Student survey hints at possibility of new meal plan
By Megan Krause, Campus Life writer
October 24, 2007 | 10:56 a.m.
A recent dining hall survey sent out to students suggests the possibility of a new type of meal plan allowing unlimited access to the dining hall during hours of operation. The Dining Services Department administers this survey annually to gather student opinions.
According to the most recent dining services student survey, adding an unlimited meal plan option would replace the current 14 and 20 meal plans. The unlimited 5 would allow students unlimited access to the dining halls Monday through Friday during regular hours. Similarly, the unlimited 7 meal plan would allow daily access all week. Both plans would also allow two trips to Grab and Go per day.
“As long as the doors are open, go in and use it,” said Richard Neumann, Director of the Dining Services Department. “There are no meals attached to it. It’s like a buffet that’s constantly there.”
If the administration makes the decision to change to the unlimited meal plan, Neumann said that there would be some technological challenges. The system that is used now would have to be updated to accommodate new meal plans. The student body’s response to this idea will take some time to process before the results are known.
However, some students say they are not enthusiastic about the idea. “The super 14 and super 20 are equivalent to it,” sophomore Margaret Myers said. “I could swipe 14 times in one day if I wanted to.”
Other students feel it is not ideal for other reasons. “Maybe if the dining halls were open more it would beneficial,” freshman Alli Brentlinger said.
On the other hand, the meal plan does appeal to some. “You have more availability to [go to] the dining hall,” sophomore Mike Impagliozza said.
According to Neumann, last year 1,700 students responded to the student dining services survey. He said that the survey is a way to get a feel for what the student body wants from the dining services. “I’m just trying to gather information to see if this is something students want," he said. "We’re always looking at different ways to improve the offerings of the meal plans."
Through the annual survey, data is gathered about student opinions concerning changes that could potentially happen in the future. As a result of the survey, changes have been made in the past, like chicken being offered every day at the Sunset Strips at Nelson Dining Hall and later hours for Grab and Go locations.
After students take the survey, Neumann takes the data back to the Dining Services Development Committee. The DSDC is made up of a few members of the Dining Services staff and some students, according to the Dining Services Web site. If the committee feels passionately about an issue, Neumann said that he will then put together a proposal.
The proposal is taken to the Vice President of Administration and Finance, then to the President's cabinet, and, finally, to the Board of Trustees. If every aforementioned committee approves, then the change is made.
Neumann pointed out that it can be tricky to make a change that will affect many people daily. "You currently have over 7,800 students on a meal plan, and everybody's got their own idea of what it is they want and don't want," he said. "It doesn't matter what a group thinks. You have to look at what the majority wants."
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