Meal Plan Policy

About This Policy

The University dining program promotes student health and wellbeing, fosters student success, cultivates a sense of belonging and is a fundamental aspect of community development on campus. At Montclair State University starting the Fall 2023 semester, both residential and full-time undergraduate commuter students are required to participate in meal plans; all other students are strongly encouraged to participate as well!

B. REQUIRED MEAL PLANS

Mandatory meal plans are binding for both fall and spring semesters. Students will automatically be assigned the same meal plan in spring semester that they selected for fall, unless a change request is submitted in accordance with Section F and/or Section G below.

Residential Meal Plans:

Students living in traditional, on-campus housing units must maintain a meal plan and may always opt for any higher level plan. Residential meal plans commence in accordance with the schedule provided by Residence Life based on opening and closing dates of the residential facilities for the academic year. These dates can be found at the end of the Residence License and Dining Services Agreement. Submitting payment of the housing application fee and being offered a housing assignment by the University enters the student into a legally binding contract with the University and financially obligates the student to pay for the full term of the Resident Housing and Dining License Agreement.

Students living in traditional residence halls who have earned 29 credit hours or less must select either the Unlimited, 220 Block/$325 Flex, 210 Block/$500 Flex: the Unlimited plan will be assigned by default if no plan is selected, or if a plan the student is not eligible for is selected.
Students living in traditional residence halls who have earned 30 or more credit hours and all residents of Sinatra Hall regardless of credit hours earned, may choose from Unlimited + 7/$250 flex, 220 Block/$325 Flex, 210 Block/$500 flex, 175 Block/$500 or $250 Flex, or the 125 Block/$500 /$250 Flex. The 125 Block plus $250 Flex plan will be assigned by default if no plan is selected.
Residence Hall Assistants (RAs) are offered special discount pricing on the 125 Block/$500/$250 Flex, or may choose from Unlimited, 220 Block/$325 Flex, 210 Block/$500 flex, 175 Block + $500/$250 Flex or 80 Block/$300 Flex. The default assignment is 80 Block/$300 flex.

Fall and spring meal plans do not include meal service over Thanksgiving weekend, winter break and spring recesses. Traditional hall residents accessing or remaining in their room over any portion of winter or spring breaks are required to purchase the meal plan that matches the period of their time spent in their room during this time period. Limited menu options and dining venues will be available:

Winter Break Session 1 Meal Plan (December 16 – January 1)
Winter Break Session 2 Meal Plan (January 2-13)
Spring Break Meal Plan (March 9-16)

Commuter Dining Deposit:

Commuter Dining Deposit – Undergraduate commuter students enrolled in 12 or more credits hours with at least one of the courses held on campus will, at a minimum, be required to participate in the Commuter Dining Deposit and may opt for any higher level plan. The commuter dining deposit flex dollars roll over from fall to spring semester and unspent flex in this plan is refundable at the end of Spring Semester.

Other Commuter Meal Plans:

Part time commuters, apartment residents and graduate students may choose to purchase a meal plan at any time and may change their selection in accordance with the change procedures and timeline listed below in Sections F and G below. All commuter meal plans commence with breakfast on the first day of classes and end after lunch on the day after the last day of classes each semester.

C. ACCESSING THE MEAL PLAN

Meal plan values are stored on the student ID card. Valid University ID-Card must be used for entrance to dining halls and at the register to purchase block exchange meals in other campus dining venues. ID Cards are the property of Montclair State University; and may not be altered or transferred to anyone other than the student identified by name and face on the ID Card. ID Card misuse may result in confiscation and possible judicial action.

D. DINING VENUES

Dining Services reserves the right to control the use of Meal Plans as well as implement and enforce policies regarding student and guest behavior, attire and frequency of use within its dining facilities. The University provides two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls on campus, 15 local and national brand concepts, several convenience stores and vending machines located throughout campus.

Hours of operation for each location will be posted at the start of each semester and can be found on the Dining Services website. The University, without notice, may adjust Dining Service “hours of operation” and dining locations.
Students are expected to abide by the University’s Student Code of Conduct policies while patronizing any of the dining areas.
Trays, dishes and silverware may not be removed from the dining halls. Diners must return their dishes and utensils to the designated collection areas in the dining halls.
Meal plan holders may participate in the sustainable carryout food packaging program. Under this program, a student can obtain their meal to go at both of the two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls and package it in a special sustainable, reusable container. If the reusable container is not returned before the end of a semester, the student will be billed for the container via the student’s account.

