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The 2009-2010 Meal Plan

 
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Attend Dining Advisory Committee meetings

SGA will be holding a series of four meetings to take suggestions in the development of our official student recommendation for the meal-plan waiver to the Dining Advisory Committee. These meetings will provide an opportunity for you and others who are interested to provide constructive input for the meal plan waiver.  You are welcome to come to one or all of the meetings.  They will each be structured the same but the different dates and times are meant to accommodate as many students as possible.  If you are not able to attend any of these meetings but would still like to provide suggestions, please feel free to email SVP Dani Smith at sgasvp@louisville.edu

Thursday November 13, 2008
2:30PM-4:00PM
SAC W303A

Friday November 14, 2008
9:00AM-10:30AM
SAC W303A

Monday November 17, 2008
11:00AM-1:00PM
SAC W303A

Tuesday November 18, 2008
5:30PM-7:00PM
SAC W303A

 

SGA Supports the 2009-2010 Meal Plan

Over the past few days, SGA has received numerous student complaints in regards to the dining services changes that will occur next year.  There have been a number of misleading statements made about the plan, so SGA wants to be proactive in addressing some of these concerns.

Dining services has always been one of the major issues for students.  For over a decade, students have registered complaints with SGA about the dining services available at the University of Louisville.  Students have complained about the number of options, the quality of food, the access to nutritional information and even their interactions with the dining services staff.   

Every time a complaint was made, SGA was effective in advocacy and finding a resolution to their concern.  These resolutions were only a response to individual complaints about our dining services.  While many were satisfied with those results, it did not solve the significant dining services changes students had been demanding for years.

Hopefully the informative links below will provide you with some insight about where student government support came from for this significant change in dining services.  It was an improvement that was done for students at the request of students.

That is why SGA is an ardent supporter of this dining services plan.  

To help students better understand our decision making process and the accurate details of the new plan, we encourage students to read through the three links below:

Also, for more information about the 2009-2010 meal plan, students can read The Louisville Cardinal's Oct. 6 article "Mandatory Meal Plan to be Enacted."
 

Express your thoughts Online to SGA about the Meal Plan

Students can use the discussion board on the bottom of this page to post their comments and questions about the 2009 Meal Plan. To write or view all comments, you must login to this site using your student userID at the bottom of this page.

Or if students would like to communicate their thoughts privately to SGA, they can contact the SGA President, SVP, and other representatives (senators and student councils) or fill out our online SGA Grievance Form.

 

SGA Poll

SGA has placed a poll on this web site to gauge students' opinions regarding the new meal plan. Please go to the poll to let SGA know how you feel!

Polls PoweredBy MicroPoll
 

SGA Student Forum on the Meal Plan

SGA would like to thank the over 200 students who came to and participated in the SGA student forum on the meal plan. The ideas and comments presented by students have been documented and will be taken seriously by SGA as it moves forward with the 2009-2010 meal plan. Also, in the near future, the student feedback from the forum will be compiled by SGA and made available to the student body in print and online. 

 

Document Actions

Posting for another student: I can't afford this!

Posted by dltran01 at Oct 15, 2008 12:08 PM
Note: This is not my opinion. I am only reposting this comment left by anonymous student on the polling site: "I don not live on campus. I cannot afford this meal plan given my numerous other financial obligations including my (personal due to health problems) high cost of healthcare."

Theft. Tyranny. Unethical. Foolish.

Posted by jwwilk02 at Oct 15, 2008 09:04 PM
I am a graduating senior and won't be here next year, but I feel strongly enough about this to speak up on behalf of others, like the person above, to speak up for all those being taken advantage of next year.
Theft - this is little more than stealing right out of the wallets of your very own neighbors
Tyranny - those in charge are acting in a disgraceful, oppressive manner & should be ashamed
Unethical - prosperity at the cost of liberty, right to property and freedom of choice; go ahead, bind us in your chains
Foolish - you are angering those who pay your bills, have you not learned from history? when authorities do this, the constituents reject them; as much opposition as you are receiving, you might realize that this is a stupid idea

As another individual has stated, even if I spent $50/wk, this is just simply wrong!

Communication

Posted by drgray04 at Oct 15, 2008 01:09 PM
I understand the premise behind this, but I am concerned about communication between students and SGA. When were students consulted about this change? If there were better communication between SGA and Students the confusion and frustration could have been remedied. I am saddened that our own Senate spent much of their last meeting discussing whether or not to join a committee versus talking about the most pressing issues reaching their constituents.

