Forced "corporate dining" at UofL

Reply from President Ramsey:
I have no idea what you are talking about when you talk about UofL being guaranteed a percentage of the deal. As I meet with students and parents, one of the complaints over the last several years has been food services -- limited locations, limited hours, limited food choices. We went through a bid process over the last year, selected a new vendor who will make $11 million in improvements that include more locations, more choice, longer hours. We are responding to what we have heard from students and parents -- discussions were held with a number of students groups last year to get feedback before we moved forward.

I am forwarding your e-mail to Tim Moore for a more detailed response.

Reply from Timothy Moore:
I would like to share some information related to your recent email concerning food services to provide more details about the future plans for University Dining Services.


As you have noted, the University changed food service vendors this year and as a result many changes have begun to occur. The University Dining Services is offering more dining options, greater variety of food and increased hours of operation for UofL community. Information about the dining options, nutritional information and future plans can be found at http://www.uofldiningservices.com/



One reason the university changed vendors, as Dr. Ramsey noted, was in reaction to student concerns and complaints for sometime about the quality of food, lack of choice, and limited hours of food services operation. We wanted a partner that would offer dining locations and options that students desire. The Student Government Association (SGA) and the Residence Hall Association (RSA)were consulted as changes have been proposed and support the changes that have been made to University Dining Services and the meal plans.



We anticipate opening the Jazzman Cafe later this month and a McAllisters in January. We also plan to have new dining facility with an all you can eat option available at University Tower Apartments by January 2010. This new location will not be the standard cafeteria / buffet line, but rather will have several stations or food options within the dining room that a student can choose from all under a one price charge.



Below is an overview of the plan for University Dining Services for the next several years;

August 2008

SAC Terrace (MPR Dining Room)

Chick-fil-a

Sushi

Mein Bowl (Panda/Asian dishes)

Garden Toss (salads)

Global Market (international and comfort food – rotating menu)

Smart Market (grab and go sandwiches, salads, desserts)



Two new Café Ala Carte locations – one in Davidson; other Miller Technology (prepackaged food/drinks – staffed)

New Mobile Cart “Café Cab”– prepackaged food/drinks (route through campus)

New Freshens – in the Quickzone (Convenience store)

Open Cardinal Nest Quickzone for breakfast

Halftime Grill, Wendy’s, Subway, Papa John’s, Tulip Tree open



October 2008

Jazzman Coffee Bar and Cyber Café open in SAC on the main level beside the bookstore



January 2009

McAlister’s Deli opens in Miller Technology



August 2009

Einstein Brothers Bagels opens in Humanities

Halftime Grill renovated to Damon’s Café



January 2010

New all you care to eat Dining Facility open at University Towers with:

Magellan’s (international)

Flying Star Diner (breakfast anytime, burgers, fries)

Wild Mushroom (natural/organic locally grown

Bella Trattoria (Mediterranean)

Panino’s Deli (wraps, Panini’s)



August 2010

SAC Terrace becomes all you care eat dining facility with:

International

Salads

Deli

Grill

Brick Oven

Expeditions (rotating menu)



The SAC Food Court will be renovated in 2011



While no changes were made to the meal plans for the current year, changes have been announced for Fall 2009- Spring 2010 meal plans:

All Students living in on-campus residence halls without kitchens: $1,165 declining balance per semester

All students living I on-campus residence halls with kitchens $745 declining balance per semester

All full- time undergraduates living off campus $250 declining balance per semester




For a full-time undergraduate at the Belknap campus the $250 plan represents $16.67 per week for the 15 week semester which includes final exam week For a student at the Belknap campus only three days a week they will have prepaid $5.57 per day for food.





I hope I have been able to address your concerns



Tim Moore
Director Student Activities and Student Activities Center

[Robin Garr]

Reply from President Ramsey:

Thanks for posting, Ellen. Interesting plans, but it doesn't seem that they're answering the actual question, which is why they're putting on a forced payment plan and whether they understand its potential impact on small businesses surrounding the campus.

I received both a response from President Ramsey and Tim Moore, as I emailed them both.

Neither email answered my questions. I find their correspondence interesting (although I'm not going to share the exact emails as I view them as private correspondence) because they are not the type of response I would write were I constructing the letter. I would also teach a different response in, say, a business writing class.

I will say that both emails fall back on the "we are only doing what parents and students requested" mantra. There seems to be a conflation at work between providing more services, more options, more hours (what was requested) and covering the expense of these services, options, and hours by requiring participation. It appears that the school is merely seeing this as up-front payment for a service the students/parent want without realizing that such a conclusion only sits right for those people who choose to spend money on campus.

In regards to my interest in the correspondence, I've come to this partial conclusion. The correspondence they are writing really does not operate within the standard customer/company relationship in a number of ways, with two explained here.

1. The customer (the student) does not have the option to take their "food" business elsewhere. Therefore the need for the business (UofL) to satisfy or even maintain the relationship with the customer is not in play. Sure, the student can take their overall educational business elsewhere, but the UofL administration is working off the assumption that students will not go to such measures.

2. Emails from people outside the university hold little sway, as these people don't operate as customers within the university structure. Such people do have the options of becoming negative PR sources.

I guess I, at some degree, hold onto traditional views of the university, including liberal education and personal growth. If part of the university's job is to help develop responsible citizens (a contentious argument, for sure), you think the freedom to make financial decisions would be an important lesson to learn - especially, you know, considering the choices that lead to our current economic situation. There is also the issue that Robin keeps bringing up - the absolute choice students should have to take their business where they see fit.

Having said all this, I don't tend to oppose plans for freshmen living on campus. It's a traditional business model that offers benefits beyond merely providing a meal. Extending the plan to include people who can easily find food off campus is out-of-line.

While the plan looks ambitious, does anyone know if any local small business (restaurant or otherwise) has been invited to participate? I understand the appeal of a turn key operation, which would take the logistics nightmare out of UL's hair, but they should understand that they have a tremendous opportunity to increase the economic impact that they could have on our whole community. Outside of the campus, has there been any public information on what vendors will be at the arena? It would make a seat there alot more palatable if we could enjoy a BBC product while cheering the C-A-R-D-S!

Caleb - not a single penny of any student fee is used to pay for the stadium, as you incorrectly point out in your post.

I just read this in the CJ online. Whoever made the decision to enact this mandatory meal plan seems to have their collective heads buried in the sand.

Mandatory U of L meal plan sparks outrage.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... /810170460

There is some great graffiti on campus:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5566 ... 237eo5.jpg

By the time this comes into effect, I'll be a grad student, so I won't have to pay, but it still makes me angry. I'd much rather skip over to Masterson's for the lunch buffet, or hit up the Lunch Pail, or Frank's if I can find a ride.

I foresee a large amount of students with vegan or kosher needs appearing out of nowhere, which the university now exempts. Every single student that doesn't want to pay can find a way out, at least at this time.

I wonder if they have a religious test to prove you have kosher dietary needs?

Forcing students to pay for dining option improvements up front - that's a nice captive group of 'venture capitalists'.

"Give us 2 grand up front for a year, and you will have the 'opportunity' to get it back piecemeal, unless there's anything left in the spring. We'll keep that for ourselves. Thanks for playing."

Privatize the profits and socialize the risk - it's the new formula for big business now.

- 1993 UofL Speed School grad and cranky alumni