E. MEAL VALUES

Daily Meal Swipes:

A maximum of six meal swipes/blocks per day are allowed on unlimited and block plans, one swipe per meal period (breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon, dinner, late night). Each meal swipe provides for all-you-care-to-eat meals at Sam’s Place and Freeman Dining Hall and may be used at all other dining venues on campus (except Panera) for a predetermined dollar value (equivalency) per meal. Flex only meal plans have no daily limits on usage. Meal plan swipes and flex dollars are accepted at all campus dining venues, convenience stores and vending machines with the exception of Panera which does not accept meal plan swipes

Block Equivalencies:

To use the meal plan at retail dining venues on campus each meal swipe has an assigned equivalency value: breakfast & mid-morning = $6.35; lunch, mid-afternoon, dinner and late night = $8.30. Each meal swipe at any venue on campus other than Sam’s Place or Freeman, will allow up to the equivalency amount. One or more block equivalency swipes and flex dollars may be used to meet the cost of the food items selected. Blocks or residential meals cannot be converted to Flex Dollars. Blocks and meals do not carry over to the next semester. Subject to change; the most current locations accepting equivalency transactions can be found on the Dining Services website.

Sam’s Place, Yella’s, Freeman Dining Hall: Multiple blocks per day
Student Center (Freshens, Halal Shack, Panda Express, Social Grill, Wild Blue Sushi, 1908, Amazon Go C-Store) : multiple blocks per day
Blanton Hall Ghost Kitchen: multiple blocks per day
Blanton Hall (Jersey Mike’s, Dunkin Donuts, Chick-N-Bap): 2 blocks per day
Venture Cafe: 1 block per day
Red Hawk Diner: 1 block per day

Flex Dollars:

All meal plans are accompanied with Flex Dollars, a declining balance campus-based form of tender which may be used at all campus dining venues, convenience stores and vending machines. Flex dollars carry over automatically from the fall to spring semester. Flex dollar balances automatically expire without refund at the end of the Spring Semester, with the exception of Commuter Dining Deposit Flex Dollars, which are refundable at the end of Spring Semester.

Guest Meals:

Meal plan meals are non-transferable. Individuals who do not have a meal plan may purchase meals at the two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls or any retail venue on campus. Credit, flex and Red Hawk Dollars accepted at all campus venues. Cash accepted at Sam’s Place, Yellas and Freeman and Student Center. Student meal purchases are tax exempt with valid student ID card.

F. MEAL PLAN CHARGES

All fees associated with the purchase of a Meal Plan may be financed through a payment plan when applicable with University and Student Accounts. Unpaid charges may result in holds for future registration and transcript access. Any meal plan charges generated after the due date for tuition and fees are due and payable immediately. Failure to pay fees or make use of the Meal Plan does not constitute a release from the Meal Plan/Student Dining Agreement with the University. Dining charges are subject to change within the discretion of the University and changes become effective on the date enacted. The University reserves the right to correct errors for any dining plan charges which are discovered subsequent to the initial billing or fee statements.

G. PURCHASING MEAL PLANS AND ADDING FLEX DOLLARS

Purchasing a Meal Plan:

Mandatory meal plans will be automatically applied to the student account at the beginning of each semester. Residential meal plans are selected online as part of the room contracting process. Payment of meal plan fees must be made in accordance with University deadline dates indicated with the billing statement for each semester.

Voluntary meal plans may be purchased online anytime throughout the semester. Payment may be made either with credit card or by billing to the student account. Student account billing is only accepted until the end of the Last Day to Add Drop Full Semester Class at 100%; after this deadline payment must be made at the time of purchase.

Adding Flex Dollars:

The Flex Dollar portion of any meal plan can be replenished online anytime throughout the semester. Increases may be made in any denomination. Payment may be made either with credit card or by billing to the student account. Student account billing is only accepted until the end of the Last Day to Add Drop Full Semester Class at 100%100% add/drop deadline (second Thursday of each semester); after this deadline payment must be made with credit card.

H. CHANGING A MEAL PLAN

Meal plan holders may change from one meal plan to another, within the range of plans prescribed for the student on the basis of their residency/enrollment status and earned credit hours. Additional charges or credits may be incurred when changes to the meal plan occur after the semester begins, due to each plan having a unique daily rate.
Meal plan change requests will be accepted until the end of the last day of Add/Drop with adjustment each semester. Unless a verifiable change of circumstance occurs after the published deadline, submissions received after these deadline dates will be automatically denied.
To avoid processing fees, requests to modify meal plans with no charge must be made no later than the end of the Last Day to Add Drop Full Semester Class at 100%. After this deadline, a $25 meal plan change fee will be imposed.
Requests may take up to five business days to process.

