Nassau Community College students protest the closure of the school’s food service

Students at Nassau Community College protested Monday the sudden closure of campus food and dining services, saying the move increases food insecurity and poses a barrier to completing their education.

On the campus plaza, several dozen students and faculty said the reduction will have a harsh impact on those who commute to college and do not have easy access to off-campus options throughout the school day.

“Students work, they come here, they do their job as students, and they need something to live on all day,” said sophomore Godlee Sainvilus (20), “This is completely unacceptable.”

The meeting follows Nassau Community College saying this month that an on-campus Starbucks would close, along with dining and dining options. Their replacement, university officials said, would include vending machines.

With just weeks left before the end of the semester, the university’s food service provider – Compass Group – submitted a termination letter, according to an agenda item for the university’s March 12 finance committee meeting. Compass said it was no longer financially possible to provide the food services under their agreement, the document said.

Compass wanted about $320,000 a year for seven years — an amount that was too high, university officials had said. Compass Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

“Nassau Community College is committed to its students and faculty and doing everything we can to provide food services to the population we serve,” Jerry Kornbluth, NCC vice president for community and government relations, said in an interview Monday .

The college is in discussions with food truck vendors and has requests for proposals from other food services for the fall semester, according to letters sent to faculty and students on Monday. The letter also states that other services for students in need include a food pantry, some food options at a bookstore, and microwaves in select locations.

“We won’t let anyone starve on this campus,” Kornbluth said.

But that hasn’t done enough to fully address the concerns of some students and staff, at a time when the school is facing a deficit of more than $1 million and the faculty’s recent approval of a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the NCC.

Enrollment at the university has fallen in recent years, from about 24,000 students in 2011 to about 11,000 currently.

“We are all very outraged that dining services are closed,” student Kaldwin Lerandy Ladislas said in an interview after the protest.

The 19-year-old, who will attend Stony Brook University next semester, later said, “It feels like we’re being fired again.”

Suzanne Kaebnick, a professor in the English department and secretary of the faculty union, said, “It is time to secure Nassau Community College and its students.”

“Stock the cafeteria and feed the students hot, delicious, nutritious and affordable food,” she told the audience.

With Joie Tyrrell