Managing Dietary Needs and Accommodations

Students with food allergies and special dietary considerations are encouraged to be self-advocates when managing their dietary conditions to promote safety and minimize the risk of a reaction. To help students with food allergies and special dietary considerations, the university has established guidelines for navigating food on campus.

Guidelines

For medical emergencies, dial 911 immediately.

Notify your primary care provider if a reaction has occurred. You may also contact Student Health Services at 541-737-9355 to make an appointment if the reaction is not an immediate emergency.

If you believe your food allergy or special dietary consideration substantially limits one or more major life activities and may require a dining accommodation, please contact Disability Access Services at 541-737-4098. Visit the DAS forms page for information on documentation requirements for disability-related accommodations.

Student dietary information is collected from the relevant section of the general housing application. Students are highly encouraged to complete this section of their application if they have any dietary restrictions or practices so the Nutrition team may be in contact with relevant information and provide useful tools.

UHDS has a full-time nutritionist on staff who will work one on one with residents and UHDS dining center staff to make every effort that dietary considerations are met. For assistance, or if dietary accommodations cannot be met within the dining centers due to documented medical restrictions, individuals are advised to contact our Nutrition team at [email protected].

Tips for self-management

The following hints can help you be proactive in self-managing a food allergy or special dietary condition:

  • Wear a medical alert ID if necessary.
  • Consult your primary care provider on how to avoid unsafe foods. 
  • At OSU, ingredient and allergy information is posted online for dining center restaurant menus. If a location does not have ingredient and allergen information posted online, that information will be available at the restaurant's location on campus. 
    • Food Allergy/Intolerance Disclaimer: UHDS is committed to identifying ingredients that may cause reactions for those with food allergies and intolerances and trains employees on safe handling procedures to minimize risk; however, because foods are prepared in a commercial kitchen, there is always some risk of cross contact of allergens and gluten. Consumers should also be aware of the risk that manufacturers of the commercial foods OSU uses may change the formulation of ingredients or substitute other ingredients at any time, without notice.
  • Know how to recognize and respond to the symptoms of an allergic reaction.  Should a reaction occur, know when to instruct those around you to call 911 if medical attention is needed immediately.
  • Carry prescribed medications at all times for self-administration.

Dietary Practice Menu Guides

Each term during the academic year Dietary Practice Menu Guides are published with food options available across campus for each of the four dietary practices labeled at OSU.

Use the built-in nutrition calculator in our online menus to screen out select allergens or only include select dietary practices. The screening tool is also useful for previewing specific nutrition information, such as carbohydrates, sodium, and saturated fat.

See our menu guides

Additional Resources

Students interested in nutrition can learn more through the following resources, most of which are not created by or affiliated with University Housing & Dining Services.