Change Requests:

Dining Services is pleased to provide individual dietary planning services and a wide array of options to address the unique needs of students. Many options are available in the dining halls and retail venues for those who choose to eliminate certain foods from their diet. Vegan and vegetarian stations are available in both of the dining halls and at all retail dining venues on campus. Allergen-free stations/meals are available at both of the dining halls. We also can provide custom meal menus developed in collaboration with the Dining Services’ registered dietician and executive chef and special meals for religious observances. Full exemption from mandatory university meal plans occurs very rarely and only will be permitted under circumstances in which the University is unable to meet medical necessary dietary restrictions.

To request changes to meal plans, students should initiate the request for a professional and confidential review of their nutritional and dietary concerns through submission of the online Meal Plan Assistance Request Form.
The form will be reviewed first by one of Dining Services’ registered dietitians. Other departments may also be included in the review depending on the nature of the specific concern. A meeting with the student will be requested by Dining Services. It is the student’s responsibility to reply timely to this request in order to complete the review process. If the student does not respond within 5 business days of the meeting request, the assistance request will be denied and the case closed with no further action. After that no further requests will be accepted.
All correspondence related to a student’s request will be communicated directly to the student at their montclair.edu email account.
While a decision regarding the student’s meal plan request is still pending, the student will continue to be responsible for paying all charges related to their meal plan including any and all late fees incurred.

1) Medical Dietary and Accessibility Requests (documented):

Reasonable individualized meal plan accommodations are available for students who are required to participate in a residential meal plan and who have documented medical, health or physical mobility issues that directly impacts their food consumption regimen (including food allergies and other conditions that limit what they can and cannot eat) and/or ability to access meals.
Students with special diets or other medical concerns impacting their ability to utilize the meal plan must provide appropriate supporting paperwork or a dietary plan from the student’s physician.
Reasonable accommodations typically do not completely waive a meal plan but may result in a reduced meal plan fee, custom/special menu options, room reassignment, delivery service, etc.
Only in the event Dining Services cannot adequately and consistently provide nutritionally optimal meals which reasonably meet the medical/health concern of the student, will an exemption be considered.

2) Religious Observance Requests:

Meal plan change requests based on religious observance typically do not waive a student from participation in a mandatory meal plan but may result in reasonable accommodations or other operational strategies as needed. Only in the event Dining Services cannot adequately and consistently provide nutritionally optimal meals which meet religious dietary restrictions and with religious cleric documentation/sign off, will an exemption or reduction be considered. As there are so many ways students might choose to observe a particular religious practice, it is recommended the student reach out to our Campus Dietitian to ascertain if specific accommodation requests can be met. We are also happy to recreate a family recipe to share in our dining rooms.

Kosher – Dining Services offers freshly prepared Kosher meals through the ghost kitchen at Blanton Hall during ghost kitchen regular hours of operation. Frozen and/or pre-packaged Kosher meals are available at the two dining halls and at all campus convenience stores.
Halal – Dining Services offers freshly prepared Halal food at the Halal Shack located in the Student Center. Halal – foods are available at LIFE station in both Sam’s Place and Freeman Dining Hall, but are not served with Halal only utensils. During Ramadan, pre-packaged, non-perishable meal plan meals that meet Halal standards may be pre-ordered and picked-up nightly for consumption during acceptable hours for food consumption in accordance with the observance of Ramadan.
Hindu and Jain- These religious restrictions may be accommodated from our vegan and vegetarian stations with some modifications as preferred.

3) Vegan, Vegetarian and Other Dietary Lifestyle Requests:

Dining Services provides a wide array of vegan and vegetarian food and drink options at every dining venue on campus, therefore accommodations or exemptions are not available to students with specific food preferences based on lifestyle choices. We strongly encourage students with these nutritional considerations to consult with the Registered Dietician guidance and assistance with nutritional plans. To schedule a consultation with the Registered Dietician use the Meal Plan Assistance Request Form.