NO WAY!

Posted by fnhowa01 at Oct 15, 2008 01:43 PM
I feel that this is very sneaky. I don't understand if you're going to implement something that is going to cost the students additional money why this has only been published in the SCHOOL newspaper. There has not been a letter sent, nor has this been formally addressed. I feel that we should be able to CHOOSE whether or not we want to give OUR MONEY to this school and the TERRIBLE food services. Of course they are going to have a forum in october for this mandatory meal plan that they HAVE NOT alerted us to, banking on the turnout to be LOW. Students we need to band together and fight this.

Student Interests Ousted By SGA Big Business

Posted by ndmoor01 at Oct 15, 2008 02:04 PM
Look at the "MicroPoll" above. Essentially, the choices are "yes, yes, yes, no". SGA is structuring even this online survey to support its own opinions.

STUDENTS - WE HAVE THE POWER, NOT SGA. This is one of many RSO's. It's purpose it to represent the student body. It's our responsibility to speak up and make sure that happens.

THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE - THE CONTRACT'S BEEN SIGNED, THE DEAL IS DONE.

I spoke with Dean Mardis today outside the Red Barn. A contingency of the new food vendors contracting to come on campus was that all students take part in the meal plan - the money had to come from somewhere.

He explained that SGA and RSA conducted surveys, polls, focus groups, etc. to get student feedback.

Coincidentally, the conclusion SGA and RSA reached from the information surveys COMPLETELY CONTRADICTED my opinion - the meal plan is not a worthwhile investment for commuter students. It is a waste of my hard-earned money to buy food on campus when I have it at home in my fridge.

It is my opinion that SGA and RSA made a deal to get more food vendors on campus at the high cost of arbitrarily requiring all students to subscribe to it - WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT. They made the deal to get more businesses here and sacrificed the wants of a large portion of the student body - the very individuals they are to represent.

Student Interests Ousted By SGA and RSA Big Business

Posted by ndmoor01 at Oct 15, 2008 02:04 PM
Look at the "MicroPoll" above. Essentially, the choices are "yes, yes, yes, no". SGA is structuring even this online survey to support its own opinions.

STUDENTS - WE HAVE THE POWER, NOT SGA. This is one of many RSO's. It's purpose it to represent the student body. It's our responsibility to speak up and make sure that happens.

THE DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE - THE CONTRACT'S BEEN SIGNED, THE DEAL IS DONE.

I spoke with Dean Mardis today outside the Red Barn. A contingency of the new food vendors contracting to come on campus was that all students take part in the meal plan - the money had to come from somewhere.

He explained that SGA and RSA conducted surveys, polls, focus groups, etc. to get student feedback.

Coincidentally, the conclusion SGA and RSA reached from the information surveys COMPLETELY CONTRADICTED my opinion - the meal plan is not a worthwhile investment for commuter students. It is a waste of my hard-earned money to buy food on campus when I have it at home in my fridge.

It is my opinion that SGA and RSA made a deal to get more food vendors on campus at the high cost of arbitrarily requiring all students to subscribe to it - WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT. They made the deal to get more businesses here and sacrificed the wants of a large portion of the student body - the very individuals they are to represent.

Legitimacy of Poll

Posted by dltran01 at Oct 15, 2008 02:43 PM
The online poll, which is one of many ways for students to express their own opinions, is in no way structured to support SGA's own opinion about the meal plan. The sole purpose of the poll is to survey student reaction to and knowledge of the meal plan by providing a wide range of reasonable answers for students to select from.

If a student feels that he or she does not see their opinion expressed in the poll's selection, SGA always encourages that that student contact their SGA representatives about how to better represent student opinions and needs. Additionally, students can also utilize this discussion board.

Thanks,

Web Site Admin

sneaky...

Posted by p0ho0003 at Oct 16, 2008 01:50 PM
why wasn't this poll publicized? Students don't go to SGA's website that often and they might want to present their opnions, too, had only they knew about this poll.

This is a bad idea

Posted by raroba01 at Oct 15, 2008 02:35 PM
I don't support this plan at all. If students want to pay $250 a semester for food, they're going to do it whether they have this meal plan or not. The 10% (or whatever it is) off we would get for using the meal plan is not reason enough to start eating on campus. I personally don't want to pay $250 out of own pocket just so I can wait in long lines, be late to class/work, and then eat food that is disgusting anyway. I would much rather bring my own lunch from home. If I do that, I'm not spending nearly as much money, I can bring whatever I want, and I don't have to wait in line.

