All students that live on campus are required to purchase a meal plan through the SUNY Cortland dining services. Last year, dozens of students reported undercooked chicken and continuous unsafe food preparation in Neubig Dining Hall. This semester, Neubig has been limited in their food options and dining hours, so the Bistro Dining Hall has been designated as the main dining hall. Since the start of the semester and move in (Aug. 25th, 2022), there have been multiple hospitalizations and hundreds of complaints of food poisoning. When the school heard of these issues, they sent out an email which reads as follows: “Health Advisory: Dear students,

SUNY Cortland’s Student Health Service staff is aware of several students who have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms over the past few days. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain and typically last one to two days.

The cause of these gastrointestinal symptoms is undetermined, but Student Health Service is working closely with the Cortland County Health Department to investigate this matter. Additional updates will be provided as we learn more. 

We urge all students to take the following precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Practice proper hand hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Do not prepare food if you are ill.
Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.
Students who experience these symptoms should:

Stay home if you are sick. Do NOT attend class, work, practices or social gatherings.
Drink plenty of clear liquids, including water, Gatorade, ginger ale or apple juice, to maintain hydration until symptoms have ended.
Sanitize any surfaces after a vomiting or diarrhea episode.
Slowly return to eating solid foods after symptoms have resolved. Begin with plain rice, applesauce, bananas, toast or crackers.
Seek medical evaluation if vomiting lasts longer than 24 hours, diarrhea lasts longer than three days or if symptoms of dehydration occur, such as lightheadedness or fainting.
Students may be evaluated by Student Health Service by calling 607-753-4811 Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Students who need medical assistance after hours can access medical care at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. The emergency room is staffed by physicians 24 hours a day. In addition, Cortland Convenient Care, operated by Cayuga Medical Center, is located on Route 281. Please note that students are responsible for charges incurred at off-campus medical facilities.

We sincerely hope this illness will be short-lived on our campus and appreciate all the students who have reached out so far. Please know we will do everything we can to support our students through this difficult time.

Melissa Partigianoni, MS, FNP-BC

Interim Medical Director

Kerry Mincher
Administrative Assistant 2
SUNY Cortland
Division of Student Affairs
Corey Union, Room 407-a
P.O. Box 2000
Cortland, NY 13045-0900
O: 607-753-4721 | F: 607-753-2808
kerry.mincher@cortland.edu“ 

This shows that SUNY Cortland and Cortland Auxiliary Services are taking no responsibility for the health and safety of their students. Not only is this extremely upsetting to many people, a large majority of students cannot afford to pay for both the dining plan and making their own meals. Forcing students to enroll in these meal plans and then providing undercooked and unsafe products is negligent, and there needs to be an investigation on the quality and food handling/preparation done in these facilities. All students deserve to feel safe and protected when on campus, and at the very least, partial refunds of meal plans should be provided.