Dietary Accomodations

BC Dining is committed to helping Boston college students with their medical nutritional needs when dining on campus. The management and culinary staff of BC Dining strive to accommodate the needs of students who had food allergies, celiac disease, or any other medical condition that requires a modified diet. Read our policy to learn more. 

Please be Aware: Boston College is Not an Allergen-Free Campus

Although Boston College does its best to provide for the needs of students with food allergies or gluten-restricted diets, the University is not an allergen-free or gluten-free environment. Our staff have been trained in the handling and preparation of food in accordance with safe food practices to reduce the risk of cross-contact. Every attempt is made to provide accurate ingredient information to our customers through our online nutritional analysis software so that allergen-containing ingredients can be identified by the customer. However, there is always the risk of cross-contact, especially if a customer does not self-identify their food allergy at the point-of-service and as a result the menu items consumed were not prepared separately from the general menu offerings. Additionally, there is always the possibility of manufacturer or vendor substitutions in ingredients or change in specifications of a formulation. The terms ‘made without gluten’ and ‘gluten-friendly’ are used in place of ‘gluten-free’ for these reasons.

Residential Campus

Students with medically restricted diets who may need accommodations involving on-campus housing should contact the Disability Services Office who will assist the student in contacting the appropriate administrators in Residential Life. Students should communicate any concerns about the Mandatory Meal Plan with the Administrative Dietitian prior to entering into a residency agreement. The Mandatory Meal Plan will not be waived by Dining Services in full or in part for reasons of financial hardship (instead please discuss financial hardship with the Office of Student Services); class, sport, travel, employment, or volunteer schedule; personal diet preferences; use of commercial nutrition products, such as packaged food sold by commercial weight loss programs; religious reasons; vegetarian/vegan or organic diet. Students are encouraged to communicate with the Administrative Dietitian to learn what available options exist regarding their dietary needs under these aforementioned circumstances. Students who wish not to participate in the Mandatory Meal Plan will need to explore the possibility of housing options on campus that do not require the Mandatory Meal Plan in the Conditions of Residency. A housing arrangement with a full kitchen cannot be guaranteed unless it is medically substantiated and approved by Residential Life in accordance with the established appeal process.

Grievances

Students with medically restricted diets who have actively engaged in the collaborative process outlined in this protocol and yet feel, despite the good faith efforts of Dining Services, that reasonable accommodations were not achieved are encouraged to work directly with the Administrative Dietitian to facilitate a solution. Students who wish to initiate a complaint about the University’s response to a request for reasonable dining accommodations may do so under the Grievance Policy for Students with Disabilities.