Meal Plan Contract Terms and Conditions

1. Introduction

This document establishes the SSU contract Terms and Conditions (“terms”) and Policy Handbook for plans, blocks, Dining Dollars (DD), and dining facilities. This contract is a binding agreement between Sonoma State University (“SSU”) and the contract signatory. Along with the terms and policies in this document, all policies and regulations outlined in the 2023-2024 Housing Contract Terms and Condition (“housing terms”), the SSU Culinary Services website (culinary.sonoma.edu), and the University Policy library are hereby incorporated into this contract and are binding on all parties. It is the Seawolf ID cardholder’s responsibility to become familiar with all provisions of this contract. No verbal statement by any party is considered a waiver of any term or condition, whether expressed or implied unless made in writing by the Director of SSU Culinary Services. 

1. i. Contract Dates

1. During the Academic Year – Meal Plans, block plans, and DD are contracted for the ENTIRE academic semester, both the fall and spring semesters.  
2. During the Summer – None offered, only conference and retail food options available. 
3. Service Dates 

1. ii. Eligibility and Requirements

1. SSU Culinary Services will use your Seawolf ID card and number to access your Seawolf Account, your registration status, and your in-term address to determine your eligibility for and requirement to purchase plans, blocks, and DDs. 
2. Eligibility – To be eligible to purchase a plan, block, and/or DD, you must be in good financial standing with SSU and either assigned to on-campus housing, enrolled as a student at SSU, or be a staff or faculty of Sonoma State University. 
3. Required Areas – If you are a First Time Freshman living on campus you are required to be enrolled in the All Access meal plan.  
4. Voluntary Areas – If you live off-campus or are not a first-year student in University Housing you are not required to contract for a plan, but you are encouraged to purchase any plan, block, or DD amount. 

1. iii. Special Dietary Needs/Accommodations

1. Requirements for plan participation are not waived due to religious/lifestyle dietary preferences. SSU Culinary Services menus satisfy all nutritional needs while staff members are available to work with students to choose appropriate menu items.  
2. Dietary Accommodations – If you have a medical/dietary restriction that requires a dining accommodation, you must participate in the Dining Accommodation Request process. To begin the process, you must first register with Disability Services for Students. You will also need to email culinary.services@sonoma.edu to complete the process.
3. If your accommodation request is approved, staff will work with you to select appropriate menu items and, when necessary, prepare individualized meals. Individualized meals are available in The Kitchens only.
4. Service Animals – Dogs or miniature horses that are trained to perform a specific function for a person with a disability are considered Service Animals (according to the Americans with Disabilities Act) and are the only animals permitted entrance to any SSU Culinary Services location. 
5. Feeding your service animal in any SSU Culinary Services location is prohibited. 

2. Fees and ID Cards

2. i. Purchasing Dining Options

Meal plans can be purchased online by logging into your SSU account and clicking on "Seawolf Card Management" or they can be purchased in person at the Seawolf Service Center, located on the first floor of Salazar Hall. See the Seawolf Services How to Make an Online Payment website for step-by-step directions on how to make a purchase online. 

1. SSU Culinary Services will use your Seawolf ID card and number to load your purchased dining options onto your Seawolf ID Card. 
2. Only the Seawolf ID Cardholder is permitted to purchase, change, or cancel their dining options. Third parties must pay the designated amount to enter but are not eligible to change or cancel a dining option.  
3. If assigned to a required area such as a housing unit without a kitchen, you will be assigned the All-Access Plan if you are a first-year student living on campus. 

2. ii. Assessment of Fees

1. All plan, block, and DD fees are assessed to your Seawolf Account using your Seawolf ID number. 
2. For contracts submitted prior to the start of the term, fees begin to accrue on the contract begin date. 
3. For contracts submitted after the term begins, meals, blocks, and DD are issued in full and fees begin to accrue the date the contract is submitted. 

