Dining Accommodations
Tulane University strives to create an intentional and supportive dining environment that accounts for the needs of all students. We recognize that students may occasionally require modifications to the standard dining plan to achieve the aforementioned objective. As such, we have established the Dining Committee, which represents a collaborative effort between Dining Services, Campus Health, and the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility. The Committee provides a student-focused process that allows individuals to receive consideration for dining plan modifications for various concerns beyond disability and medical-related needs.
Resources for Dining Concerns
Tulane University Dining Services offers options for students who are vegetarian, vegan, kosher, or have other dietary needs. The Dining Room at Malkin Sacks Commons serves hot meals free of peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy, milk, and eggs. True Balance, on the Second Floor of The Commons, provides safe, freshly prepared meals for students with food allergies or intolerances, made without wheat, soy, milk, eggs, fin fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, or sesame. Students following a kosher diet can use the Kosher Dining Plan, which includes Meal Swipes at Rimon under independent kosher certification.
The Dining Plan Petition through campus Dining Services is the primary route for requesting dining plan modifications. As a partner on the Dining Committee, the Goldman Center routes any dining-plan related concerns submitted to our application to the Dining Committee as well. Alternatively, student can stop by the Campus Services office in Lavin-Bernick Center, Suite 107, and coordinate a meeting with the Aramark management team and Student Health Center for support in dietary needs. Eating and dining concerns extend beyond the dining environments across campus. For dining concerns in the housing environment, students should review our process for requesting a housing accommodation.
For more information on food allergies and special diets, visit Tulane Hospitality.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are simply requesting a dining plan modification for any dining concern you have, then you can go to the Dining Plan Petition process. If you want to request access to a kitchen as an accommodation for your dining needs, then you should move forward with the Goldman Center housing accommodation process.
No. All first and second year students are required to have some form of a dining plan, regardless of residency. See more information directly from Dining Services.
If you'd like to request a housing accommodation such as a kitchen to support your eating and dining concerns, please follow the guidance detailed on our Housing Accommodations page. Please note that a request for housing accommodations which are based in eating or dining concerns may be supported through dining accommodations alone.
If granted a housing accommodation, the University's priority is to support you, the accommodated student, over specific roommate requests. When possible, one (1) roommate may be moved with you before the START of room selection. Honoring roommate requests after room selection is not possible. Accommodating roommate groups (two or more roommates) is wholly not possible.
When evaluating a student's needs for any kitchen-related accommodation, we will factor in Dining's ability to accommodate a student's dining needs within the existing dining plans and dining plan modifications through the Dining Plan Petition.
Housing accommodations granting access to a kitchen are considered when the disability concerns rise above Dining Services' ability to accommodate a student's medical needs through the existing dining plan modifications. In general, most dining concerns are satisfied through a Dining Plan Petition.
Even if you are approved for a kitchen-related housing accommodation as a first or second year student, you must still have a meal plan.
General Information / Disclaimers - Please note that University requires all first and second year students, regardless of residency, to have a dining plan. Any dining plan petition is a modification to the required dining plan, not an exemption.
NOTE: By engaging in the Dining Accommodation or Housing Accommodation review process, you are giving permission for Committee members to share and discuss information about your medical condition and/or disability status strictly and specifically as it applies to your dining needs.
