    Please Note: All documentation must be typewritten on letterhead, dated, and signed by an evaluator who has the training and appropriate licensure to conduct evaluations and render diagnosis. The documentation must be recent and include the name, title, professional credentials, and contact information of the evaluator.

    Meeting with the KU Nutritionist:

    Please plan to discuss the following during your meeting with Kutztown University Dining Service’s Registered Dietitian. Failure to address the following will limit the university’s ability to accommodate your specific needs.

    • Your dietary restriction(s) that require special meals or accommodation, as documented by your physician.
    • Related medical diagnoses that impact your dietary habits and/or nutritional status.
    • Food preferences (Please note that while food preferences are considered when meeting with Dining Service’s Registered Dietitian, they are not an appropriate use of the Dining Accommodations Request Form).
    • Severity of disability or medical condition (i.e. life-threatening anaphylactic response to ingestion of a food allergen, requiring use of epinephrine medication).
    • Current campus housing arrangements and meal plan selection.
    • Description of current eating habits and/or a 24-hour recall
      • Frequency of meals/time of day
      • Location(s) of meals
      • Foods eaten/foods avoided
      • Food preferences (on and off campus)
    • Specific dietary accommodation request(s).
    • Specific nutrition education request(s).