2. iii. Rates

1. REACH receives the proposed rates during the spring prior to the start of this contract.  
2. Prior to final approval, residents may view the current year’s rates at the Culinary Services Meal Plans website. These are for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change with approval. The website will be updated as soon as the approved rates are available.  
3. The CSU reserves the right to change the contract rates during the contract term with 30-day advance notice. If rates increase, students will receive an email from the Culinary Services Director informing them of the change. Residents will have 20 days from the date of this notification to cancel their contracts without penalty. 
4. Board approval of the proposed rates does not constitute a rate change during the term of the contract. 

2. iv. Loss / Theft of Seawolf ID Cards and Temporary Meal Passes

1. You should immediately report the loss or theft of your SSU ID Card to Seawolf Services. Details can be found on the Seawolf Services Seawolf Card Lost website.
2. SSU Culinary Services is not responsible for any fraudulent transactions.  
3. Using a Seawolf ID Card that is not your own or loaning your Seawolf ID Card to another person is prohibited. A Seawolf ID Card used by someone other than its owner will be confiscated. If your Seawolf ID Card is confiscated for this reason, reach out to the Culinary Services Director at culinary.services@sonoma.edu. Campus disciplinary action may be required after the first offense. 
4. If you temporarily misplace your Seawolf ID Card, please contact Seawolf Services at 707-664-2308. If Seawolf Services is closed, see the on-duty Culinary manager or reach out via email at fohmanagers@sonoma.edu.

3. Plans, Meals, and Dining Dollars

3. i. Meal Plans

A detailed description of available Meal Plans and Block Plans are available at the Culinary Services Meal Plans  website. 
1. All plans come with meals/swipes at The Kitchens. You can purchase additional Meals as needed.

3. ii. Block Plans

Block Plans are groups of meals that come in quantities that vary by day, time, and week. 

3. iii. Dining Meals

The Kitchens allows for all access (unlimited) entry into SSU’s dining center or to purchase food at any of our retail venues per day.  

Dining Meals can only be used for you as the contracted student. They cannot be used for guests. 

Due to the open availability of food items, only those who have paid may enter a dining center. 

In The Kitchens, the use of storage containers/bags to remove food items is prohibited. The food served in the The Kitchens is intended only for consumption in the dining area and only small snacks may be taken from the venue.  Purchased meals can be used for you or your guests.

3. iv. Dining Dollars (DD)

Dining Dollars (DD) are a pre-paid, declining debit account that can be used at all SSU Culinary Services locations. 

• Once issued, DD are not refundable and expire each semester. 
• In SSU Culinary Services retail locations (including Sip), the purchase of Gift Cards with DD is prohibited. 

3. v. Redeeming Meals and Dining Dollars (DD)

You can use your Meals and DD anytime SSU Culinary Services locations are open. You may use multiple meals and/or DD per day as follows: 

1. In dining centers and retail locations, present your Seawolf ID Card to the cashier who will, using a card reader, debit one meal or the cost of the purchase in DD from your account. 
2. If you are denied entry/purchase by the card reader system, you can speak with the location manager or the Seawolf Services Office for assistance. 
3. You can use DD to order items from select SSU Culinary services locations.

To view your available meal and DD balances you can log into your ‘Seawolf Card Management’ tile. 

3. vi. Guests Meal Passes

Unlimited Meal Plans include Guest Meal Passes. Guest Meals and DD can be used for you and your guests.

Both you and your guest must be present at the time of purchase.  

3. vii. Rolling of Plans and Dining Dollars (DD)

1. At the end of the fall semester, unused meals plans expire. Unused Block Plan meals will remain available for use during the spring semester and will expire at the end of the academic year.  
   1. For first-time freshmen living on campus, your fall Meal Plan will automatically renew for spring unless you coordinate with Housing. At the end of the spring semester, all unused Dining Center Meals and all unused DD expire.  WolfBucks roll over from semester to semester and year to year. For additional questions regarding WolfBucks, please visit the WolfBucks website.

