Re-Opening in Spring 2021

Navigating Our New Normal

Your safety is our top priority here at Rensselaer Dining Services. Every day we closely monitor the evolving guidelines from the CDC, as well as other safety recommendations as they emerge from the state health department and other local officials. Our team is working hard to ensure that our policies and procedures reflect the most up-to-date information with regard to COVID-19. We are committed to keeping the entire RPI Community safe on campus and in our dining and retail locations. Please navigate to the menu items below for updates and other information on all that we are doing to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe during this unprecedented time.

You can expect a number of new dining expectations and requirements for both our customers and our staff in light of our response to the national pandemic. 


  • Wearing campus-approved face masks are required. Sit-down dining in our de-densified locations are the only exception.

  • Wash/sanitize your hands frequently, most especially if you have made contact with others, public facilities (including door handles, dispensers, etc.), or touched your own face.

  • Use the screening resources provided by RPI and please do not enter campus facilities if you feel sick. For more information, please visit this link on the RPI website.


  • You must adhere to social distancing guidelines: special red floor decals, arrows and other directional visuals will help you find where you need to stand. As a rule, please keep at least 6 feet apart if no other visual aids are present.


  • As per safety de-densification requirements of our facilities, we will be strictly monitoring the number of occupants allowed in each and every one of our facilities.


  • Reservation is required to eat in the residential dining locations. Use the Transact app to place reservations and to pre-order meals.


  • Frequently-touched surface areas will be cleaned and thoroughly sanitized as often as possible for your safety. All our dining halls will close periodically throughout the day for thorough cleaning and sanitization.


  • All our employees are subject to health screenings and temperature checks to ensure that everyone on campus is healthy enough to work.


  • Exclusive use of biodegradable disposables throughout all our dining locations. We are suspending the use of eco-containers. We do not permit the use of reusable mugs or water bottles or any other type of personal container in our locations.

For the collective health and safety of not only our dining staff but also our customers, we have implemented strict requirements for our employees’ return to work. 

  • As per Campus requirement, all our staff are required to test negative for COVID-19 on a biweekly basis.

  • All our staff are required to pass a daily health screening, which includes a body temperature check.

  • Personal protective equipment (PPE), or gloves, masks, other special facial/hand coverings and regular disinfection of shoes are required for our staff as they serve. 

  • Sanitization breaks will be imposed to ensure that masks and gloves are changed out for new ones and hands, surfaces, and other equipment are properly sanitized.

  • Physical distancing is also enforced with our staff: 6 feet to be maintained between employees.

If you have any questions or concerns about your dietary needs, please connect with our Registered Dietitian: Kimberly.Mayer@Sodexo.com

  • Simple Servings, our allergy-friendly entree station, will continue to serve meals to students. Meals will be available for dine-in or via mobile ordering through Transact.

  • MyZone, our gluten, peanut and tree nut-free pantry facility, has strict occupancy limits. We can only allow one student in at one time for safety reasons.