It seems to me that this is just another way for the University to make money off us students. $250 may not sound like that much to some of the people who came up with this BS plan, but it's a lot of money to struggling students with bills to pay. I know I can't afford that much tacked on to my bill each semester.

I was never asked about this plan.

Posted by s0jenn01 at Oct 15, 2008 02:43 PM
I am on campus 3 days a week. I eat lunch at home then come to my afternoon classes and the go home and to eat dinner. I never eat on campus and have spent $3 for a cup of coffee at Tulip Tree and that is it. Why am I being forced to add $500 to my student debt?

To add to my argument

Posted by s0jenn01 at Oct 15, 2008 03:06 PM
Why in these tough economic times is UL making commuter students buy meals twice? Especially after a tuition increase from the previous year and the stock market in shambles today? Those who do not rely on their family already feel the hurt when buying groceries so why should they have to pay again to eat?
And the money is non-refundable. Why can't I have my money back if I don't use it? It still is not right because I will be paying interest on that extra $250 a semester on my student loans. Hey do you guys want to pay for my interest while my $250 is on hold? I bet not. Two-hundred fifty is a two week pay check for me and probably the same or more than what other commuter students make in two weeks. That could be a rent payment for some students (I know it is for my friends).
We are promised more variety and more places to eat and better service. I don't use campus dining services and with this meal plan I will be forced into using dining services. How can I see a benefit if there is no use? I guess afterward you are going to say campus dining was a huge success and increased "blank%"! The reason I don't eat on campus is because I prefer a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with water and I can make that for >$2 and the way I want. I know where the peanut butter, jelly, and bread came from. It is the McDonalds argument. I would rather eat my own burger because I have no idea where McDonalds' burgers came form.
How about UL tests this plan by making it optional the first two years?

An Outrage

Posted by cjbrow09 at Oct 15, 2008 02:48 PM
That's what this is!

This pathetic new plan looks like something more out of a communist country than a capitalist one. This is not the market at work... this is either completely misguided good intentions or pure greed. Either way, I want no part of it.

As one of my friends put it, "A university big enough to give you everything you want is a university big enough to take from you everything you have."

Night Time Student

Posted by jlgwin01 at Oct 15, 2008 04:39 PM
I dont see why I should pay for this meal plan when I work 40+ hours a week come straight to classes around 4 and leave around 9 to go home and feed my kid. It's sad that I will have to take $250 out of my pocket to pay for food I dont really want or ever eat here on campus. Why do I fall into that catagory? What do they expect me to bring my child over here for Wendys or Papa Johns? What a joke!! Also what about the cafes and other places to eat around campus like Bearno's, China Inn, McDonalds, the school is taking students and the business we give them by making us obligated to eat the food on campus under our "meal plan" I'm sure those places wont be happy about that. What happened to this school being about education its sad we have to get side tracked by a mandatory meal plan.......It's Happening here.....yeah ok....

This is all backwards

Posted by almurp01 at Oct 15, 2008 05:06 PM
Alright, I'm a commuter student and I'm here 5 days a week, but I don't eat food on campus. Like many I choose to eat at home or bring my own food, because A) it's cheaper, B) it tastes better, C) it's more nutritious and D) I don't have to wait in line to get it. So naturally, I object to the University requiring 250$ of my money to go to their food vendors. I like the fact that the University is doing something about the quality of the food on campus, but this is most definitely not the way to do it. Students want good, reasonably priced food. The vendors want money. Right now the University is essentially giving the vendors our money and telling them to make improvements. I have no doubt Sodexo will make changes, but changes are not always improvements. What happens if students don't like the changes? There is no reason for Sodexo to make any more, they already have our money for the next two years. And it's doubtful whether or not the University can or will do anything to ensure these changes are improvements, remember they gave Sodexo our money. That looks more like an act of support for Sodexo than for the students.
So here is what I think should happen, (not likely that it will, but hey, if you're going to complain, you have to have another option).
The University should not make the mealplan mandatory for commuter students, or students who live on campus (except of course, for freshmen). All students should be able to purchase a mealplan if they want. According to Sodexo, we can save ten percent, that should be a selling point (not a justification). If the food is good quality, reasonably priced and nutritious, Sodexo will see the money roll in and their investment will pay off. If not, they'll either need to make further changes or get out and let some other company give it a try. How much business they get will be a direct indicator of whether or not they're doing a good job. That way we don't have to rely on polls which may or may not be accurate.

