5. Meal Plan History
NOTES:
1. Each fiscal year reflects the
number of meal plans sold
for the fall semester.
2. The increases are in
correlation of providing
more product offerings and
diversifying the types of meal
plans we offer in order to
better meet student
lifestyles.
6. Transition to a New Model
Current Format:
Residents in mandatory meal plan halls must be on a meal based
plan:
These facilities fall within this criteria:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Reese Hall
Humes Hall
North Carrick
South Carrick
Morrill Hall
Gibbs Hall (Closed)
Brown Hall (open fall 2014)
Other meal plans have been developed in cooperation with
Housing to encourage participation in other traditional
housing units, as well as the apartment residents and
commuter students.
7. Transition to a New Model
Proposal:
Eliminate the mandatory meal plan residence halls criteria.
Require all first year, undergraduate students to purchase a mealbased meal plan. This would not include transfers who have
completed a pre-determined number of credit hours.
All other undergraduate students must purchase a debit balance
(DB) plan at a minimum of $300 per semester.
Students may purchase a meal plan which would supersede the
$300 DB requirement.
Any DB amount remaining in a student’s account would transfer
from fall to spring semester.
At the conclusion of the spring semester, any remaining amount
in the DB plans would roll into an All-Star account. This allows
the student to use the funds for meals, books, apparel, supplies
and vending at other locations that accept All-Star funds on
campus.
8. Transition to a New Model
Advantages of transitioning to this format:
This generates additional commission dollars and capital outlay funding
for the campus in order to support these new facilities.
It eliminates the confusion when a student transfers between residence
halls.
This should assist in the assignment and reapplication of housing
allocations since meal plans are not assigned to specific halls.
The retail dining options on this campus are vibrant and diverse and
strongly support a mandatory debit plan program. The opening of the
new student union will further enhance this program.
–
Student Union
–
Cumberland Avenue Retail Location
–
New Residential Dining Facility on Stokely Center Site
–
New Residential Dining Facility in the Presidential Courtyard Area
9. Transition to a New Model
Advantages of transitioning to this format:
This will further engage residential students and commuter students in order
to enhance their college experiences.
Lowers the financial burden on residential students by minimizing the
increase in meal plans in the future.
If the student does not spend the money during the semester they may secure
a refund through the All-Star account.
At the University of Memphis these results have occurred:
–
–
Vending sales have grown 320%
–
Bookstore sales have also grown
–
Significant increase in student satisfaction
–
97% of full-time undergraduate student population is dining on campus
–
3% full refund
–
12% partial refund
–
Dining Dollars have grown close to 200%
University retention has grown 6% since inception
$300 per semester equates to $18.75 per week, or M-F $3.75 per day, or M-S
$2.68 per day
10. Comparable Models
Listed below are Universities in the
Southeast with similar programs:
– University of Alabama
($300 DB per student/per semester)
– University of Memphis
($300 DB per student/per semester)
– University of Mississippi
($200 DB per student/per semester)
– Tennessee State University
(all on campus students required to purchase $200 DB plan per
semester)