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Dining Services increases prices, meal plan options

Dining-services-increases-prices-meal-plan-options

Hena Choi | Phoenix Staff

New menu boards which display the increased prices for prepared foods were installed in Essie Mae’s this summer.

In print | September 4, 2008

In addition to changing the default meal plan for freshmen from the 20 meal plan to the 17 meal plan, Dining Services has implemented other small changes that will affect the entire student body.
Director of Dining Services Linda McDougall decided to extend the 17 meal plan option to freshmen after many voiced concerns that the 20 meal plan was too restrictive. “We suggested that it’s awful that freshmen didn’t have the option to go on the 17 meal plan, and dining services was receptive,” Student Council President Yongjun Heo ’09 said.

“The freshmen are all assigned to the 17 meal plan, but they can switch to the 20 meal plan until September 5,” Linda McDougall said. “In fact, anyone can switch their meal plan until September 5.”
In addition to increasing the number of meal plan options for freshmen, Dining Services increased the number of points available to students to accommodate rising costs in Essie Mae’s Snack Bar. “With Tarble, there’s been a slight price increase. The cost of everything is going up, so we have to increase the price of our food,” McDougall said. “Now the 17 meal plan has $80 in points, and the 14 meal plan has $150 in points.”

McDougall said that meal equivalencies have also increased to $2.60 for breakfast, $3.75 for lunch, and $4.60 for dinner. “We’ve also increased the meal equivalency, so hopefully students can get the same full meal despite the price changes,” she said.

To address these changes and discuss future modifications to the meal plan, Dining Services and Student Council plan on hosting a forum in the coming weeks, McDougall said. “We should have something by the beginning of October. We want to have a forum with students and the administration to discuss possible future changes to the meal plan,” McDougall said.
After student outcries last semester when Dining Services attempted to move away from selling many packaged goods at Essie Mae’s to offering more prepared food, Dining Services agreed to delay any major changes until next semester, said Nate Erskine ’10, the Student Council Appointments Chair.

“We are very committed to creating a dialog between Dining Services administrators and the student body,” Erskine said. “What we are striving to do with the forum is have something that can educate the students on the way dining services is run, give them an overall picture of the challenges they face, but we also want to give students a chance to submit ideas and see how they would possibly like to see the meal plan restructured,” he said.

Student Council Vice President Sven Udekwu ’09 agreed that balancing student interests with administrative concerns is important. “We’re trying to talk about streamlining the changes at Tarble next semester to benefit the students as much as possible,” Udekwu said. “We want it so that things work out better for Dining Services in a monetary sense, but still we can still maintain a good modicum of choice for students.”

McDougall stressed that Dining Services strives to accommodate student needs when implementing changes to the food plan. “The other thing that is really important to understand is that you all are our customers,” McDougall said. “We want to do what we can for you within reason. If you have any suggestions or complaints, please let us know.”