4. Changes and Cancellations

4. i. Method

Requests can be submitted as follows. If you submit multiple requests, the most recent will be used. Verbal requests are not considered.  

1. E-mail to culinary.services@sonoma.edu– All emails must contain your full name, Seawolf  ID number and specific request.
2. Check-Out Paperwork – On-campus residents may request plan cancellation on their checkout paperwork.

4. ii. Meal Plan Change Timeline

You may change your options as follows.  

1. Before Meal Service Begins – You may change to any plan for which you are eligible.  
   1. The full cost of the old plan, including DD, will be credited and the full cost of the new plan, including DD, will be charged. 
2. Once Meal Service Has Begun through the Meal Plan Change Deadline – You may change to any plan for which you are eligible.  
   1. Credits for the meal portion of the previous plan will be prorated as follows: 
   2. For the Seawolf All Access, Weekday All Access, Daily 7, and Daily 5, you will be charged for the number of days you have had that plan. 
   3. For Block plans (Premier Blue 50 and Prime Blue 20), you will be charged for all meals eaten at the per-meal cost for that option.  
   4. DD are not reduced or refunded. If the new plan has more DD than the old plan, you will be given and billed for the difference. 
   5. Charges for the meal portion of the new plan will be prorated as follows: 
   6. If you change from the Seawolf All Access, Weekday All Access, Daily 7 or Daily 5, you will be charged for the number of days from that date and will be charged from that date to the end of the semester for the new plan rate. Dining Dollars will remain with you and are not included in the rate. 
   7. If you change to a Block plan (Premier Blue 50 or Prime Blue 20), there is no proration of the new Block. 
3. Meal Plan Change Deadline through the Twelfth Week of the Semester – Changes are not permitted unless your plan requirement changes due to change in your housing assignment, in which your fees will be discussed with Housing.
4. After the Twelfth Week through the end of the Semester – There are no refunds or prorations for any reason.  

4. iii. Meal Plan Cancellations

1. Residents of Voluntary Areas who wish to cancel their plans must do so by the Meal Plan Change deadline each semester.   
   1. For cancellations prior to the deadline, charges and credits will be adjusted as outlined above.
   2. For cancellations after the deadline, the Meal Plan Cancellation Penalty may apply. 
2. If you are assigned to a Required Area such as housing without the use of a kitchen, you may not cancel your plan unless you also cancel your on-campus housing. In this case, the Housing Cancellation Policy is used to determine the application of the Meal Plan Cancellation Penalty.  
   1. If you cancel and leave SSU due to medical issues or call to active military duty, you may cancel your plan without penalty. You will receive a full refund of unused meals and DD. 
3. For any questions regarding cancellations, reach out to culinary.services@sonoma.edu.

4. iv. Meal Plan Cancellation Penalty

1. The Meal Plan Cancellation Penalty consists of the following: 
   1. You remain responsible for 100% of the cost of all DDs associated with your plan. You will be given and billed for any unissued DD. 
   2. You remain responsible for 100% of the cost of the plan you have already used and you will be assessed a penalty equal to 50% of the remaining academic year value of the plan.  
      1. For other blocks and meals, fees are calculated using the actual number of meals eaten/remaining. 
      2. For the Unlimited meal plan, fees are calculated using a daily rate from the date your plan began through the date your cancellation is final. If you live on-campus, this is the date you complete your proper check out (if checked-in). 
2. If you choose to keep your fall plan or change to another plan (in required areas) rather than pay the Cancellation Penalty, you must also keep that plan for spring. If you cancel your spring plan, you will be charged the Cancellation Penalty. 

4. v. Missed Meals Due to Absence from Campus

1. If you have a block or meal plan and are absent from campus for ten or more consecutive days for any of the following reasons, you may request a refund for missed meals:  

2. Residents of Voluntary areas may not request a refund for meals missed due to a class requirement, as you were made aware of this requirement prior to the change deadline. 

3. Refunds will be processed at the end of the semester and will be calculated as a daily rate for each consecutive day absent.