This method saves money while providing students with fresher, better-tasting food. Now, Rind says, “the employees are directly engaged with the students.” Staff report greater job satisfaction, which drives retention and improves the experience for students.Ĭooks now make more food from scratch at both large universities such as the University of Miami-with about 11,000 undergraduates-and at small, private colleges such as Muhlenberg, which has about 2,300 undergraduates. “It has gone over extremely well and it hasn’t cost us anything more,” says Michael Ross, Chartwells resident district manager at the University of Miami.Īt the University of Delaware, food is cooked to order at 13 food stations, says Richard Rind, the director of auxiliary services who works with the institution’s meal services contractor, Aramark. Students are more apt to provide feedback if they know someone’s listening. Letting students know their feedback has led to changes in menu and hours of operation also can boost survey participation. The dining service brought in a vegetable protein designed to look like meat at the request of a couple of students on the vegetarian committee, but the majority of the school’s vegetarians didn’t go for it, he says. Still, Michael Ross, Chartwells resident district manager at the University of Miami, says his team has learned the hard way not to rely on the requests of just a few students. That’s how the “buffalo chicken meltdown” went from being a daily special to part of the core menu, says Jon Middleton, the head chef and director of culinary operations. Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania encourages students to provide daily feedback, offering a “napkin board” for posting comments. The managers offer cookies to break the ice and ask students how they’re enjoying their food. The university regularly sends someone to a dining location with an iPad to ask a couple of questions, such as “What’s your favorite item on the menu?” and “What food is missing on campus?”Īt the University of Miami, managers talk to 10 tables of students per meal period. They surveyed students in more locations and at all hours of the day to reach a broader cross-section of the population. Last year, the University of Arkansas for the first time hired a handful of students to conduct a food-preference survey and doubled the response it had elicited with previous methods, says Andrew C. They also employ a variety of methods to seek more frequent feedback, including asking students what they think, meeting with focus groups and food committees, and providing comment cards. Many college and university dining service managers email satisfaction surveys to students at least annually, and often once per semester. Muhlenberg, the University of Miami and the University of Delaware, among others, have renovated their dining halls in recent years to move cooking from the back to the front, so that students can watch as food is prepared to order. Making no-cost improvementsĬreativity goes a long way in improving food quality, variety and availability without increasing costs. Ultimately, this contributes to the institutions’ broader goals of a profitable meal service and a topflight dining experience that invigorates student life and bolsters recruitment and retention.įollowing are several ways dining program leaders are increasing satisfaction and meal plan participation while keeping operating costs stable. Participation goes up and waste drops when colleges and universities respond to student demand for 24-hour access to food, greater meal-plan flexibility and menus that accommodate a range of needs-including vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, gluten-free and kosher. Offering good food is also good business. Ninety-seven percent of undergraduates participate in meal plans, and the satisfaction level with the dining program is typically at 97 percent.Ĭolleges and universities that provide fresh, high-quality food do more than please students.
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