Last month, Jim Lynch, director of the International Students and Scholars Office, was informed that the annual International Festival in the HUB-Robeson Center would have to abide by some new guidelines.

The festival, which usually includes a potluck-style international food fair, must now comply with a policy that states no food prepared in a private home can be sold, served or used at public eateries. The rule comes in response to a mandate made last month by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

While the new mandate has been instituted for understandable reasons, which include fear of food-borne illness and related lawsuits, it has been put into effect too quickly and without sufficient notice.

Although Stan Latta, director of Unions and Student Activities, which oversees the HUB-Robeson Center, said the office was aware of the issue sometime last spring, campus clubs and organizations were not alerted of the change until last month.

This unexpected change in policy hits multicultural student organizations the hardest, considering that many of these clubs rely on fund-raising events featuring ethnic foods. Aside from the International Festival, events sponsored by other clubs, including the Caribbean Student Association and Association for India's Development, have been affected.

If organizations want to continue to serve traditional dishes at their festivals and events at the HUB-Robeson Center, a professional caterer from an approved list must supply the food. This presents several problems for the clubs, especially this year.

First of all, because of being informed of the new guidelines just last month, the organizations are faced with the task of locating a caterer available to do the job. In addition, they must rework previously planned budgets that did not figure catering expenses into the event's anticipated cost.

Also, many multicultural groups are encountering problems finding caterers with experience in preparing specific ethnic foods. Even if a caterer with such experience is found, it takes away from the authenticity of the event. Part of the appeal of these fund-raisers is the traditional, homemade dishes and what they offer about the cultures represented.

The reasons why these changes need to be made are legitimate. The concerns of safety and liability are justifiable, and the Department of Agriculture's mandate makes new guidelines inevitable.

Student organizations, however, deserved more warning. These clubs plan their events and budgets months — even a year — in advance, and one month isn't enough time to make the necessary adjustments in order to save their fund-raising efforts.