GFF College Dining Survey submitted November 2022

Describe your food restrictions by checking all relevant boxes

Celiac Disease

Grade your college on feeding students with your food restrictions

C-

Explain your rationale for that grade

Very limited options, lack of care for students with celiac. Whenever I brought up my concerns I was disregarded.

What stage are you in college?

Senior

Food Service Vendor (if known)

Sodexo

How many years ago were you diagnosed with food allergies or celiac disease?

1-3

Please use this space to provide details that would help us better understand your food restrictions. Include your reaction if exposed to the foods you are avoiding. Please mention if you carry an epi-pen.

Celiac disease means I have a strict diet with absolutely no gluten. If I eat gluten, I will be extremely nauseous for several days and be in a lot of pain.

If you indicated that you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, how sensitive are you to gluten?

Very: React to small amounts

Does your college handle food restrictions as you expected they would when you selected your school?

Mostly not what I expected

Check all boxes that apply to your college experience

My school has only a few dining halls, Ability to feed me varies significantly across dining halls, I have at least one safe dining hall, but avoid some dining halls, I asked alot of questions before I came but the reality was different

Have you had a reaction from eating in your dining hall?

YES

Describe each incident. How did your school respond?

My school apologized but made no changes and did not seem to care much going forward.

Please describe your meal plan for each year there so far. Include if your school required any of these decisions. If you are eating in a greek house or other club type arrangement include that as well.

I had a meal plan for the first two years, and my third year I went completely off of it.

`Did you register your food restrictions with your students disabilities office for accommodations? If yes, describe.

Yes. i am registered with the disability services.

Are there resources (nutritionists, chefs, peer support groups) to help ensure you are receiving safe nutritious food? If yes, describe.

There is a dietician, but she was really no help at all, led me into trouble (eating things I shouldn't have because things changed in the dining hall and I was not informed) and did not understand celiac enough to work at a dining hall. My interactions with the chefs have been very helpful in finding out which foods were safe and which were not.

If you were in charge of your school's dining, what changes would you implement to better feed students with your food restrictions? Would your school be open to these suggestions?

I would train staff to understand what allergies mean, and I would get more allergy-free food that the students can eat: better tasting, more options, no shortages.

Describe your biggest challenge with managing your food restrictions at college and how you deal with it

Lack of options and no help from staff. The school did not care. To fix this I got to have my car on campus to go out and get food instead.

Did your food restrictions impact your housing decision? How? Is there a certain dorm you recommend for those with food restrictions? Why?

Yes. I needed a dorm with a kitchen.

What's your advice for managing the dining halls with your food restrictions? Favorite dining hall(s)? Any dining halls to avoid?

I would recommend asking lots of questions, and do not be afraid to inconvenience people. It is your comfort and safety. Ray Dining Hall has the most options, but they run out frequently. Has gotten better over the years. Alumni dining hall has hardly anything and Eaton ST. Cafe has nothing for celiac.

What's your advice for eating in the dorm with your food restrictions? Favorite snacks? Places that deliver?

Get a dorm with a kitchen and start to learn to cook, it will be a huge help. Get doordash and Ubereats

What do you recommend new students with food restrictions do before school starts? Or when they first arrive?

Talk to disability services and Dining Services.

What's your advice on managing the party scene with your food restrictions?

Get food to eat late night when everyone else orders Mcdonalds and food trucks. This was an odd yet really hard adjustment for me.

Grade your college town area for feeding people with your food restrictions

A+

Explain your grade. What are your favorite places to eat in town or foodshop?

So many places to eat in PVD: Places that deliver: Bettola, Nami, Diegos, Chic Fil a, Pho Horns, Jersey Mikes, Chipotle, Howies, Coffee Connection, Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, much of Federal Hill Italian

Anything else you would like to add?

I would not necessarily recommend Providence College if you have Celiac. They unfortunately do not care enough about allergy kids to have sufficient options.