4) Unique Circumstances/Financial Hardship Requests Unrelated to Medical or Religious Accommodations:

Students who are experiencing a significant, life altering change in financial resources AND exhausted all of their financial resources or are experiencing a similar unique circumstance that prohibits them from using the meal plan and/or creates an undue hardship for the student may request assistance under this category. The request must demonstrate that the required meal plan creates an undue burden and cannot be utilized. Supporting documentation is strongly encouraged. Please note: Loans offered through the FAFSA are a form of financial aid and will be considered when determining exemption eligibility. Examples of circumstances that might qualify include life altering experiences such as job loss, medical expenses, natural disasters, death or other income reducing experiences.

Request Review Process:

Meal plan assistance requests based on any of the circumstances outlined above, must be initiated through submission of a Meal Plan Assistance Request form, in accordance with the deadlines outlined in section H above.

Each request will be reviewed by Dining Services and other staff as follows:

Requests based on medical, health and other accessibility considerations will be reviewed by the Disability Resource Center in collaboration with Dining Services’ Registered Dietician and Executive Chef.
Requests based on religious dietary considerations will be reviewed by Dining Services’ Registered Dietician and Executive Chef.
Requests based on special factors such as financial and other hardship considerations will be reviewed by the Auxiliary Services Director, Financial Aid and Dean of Students staff as appropriate to the specific request.

A meeting request to the submitter will be initiated by the lead reviewer within 5 days of submission of the request. It is incumbent on the student to promptly respond to this request to schedule a meeting. Once the meeting has occurred, a plan of action and response to the request will be issued within 5 days following completion of the consultation meeting. Reasonable accommodations for religious or medical/health needs of the students will be granted unless they impose an undue hardship upon the University. If the student fails to respond to the meeting request within 5 days of the meeting request email, the meal plan change request will be automatically denied. After that no further requests for the same concern will be accepted.

Appeals:

Medical/Health Dietary and Accessibility Decisions

Students seeking to appeal a decision based on a medical/health or accessibility consideration must do so in writing to Associate Dean of Students, Dr. Yolanda Alvarez within two business days of receiving the decision.

Dr. Alvarez is the University’s Section 504 Compliance Officer. A decision may be modified if the appeal provides new information that was not considered in the initial decision, or if the procedures for the review of the request were not followed.

All Other Decisions:

Students seeking to appeal a decision based on religious dietary considerations or special circumstances such as financial hardship must request the appeal via email to the Dining Services Office at msudiningservices@montclair.edu. These appeals will be reviewed by a Meal Plan Assistance Appeal Committee comprised of: Auxiliary Services Director (chair), representative from Financial Aid Office, representative from Division of Student Development and Campus Life and 1 student representative appointed by RHA, 1 student representative appointed by Student Government Association and 1 student representative appointed by the Chair of the Dining Services Advisory Committee. All committee members are voting members and at least three members must be present in order for a decision to be made. Decisions are made by simple majority vote. The committee will review each request to determine if the initial decision is consistent with the Meal Plan Policy and Procedures, or if any new information has been presented and should be considered. A decision may be modified if the appeal provides new information that was not considered in the initial decision, or if the procedures for the review of the request were not followed.

I. CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS OF MEAL PLANS:

The University will cancel meal plans when:

housing contracts are terminated and upon written request of meal plan cancellation by the student;
when the student takes an academic leave from the University;
when the student is granted a medical leave from the University;
when the University deregisters a student. The University defines deregistered as when the University withdraws a student from their classes resulting in the student not being enrolled for the term. The University deregisters a student from their classes for such reasons as failure to pay their account, expulsion, academic dismissal, etc.

When any of these conditions occurs, the student must request cancellation or modification of the meal plan electronically with the Dining Services Office within 24 hours of the change of status, using the Meal Plan Assistance Request Form. Meal plans do not terminate automatically. When a cancellation or modification of a meal plan is granted under any of these circumstances, refunds will be provided as outlined below. No refund will be provided when the University deregisters a student.

When a student initiates an academic or medical leave or withdrawal from the University or terminates a housing contract, refunds of the unused meal days and flex bucks of their Meal Plan will be based on the Meal Plan refund schedule pursuant to the University’s published schedule. Percentages reflected in the University’s refund schedule will be adjusted for the actual amount of Flex Bucks and meal days used prior to release from the Meal Plan. When a reasonable accommodation related to approved medical leave is provided, credit is granted on a prorated or remaining value basis regardless of the published add/drop schedule.

