<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>


Hello,



This List is truly amazing.  I got many thoughtful, thorough responses to my query about concrete steps to take when attempting to put a GF plan in place at a college/university.  Thank you to all who responded!  I am hoping to get back to each of you, but please accept my thanks here too.  


First, it was clear that people handled this process in a variety of ways -- some asked questions about special diets/food prep on their college tours and didn't even bother applying if they didn't feel assured by the responses they got at that time; others began tackling this issue once their child was admitted to a particular school, but before accepting an offer of admission; and one mentioned that she began this process when dropping her child off for the start of the school year.  Clearly there is no one right way to handle this.  However, there were some general things that got mentioned over and over again that seemed to make a lot of sense.  I will do my best to list the highlights and I will include links that were kindly provided to me. 


(Please note that the offices and personnel at the various schools seem to go by different names--I will include all that were mentioned.)


TIPS FOR APPROACHING/WORKING WITH A COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY


*Get a letter from your child's doctor stating that your child has celiac disease and will require a special diet. Such a letter can sometimes be helpful, even necessary, when discussing meal plans and housing options.


*Register with the Office of Disability Services/Office of Specialized Services.  It is possible that someone from this office can really help a family navigate the proper channels and serve as an advocate for your child on campus.  If Food Service and Housing are approached through the Office of Disabilities, a refrigerator and microwave might be provided free of charge or it might be possible to get a larger refrigerator than usual.


*Find out whether a Meal Plan is required -- at most schools, it is required for freshmen. Find out if some of the "bucks" or "money" that you are sometimes required to purchase with the meal plan can be used to buy food items at the school grocery stores.  One woman also suggested inquiring about the possibility of a student living alone off-campus to avoid the stress of cross-contamination issues from roommates, but admitted that loneliness and safety can then be concerns.


*Meet with the Nutritionist/Dietitian and Foodservice Director/Head of Dining Services/Chef.  Ask detailed questions about kitchen protocol and ingredients. You may want to consider discussing some/all of the following:


	-whether the kitchen has a refrigerator/freezer dedicated to GF foods
	-if they have dedicated counter space in the kitchen for GF food prep 
	-if they have dedicated pans/utensils for GF food prep
	-whether they would be willing to order/stock special food for your child 
	-if they have a list of GF meals that they could prepare
	-if the student needs to let the chef know ahead of time what they want to eat (this can be problematic given
	 that kids don't always know ahead of time when/where they will be eating)


If you sense from their answers that they need training/additional info, you can purchase an online training course through NFCA for the kitchen staff--you can google this. 


*Meet with the Director of Housing.  Inquire as to the possibility of appliances in the dorm rooms. Various people mentioned the following appliances in their posts: a small refrigerator w/ a freezer, a separate freezer, toaster oven, rice cooker, microwave.  Ask if you will need to rent the fridge from the school or purchase your own.  (In schools that rent them, someone suggested making these arrangements early to ensure that your child gets one.) Some colleges will allow students with health-related dietary restrictions to live in a dorm suite that has a kitchen, so ask about this. Or, inquire as to the possibility of a room assignment close to a kitchen.



Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC