Accommodation Services

Christendom College is committed to providing safe and healthy dietary accommodations to students with food allergies, food sensitivities, and unique dietary needs. Students are free to navigate the dining Commons themselves, as menus are displayed in each food line listing ingredient information for main allergens.  If a student is ever in doubt about ingredients or allergens in a meal, he should ask our Executive Chef or a Kitchen Staff member.  If the student requires specially prepared meals, the College offers the following dietary accommodations:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Nut-free
• Egg-free
• Soy-free
• Shellfish/fish-free
• Other food sensitivities and intolerances (in consultation with our Executive Chef)

While Food Services offers these accommodations, please note that we review each request on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a variety of factors including the severity of the allergy and the level of concern regarding cross-contamination.  To request specially prepared meals, please fill out the Dietary Accommodation Request Form and include a prescribed dietary plan from a medical professional for us to review.

If Food Services can accommodate your dietary needs, the Director of Student Support Services will provide you with an eligibility letter and meet with you and our Executive Chef to plan your personalized menu.  If we cannot meet your dietary needs, then you qualify for meal plan exemption and may be provided with other accommodations, such as access to a campus kitchen and permission to have a larger refrigerator in your room.

Please note: While we make every effort to prepare all allergen-free menu items as safely as possible, we are a facility that uses allergens in other areas of our space, and no kitchen is guaranteed to be completely allergy-free.

Note for Students with Severe Allergies: If you have a severe allergy, such as anaphylaxis, you qualify for meal plan exemption and may live on-campus in a residence hall that has access to a kitchen so you may prepare your own meals. Please note that no kitchen is guaranteed allergy-free, so you are eligible to live off-campus should you feel more comfortable in a more controlled environment.  If you do choose to live on-campus, we recommend that you:

1. Bring your own pots/pans/cookware. Label them and keep them in your room.
2. Bring food-storage bins for your room if you are concerned about cross-contamination in cupboard space.
3. Bring a dorm-size (or slightly larger) refrigerator if you are concerned about cross-contamination in public fridge space.
4. Always clean up the kitchen space before and after you prepare food.

Christendom College is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and positive residential experience to our students, including those with diagnosed disabilities.  Students are encouraged to complete our Housing Accommodation Request Form with a medical professional, which would include a diagnosis, an explanation of how the disability affects daily life, and recommended accommodations for the student’s residential accessibility.  The College offers the following housing accommodations:

• Ground floor housing in select residence halls (no stairs)
• Handicap accessible rooms in select residence halls (ground floor with wider doorways that allow for easy access and mobility)
• Priority in the housing selection process
• Special housing assignment with access to a kitchen

Please note: Kitchen privileges are associated with the residence hall in which they are located.   If you are exempt from the meal plan and intend to use a kitchen for meal preparation, you must reside in the residence hall where you will be preparing your meals.

Please note: Christendom does not grant an accommodation for single-room occupancy solely based on the need to have a quiet and undisturbed living space.  Requests for single-room occupancy must include documentation from a diagnosing medical professional that indicates how sharing a residence with another individual would significantly limit the student’s equal opportunity to residence living.  Even with this documentation, the College reserves the right to review requests on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a variety of factors including the severity of the student’s diagnosis and space availability on campus.

If you have a temporary disability, please fill out the academic, dietary, or housing form depending on the nature of your request.  The application process for a temporary accommodation is the same as for those with permanent disabilities, except that the medical professional must also indicate an end date for when he or she expects your condition to be resolved.

Examples of temporary disabilities include a broken hand or arm which limits your ability to write, a broken leg or foot which impedes your mobility, short-term medical conditions, concussions, and surgical procedures.

Please note: A temporary accommodation is not the same as a sick note. Temporary accommodations are for temporary disabilities, whereas sick notes are for the common cold, flu, or other illness which, while temporary, do not meet the legal definition of a disability.  If you need a sick note for one of these illnesses, please contact our campus nurse: nurse@christendom.edu.

Step 1: Complete the form pertaining to the nature of your request and submit it to Mrs. Maribeth Martin, the Director of Student Support Services at maribeth.martin@christendom.edu.  Please submit your form by July 1 (for Fall semester), November 1 (for Spring semester), or as soon as you are aware of your need during the semester.

Step 2: Participate in a one-on-one interview with the Director of Student Support Services.  This conversation serves as the student’s opportunity to share the more specific details of his or her needs in developing a personalized accommodation plan.  When processing your request, the College will consider two factors:

• Your medical documentation as provided by a diagnosing medical professional on the accommodation request form
• The one-on-one interview between the student and the Director of Student Support Services

Step 3: If your accommodations are approved, you will receive an eligibility letter from the Director of Student Support Services.  At this point, the Director will discuss with you the implementation of your accommodations on a personalized path to your success.

Please note: Approved accommodations are effective for one academic year.  To renew your accommodations, please contact Mrs. Maribeth Martin, the Director of Student Support Services.  She will meet with you to reassess your needs, make any necessary adjustments, and issue an updated eligibility letter for you.