The roof skeleton for Hoover Hall, DePauw's future dining hall,
begins to be built.
SAM CARAVANA / THE DEPAUW
About two weeks ago, Associate VP for Finance Kevin Kessinger sent out an e-mail to the student body, alerting students to a change in DePauw University’s meal plan structure beginning in the fall of the 2015-16 academic year. As of now, DePauw runs on a declining balance meal plan, but will be switching to a more flexible single swipe system come August.
Initially, this change was met with confusion and disapproval from students, but Kessinger believes that once students gain a fuller understanding of the swipe system, it should be a relatively easy adjustment.
“This meal plan was structured after meal plans offered at DePauw’s peers and is the standard in colleges and universities," he said. "It might take a few days for students to understand the meal alternatives at the Den and Express locations, but we’ll have marketing materials and information on the DePauw Dining site to aid the transition.”
This transition was deemed necessary due to the overwhelming number of students last spring who were below the suggested meal plan balance by April 1.
Kessinger explains: “This change is primarily a result of feedback from students, parents and faculty about students who utilized their meal plan dollars before the semester ended.”
Jason Rose, General Manager for Bon Appetit, expressed his concerns with the high percentage of students who aren’t able to eat breakfast due to low budgets. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...and with this new meal plan you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
The new meal plan is expected to provide more meals per week than the now-existing declining balance plan. Kessinger explains that those on the current Residence Hall Meal Plan have about $14 per day to spend on meals, which essentially adds up to 14 meals a week. The implementation of the swipe system will give students the option to have 18 or 19 meals a week (these swipes reset each week), plus the allotted $200 in flex dollars per semester.
Flex dollars can be used at any of the cafes around campus including Café Allegro, Café Roy, Hub eXpress, Blend and Longden Hall. “I think the biggest misconception is that you have to eat at the Hub," Rose explains. “We are not changing anything in the offerings that we currently have on campus…once students start using [the swipe system] they will understand that they are getting more bang for their buck.”
Modeled after the like swipe systems of Bon Appetit clients such as Wabash, Carleton and Saint Olaf, this meal plan will follow the standard structure of colleges and universities across the country. President Brian Casey strongly endorses the transition.
“We’re going to end up looking, essentially, like every other major private institution," he said.
Casey also advocates for the new swipe system because he believes it will foster a stronger sense of community amongst DePauw students.
“The reason why Bon Appetit usually has this model is [because] where you eat tends to be an important component of an institution’s culture,” Casey said. “You want people to have meals with each other…because it’s part of their education.”
Rose and Kessinger both encourage students to get involved with the process by visiting the DePauw Dining website to read more about the new plan. Students can also give their suggestions on this website for different food options.