< result of administration negotiations and student discussions with Bon Appétit, next year, there will be a 15 meal plan with 300 dining dollars instead of a 12 meal plan with 300 dining dollars.
“When students bring up ideas for change, we discuss them and determine the best course of action,” said Bon Appétit general manager Kathleen McKenna. “There hasn’t been any change in the number of meals available on meal plans since Bon Appétit came to campus, so when this was brought up, the decision was made to move forward on this.”
For the change to happen, Vice President Fred Rogers and Dan Bergeson, Director of Auxiliary Services and Special Projects, began working on the plan last fall when the CSA asked Bergeson to look into a change.
Then, during the annual meeting with Bon Appétit, they asked Bon Appétit to create a proposal for a 15 meal plan. Bon Appétit presented its proposal to the college administration, and the administration decided to place the change in next year’s budget, according to McKenna.
Despite the changes to the meal plan, both the 15 and the 20 meal plan will cost the same and the cost of room and board will not increase more than it typically does each year.
Instead, while creating next year’s budget, the Budget Committee determined that it could pay Bon Appétit more than it does currently even without changing the comprehensive fee more than it usually does.
McKenna stressed that changes to the meal plan will have no effect on the Bon Appétit staff or on the current offerings at LDC, Burton, and Sayles.
“If the changes are what the students are looking for, then this will be beneficial,” she said. “We are only on campus to feed the students, and we strive to do this well in all aspects.”
Similar to McKenna, Eric Rausmann, Bon Appétit Director of Operations, explained that over the last few years, students have brought up concerns about the equity of the 20 meal plan and the 12 meal plan. For this reason, two years ago, Bon Appétit added 25 dollars to the 12 meal plan.
As a result of the change, Raussman said that there could be a shift in the number of students who opt into the 20 meal plan versus the 15 meal plan. Currently, there are an equal number of students on each of the two meal plans, but when the meal plan changes, it is possible that students who are currently on the 20 meal plan will switch to the 15.
As a result, there will be more traffic at Sayles. Because Sayles has a limited amount of space, this could become problematic. “However, I don’t foresee there being a huge shift in the meal plan distribution,” Raussman said.
Similar to McKenna, Eric Rausmann, Bon Appétit Director of Operations, explained that over the last few years, students have brought up concerns about the equity of the 20 meal plan and the 12 meal plan. For this reason, two years ago, Bon Appétit added 25 dollars to the 12 meal plan.
As a result of the change, Raussman said that there could be a shift in the number of students who opt into the 20 meal plan versus the 15 meal plan. Currently, there are an equal number of students on each of the two meal plans, but when the meal plan changes, it is possible that students who are currently on the 20 meal plan will switch to the 15.
As a result, there will be more traffic at Sayles. Because Sayles has a limited amount of space, this could become problematic. “However, I don’t foresee there being a huge shift in the meal plan distribution,” Raussman said.
Hannah Nayowith ’16 is one of the students who brought meal plan changes to the attention of the administration. She submitted a proposal on changing the meal plan to
Rogers and Bergeson. As the CCCE liaison to the CSA, Nayowith said she heard other CSA members acknowledge that the 12 meal plan was not of equal value to the 20 meal plan, yet they did not take action on the issue.
To prove that the two meal plans are not of equal value, Nayowith worked with Robert Kaylor ’16 to calculate the cost of each meal plan. She used Bon Appétit’s price per meal with the 20 percent Schiller discount to calculate how much each plan costs per term. Her calculations revealed that the 20 meal plan costs $350 more than the 12 meal plan.
Based on this finding, she suggested three meal plan options: 14 meals with 475 dining dollars and three guest passes, 15 meals with 400 dining dollars and four guest passes, or 16 meals with 375 dining dollars and three guest passes.
“The meal plan is an issue that is always on people’s minds, and I am glad that I was able to help address the problem,” she said.
In response to Nayowith’s proposal, Rausmann pointed out that the Schiller price of each meal is misleading because it is not the price upon which Bon Appétit bases its operating costs.
Rather, Bon Appétit pays Carleton weekly based on its services, the features of each meal plan, and the number of meals available multiplied by the number of students enrolled. The rest of the costs of the meal plan go to Carleton’s fixed costs for providing dining services, such as heating and maintaining LDC and Burton.
“No one is saving money on the whole by the pricing of the meal plan,” Raussman said.
In the end, Raussman said the he is glad Bon Appétit was able “to find a way to add value to the meal plan in a way that students want and without incurring extra costs.”
