Sakarya University (SAU) implements institutional dining services and food assistance arrangements to support academic staff, administrative personnel, and permanent workers in accessing adequate, regular, and affordable meals. These practices aim to facilitate access to daily nutrition, reduce the financial burden of food expenses, and promote continued access to meals throughout the working day.
The University's dining services are coordinated by the Cafeterias and Catering Services Branch Directorate and provided through dining halls located on Esentepe Campus and other university campuses. Meal menus are prepared with the support of qualified professionals, taking nutritional requirements into consideration, and are regularly published through the publicly accessible SABİS Monthly Meal Menu. This system provides an institutional framework that supports employees' access to regular meals during the working day.
For academic and administrative personnel, access to dining services is supported through food assistance arrangements established under national public-sector regulations. In accordance with the 2025 Regulation on the Implementation of the Food Assistance Scheme for Civil Servants, institutional contributions and employee meal contributions are applied according to the relevant provisions. As indicated in Sakarya University's Meal Price List, meal contribution rates for academic and administrative personnel vary according to additional salary indicator levels and applicable remuneration criteria. This arrangement supports employees' access to university dining services through an established and publicly available pricing framework.
For permanent workers, support for meal expenses is also regulated through collective bargaining agreements. The First Collective Labour Agreement, signed between Sakarya University Rectorate and the Koop-İş Trade Union, explicitly includes meal allowances among employees' social and financial entitlements. The University's Second Collective Labour Agreement is also publicly available on its institutional website. Furthermore, the Frequently Asked Questions page of the Personnel Department provides information on the implementation of meal allowances for permanent workers. These arrangements demonstrate institutional mechanisms designed to contribute to employees' food-related expenses.
Through food assistance arrangements for different employee groups, institutional dining services, and structured meal pricing practices, Sakarya University facilitates staff access to regular meals and helps alleviate the financial burden of food expenses. These measures contribute to meeting employees' daily nutritional needs and support efforts to mitigate the risk of food insecurity among university staff.
