Provision of Meals to Students at Virtual Meetings of Student Organizations (Interim)

Effective Date: 
September 28, 2020
Revision Date: 
September 28, 2020

Policy and Guidance

This interim policy results from the COVID-19 pandemic and it establishes the rules and guidelines pertaining to the provision of meals to students at virtual meetings of student organizations.  Such meals are intended to replace the in-kind meals Yale typically provides to students at similar meetings ordinarily held on campus.  This interim policy applies to virtual meetings only; the previously issued COVID-19 – Events & Gatherings Guidelines continue to apply to in-person meetings and events.  The following points apply to the provision of meals to students at virtual meetings of student organizations:

  • The amount provided for each meal must be reasonable and must be in accordance with budgetary and prudent spending considerations; Yale units/departments may establish their own dollar limitations and additional other guidelines pertaining to these student meals;
  • Meals charged to federally sponsored awards must be allowable in accordance with federal guidelines;
  • Yale units/departments providing meals to students should do so by issuing food delivery service (e.g., DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub) credits, vouchers, payment cards, or their equivalent (collectively, “meal vouchers”); 
  • Yale units/departments must use an appropriate Yale PCard or supplier invoice for the purchase of these food delivery service meal vouchers; other purchasing methods (e.g., out-of-pocket expenses) are not permitted;
  • Yale units/departments should notify students that the food delivery service meal vouchers are intended for the purchase of meals to be consumed at virtual meetings of student organizations;
  • Food delivery service meal vouchers must not be used to purchase alcohol; and
  • Yale units/departments providing meals in accordance with this policy are not required to obtain central approval to do so.  Further, no central reporting of meals is required.