Students who live on-campus in the college residence halls are required to have campus meal plan. Because of the limitations of the College’s facilities, students who practice a recognized religion or who have a documented medical condition, either of which requires a specific diet that cannot be accommodated by Earlham College, may be exempted from the meal plan requirement. An approved meal plan exemption shall last for an academic year; the student must re-request the meal plan exemption each academic year with current documentation. A meal plan exemption will not be granted solely on the basis of the student’s status as a vegetarian/vegan or that food service does not meet a student’s personal food preferences.
For more information about dining plans and their costs, visit the Student Handbook's Food Services Information tab.
Resources
Deadline
Meal plan exemption requests for a given academic year should be submitted no later than July 1. New confirmed students to Earlham College after the July 1 deadline will be allowed a two week period after their acceptance to complete and submit a meal plan exemption request. Requests after the July 1 deadline will be reviewed by the Office of Residence Life as staff are able.
General Process
- To begin the Meal Plan Exemption process, a student should submit a completed Meal Plan Exemption Request Form to the Office of Residence Life by the aforementioned deadline.
- Once the Meal Plan Exemption Request Form is received, the Office of Residence Life will review this request in conjunction with Dining Services, Religious Life, and/or Health Services and approve or deny the request. The student will be communicated with about their exemption request status via their Earlham College email. All requests received by July 1 will be processed by July 15. Subsequent requests after the July 1 deadline from new students will be processed as soon as possible.
Appeal Process
- Students wishing to appeal the decision by the Office of Residence Life may submit a written appeal to the Associate Dean of Student Life/Director of Residence Life – Shane Peters – within five (5) business days after the original decision notification. This appeal should be sent via email or post. In the appeal, the student should clearly and concisely articulate why he/she believes the Meal Plan Exemption Policy and its definitions applies to his/her situation.
- The Associate Dean of Student Life shall review the appeal and respond, in writing. His decision shall be final.
