Campus Dining and Recreation Update (COVID-19)

Dear UIC students, faculty and staff,

I am writing to provide you with information regarding changes in service to campus dining and recreation based on recent developments.

Campus Dining

UIC Dining Services understands the recent news and the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 health crisis, as well as the impact on the life of our academic community. However, we want you to know that UIC Dining Services is “OPEN” in order to provide services to members of the community who remain on campus.

We are continually monitoring public health agencies and government announcements while adjusting our practices to ensure the health and safety of the UIC community. On Sunday, March 15, Governor Pritzker announced that bars and restaurants are to close to the public in the state of Illinois while allowing universities’ dining halls and campus retail venues to modify operations to ensure that we play our part in mitigating the spread of the virus. With your safety in mind, here are some practical modifications among others being implemented immediately:

• Eliminate seating in all retail dining venue throughout campus.
• Limit access to its residence dining halls so that attendance does not exceed 50 guests per dining room.
• Sanitize table surfaces on a regular basis.
• Promote grab and go items at UIC dining retail locations.
• Encourage mobile ordering in venues with such capability.

Additionally, in consultation with our dining partners, we have enacted a number of preventative safety measures as follows:

• Eliminating self-service and implementing a served-service model.
• Discontinuing bulk condiments and replacing them with individual condiments.
• Removing salt and pepper shakers from the tables and offering packets of salt and pepper at each station.
• Utilizing more pre-packaged foods. Examples include individual milk containers, canned sodas, bottled water, and individual boxes of cereal.
• Not allowing customers to fill their personal reusable beverage bottles, thus preventing contamination of spouts and spigots from personal reusable containers.
• Utilizing disposables instead of our current plate ware, silverware, and beverage containers.
• Dedicating additional personnel to wash, sanitize, and disinfect all surfaces to include equipment, utensils, tables, chairs, spouts, spigots, handles, and other high-touch surfaces.

During the extended spring break, UIC Dining Services will operate under a modified schedule located at dining.uic.edu. You may also visit this website to receive up-to-the-minute information.

Campus Recreation

Effective Tuesday, March 17, all Campus Recreation facilities will be closed indefinitely. For additional information, visit recreation.uic.edu.

Thank you for your understanding as we seek to protect the health and safety of the campus community in managing this ongoing emergency.

Sincerely,

Rex Tolliver
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

For more information, please contact:
Student Affairs
studentaffairs@uic.edu