The effective date for any Meal Plan refund will be the date that the student officially withdraws, has the Meal Plan account invalidated, or is released from the contract, whichever occurs later. Refunds will not be given for meals missed due to academic scheduling conflicts or trips taken by the resident for academic or extracurricular purposes.

If a residential and dining services contract agreement is terminated by the Office of Residence Life prior to the start of the fall or spring semester meal plan as noted in Section A, no charges will be assessed for the meal plan.

J. FORCE MAJEURE

In the event of an unforeseeable cause beyond the control of the University, including but not limited to fire, flood, other severe weather, acts of God, interruption of utility services, acts of terrorism, pandemic, epidemic, government restrictions, or the like, the University reserves the right to maintain the safety of the premises by any means, including but not limited to closing or limiting access to campus and/or temporarily closing or restricting use of University residence facilities. Such actions shall not be considered a breach of contract and the University shall not be obligated to refund any amount already paid pursuant to this agreement.

Disclaimer:

The information in this policy does not create a contract that is enforceable against the University. This policy may be amended by the University at any time. Meal plan fees and charges are subject to change by the University and Montclair State University Board of Trustees action and changes become effective on the date enacted. Meal charges will be assessed by a student’s level and residency status. The University reserves the right to correct errors in student fee assessments and charges which are discovered subsequent to the billings or fee statements issued to students.

MEAL PLAN CHANGE REQUEST PROCEDURES:

Enrollment or Residential Status Change (change or terminate a meal plan):

Complete and Submit the online Meal Plan Assistance Request Form.
Indicate the nature of the change being requested and fully complete the form.
Submit the form and include all supporting documentation per the instructions in the form or by accompanying email to Dining Services.
An automatic email response confirming receipt of the request will be emailed to the student’s University email address.
A meeting with the student will be requested in cases of medical, religious, lifestyle choice dietary needs and hardship considerations.
A final email will be sent when the request has been processed.
Once the request has been processed, if a corresponding charge or credit is due, it will be placed on the student account or credit card.

Medical Dietary and Accessibility Accommodations or Exemption Request Process:

Complete the Meal Plan Assistance Request Form.
Provide required documentation from a medical professional who is not related to the student, either by completing the physician’s form, or by providing a letter on physician letterhead. Forms and documentation may be submitted with the online request form, faxed to 973-655-5308 or emailed to drc@montclair.edu
Upon submission, the request will route directly to the Disability Resource Center, who will review the documentation
The Disability Resource Center will coordinate with Dining Services to arrange the initial student consultation with the student, a representative from the University’s Disability Resource Center and Dining Services’ Registered Dietician and Executive Chef.
The student is responsible for prompt reply to the consultation meeting request
Following the student consultation meeting, a meal plan modification plan will be completed and implemented based upon the recommendation of your medical provider and the meeting.
The student will also need to register with the Disability Resource Center in Cole Hall Room 331

Religious Observance Accommodation or Exemption Request Process:

Complete the online form above
The form will route automatically to the Campus Dietitian, who will email the student’s University email address to request an appointment.
It is the responsibility of the student to watch for this email and to respond in a timely manner. If the student does not receive an outreach email from the dietician within 5 days of submission, the student is strongly encouraged to contact Dining Services.
A meeting will be arranged with the student and representatives from Dining Services’ staff (General Manager, Registered Dietician and/or Executive Chef)
Following the student consultation meeting, a meal plan modification plan will be completed and implemented based upon the outcome of the meeting outlined above.
Unique Circumstances/Financial Hardship Modification or Exemption Request Process:
Complete the online form above
The form will route automatically to the Auxiliary Services Director. The Financial Aid Office will also participate in the review process for requests involving financial hardship.
The Auxiliary Services Director will email the student’s University email address to request an appointment.
It is the responsibility of the student to watch for this email and to respond in a timely manner. If the student does not receive an outreach email from the dietician within 5 days of submission, the student is strongly encouraged to contact Dining Services.
Following the student consultation meeting, a resolution plan will be completed and implemented based upon the outcome of the meeting outlined above.

Form Submission Deadlines:

The Meal Plan Change Form will be accepted starting August 1. Changes can be made at no cost through the deadline to add/drop a course with 100% refund. Forms submitted after that deadline will be accepted until the deadline for Add/Drop with 0% refund for each semester and will be assessed a $25.00 processing fee.

ID Card Issues:

To address any problems that arise when using a valid meal card at the dining hall(s), contact Dining Services at msudiningser@montclair.edu.

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