Resolution 2023-S6-3004

Expanding Halal Options

Chief Sponsor(s): Representative Saba Ali, Representative Nora Alsaadi
Co Sponsor(s): Vice President Michael Fernandes, Director of Student Success Mahanoor
Murtaza
WHEREAS, there are 15.6% of UIC undergraduate students that identify as Muslim; majority of
whom follow a halal diet. From a survey conducted with 140 students, 96.4% follow a zabiha
halal or halal diet; and
WHEREAS, a halal diet excludes alcohol and pork, including any derivatives (i.e. gelatin). A
zabiha halal diet excludes the same items, but requires any permissible meat to be
hand-slaughtered. Only halal certified suppliers can provide halal meat and have certifications to
prove their authenticity; and
WHEREAS, cross contamination with regard to a halal diet occurs when halal food products
come into contact with non-halal food products (i.e. cooking halal meat in the same oil used to
cook pork); and
WHEREAS, despite the large population of Muslim students on campus, halal meat options
offered on UIC’s east campus are limited to very few advertised halal options offered by CRAVE
Chicago and few halal options in the dining hall; and
WHEREAS, there is limited transparency around halal options offered by Chartwell dining
services, their halal certified supplier, and protocol to avoid cross contamination. In the
aforementioned survey, 99.6% of respondents reported not knowing who the dining hall’s halal
food supplier is; and
WHEREAS, the online menu for the Dine On Campus website does not show any classification
or icons for halal meals and does not label any meals as halal certified. The website also does not
disclose their specific halal meat supplier. However, the online menu labels items as vegan or
vegetarian and includes how environmentally friendly the options are; and

WHEREAS, due to shared sentiments surrounding a lack of trust for the halal meat supplier,
cross contamination concerns, and limited halal choices, 67.9% of the 84 respondents that eat at
the dining hall rarely or never choose the offered halal options at the dining hall. Instead, such
individuals opt for vegetarian or vegan options; then
LET IT BE RESOLVED, the Undergraduate Student Government calls upon the UIC
administration to expand all dining services on east campus to include more halal certified meals
and restaurants in order to accommodate the large population of Muslim students that follow a
halal or zabiha halal diet; and
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, the Undergraduate Student Government also requests that
the UIC dining services be transparent with their halal meat suppliers by stating their exact halal
supplier and displaying halal certification both in-person and online; then
LET IT BE RESOLVED, expanding halal options on campus with proper transparency will
increase the amount of Muslim students who eat on UIC’s campus. These changes will foster and
cultivate an environment that is inclusive to our diverse student body and align with UIC’s
mission statement of their commitment to diversity.