By Jonathan Smith, Managing Editor
The Students’ Association voted March 31 to support changes to the university meal plan system, such as charging meal quotas by semester instead of week and being able to use Bean Bucks at off campus locations.
Rep. Tommy Butler, Biblical Studies Building, presented a survey of 228 students that showed significant support for changes to the meal plan system.
Butler will show the data to Jack Rich, executive vice president, and Kevin Watson, chief administrative services officer, but said he is not sure what can be done now.
“I don’t know if things will change, but I think it will weigh heavily on their minds,” Butler said.
The survey, taken mostly from students entering the Bean, showed about 69 percent of those surveyed had a low satisfaction of the flexibility of meal plans and about 65 percent were unsatisfied with the price per meal they pay-up to $8.75 for a dinner.
Students were fairly split on their satisfaction of the selection of places to eat on campus and the quality of the food, although 64 percent said they would not sacrifice the quality of food for lower prices.
Butler also told SA what Watson said when Butler interviewed him about the current meal plan system. Watson said 30 percent of meal plans go unused and the revenue gained from that keeps the cost per meal lower. He said if more meal plans were used, cost would go up.
Butler, however, disagreed.
“If students use all the meal plans they pay for, isn’t that a good thing?” he said.
After Butler presented the results, some members raised questions about how the survey was conducted and how it was not a random sampling of students.
“I hate to be picky about that, but I think it’s going to be something that’s brought up when you take it to the administration,” said Rep. Erin Baldwin, Administration Building.
Butler said it was the administration that recommended conducting a survey of at least 100 students entering the Bean, so he said he did not see a problem.
Rep. Tracy Binion, Chambers Hall, also asked how juniors and seniors will benefit from a change because meal plans are used primarily by freshmen and sophomores.
“I get nothing out of this, but if they start this next year, awesome,” Butler said. “If we can do something to correct that for future students, right on.”
However, immediate change does not look likely. Butler said the earliest changes that could be made will be when the contract with ARAMARK, the company ACU employs to handle food services, is over or up for review, which will not happen for a couple years.
The resolution passed by a vote of 24-1 with five abstentions.
