How college dining is engaging students in the era of distance learning

As the COVID-19 crisis presses on, college dining teams are finding some fresh ways to connect with students while they finish the semester from afar.

Throughout April, Princeton Dining in Princeton, N.J., will be sharing favorite recipes from its foodservice team via social media. Recipes so far have included Fresh Date and Tomato Chutney from Assistant Vice President of University Services Smitha Haneef and Thai Shrimp Curry from Chef Chirada DeToro.

IU Dining in Bloomington, Ind., is highlighting home cooking tips with the hashtag #DiningAtHome, including best practices for keeping food at the proper temperature and how to take care of cutting boards.

Duke Dining in Durham, N.C., has created a weekly Instagram cadence to keep things fresh for students, showcasing a different theme each day. Examples include Meatless Mondays, during which students are encouraged to share photos of the meatless dishes they’re enjoying; Wellness Wednesdays, when they can pose questions to the campus dietitian via Instagram Live; and Foodie Fridays, when they can submit their favorite recipes to the dining team, which will later be shared online.

NC State Dining in Raleigh, N.C., recently encouraged those who miss meals with fellow students to replicate the experience virtually by downloading images of campus and using them as backgrounds for lunches held over video conference.

To help students and others support its local community, UMass Dining in Amherst, Mass., put together a list of area farmers and food purveyors offering curbside pickup and delivery, which it recently shared on social media.