The poll doesn't have the option I'd choose

Posted by nhbell01 at Oct 15, 2008 06:34 PM
I myself would probably spend at least $18 per week, but I am very much against the idea of a *mandatory* meal plan for anyone (even on-campus people). A university has no place in deciding where its students buy their food. Part of being in college is being able to make your own decisions. It's not within the purview of the university to decide where we take our business to eat. The two sectors are unrelated. It would be much like adding a mandatory DVD movie purchase to the cost of car brakes. On top of being nonsensical, you can't choose the DVD in this analogy.

If someone chooses not to eat on campus, how can the university of all entities deny someone that choice? If the quality of food is good enough, then it will sell. If the food *can not* sell on its own merit, then that just makes it all the more ridiculous to force us to buy it.

Graduate Student with 1 class

Posted by jmjone09 at Oct 15, 2008 06:53 PM
I'm a graduate student with 1 class, 1 night a week. I don't live on campus and I work full time so I never eat on campus, considering I get here at 5 and am usually gone by 8. Even in the 4 years I was here doing my undergrad, not 1 time did I buy food on campus. I understand wanting to create a new meal plan and offer more options to students, but making this mandatory is a little extreme. One class, 1 night a week is going to cost me an extra $18 for a total of 3 hours spent on campus. Even the results of the poll above show that the majority of students don't spend this kind of money on campus, and they wouldn't even if there were better food options.

I can't afford this I have kids to feed and car and house patments!

Posted by dejone05 at Oct 15, 2008 06:54 PM
I am a 30 year old mother of two who owns a car and a house. I go to school full time and need all of my loan money because I don't get to work as much as I use to so that I can go to school. I eat breakfast at home and bring a small snack to school because I can't afford to eat on campus. I am also a vegetarian and there is not really anything for me to eat on campus anyway. I don't feel that I need the extra stress of having to come up with $ for food I will not eat....My plate is already full and honestly I don't feel that students who are in this sort of situation should be forced to do this. It should only be optional, I don't live on campus and frankly the school will be taking food away from my kids if I am forced to do this!!! I am extremely outraged!!!!!! Please do not do this to me and my children I am working very hard to get ahead in life and this feels like the school is pushing me down.

U of L is Slowly Turning Me Away

Posted by smsmit25 at Oct 15, 2008 07:28 PM
As a student at U of L I feel betrayed by the sneaky tactics of whatever board put this meal plan in motion. Better yet I feel betrayed, first we get an unneeded health care fee attached to our bill with no explanation, tuition keeps rising, parking space is non existent, campus beautification is put before the students needs, commuter services was disbanded and lastly this meal plan which is absurd! When will U of L do something for the students like, having our input on something this major? It would have been just as easy to have all the students vote about this meal plan over U link! U of l if you dont stop thinking about filling your pockets, u want have any students to mess over! And by the way I am a commuter student and I have never eaten on campus in all the three years that I have attended and I will sell my meal card before I eat there!

I CANT AFFORD IT!!

Posted by dwgann01 at Oct 15, 2008 07:37 PM
i think that the meal plan for off campus students should remain optional because i know i cannot afford to pay an extra $250 on top of the rising tuition. i work several days a week to be broke at the end of the week, so i dont agree with this new mandatory meal plan at all.

Sneaking the cost into tuition....

Posted by ercasa01 at Oct 15, 2008 09:43 PM
Question:
If the University decides against the mandatory meal plan, will the $250 be added to the cost of tuition? This would be an easy way to shut everyone up, but still get money. This way the fee would just be classified as another "expenses," but the students would never know what the University's expenses actually entail. I guess you could call it another SNEAKY way to get our money.

Hiding from the real questions....

Posted by jlgwin01 at Oct 16, 2008 09:03 AM
The only answer I'm getting to my questions are how this will save me money and be better for the students and also how they are building more places to eat on campus for students and staying open later......uhm ok thats all fine and dandy but one problem....I dont really care!!! I'm here for my education and to get my degree not to be forced a fee I don't need or want. Its really sad students are struggling as it is but UofL doesnt take that into consideration they think by asking a few students who live on campus about a meal plan that they can go behind a majority of students back and implement this mandatory meal plan. It isnt fair to anyone, hopefully some good will come out of this forum on Monday but deep down I know UofL isnt going to change anything they are just doing these things to act like they care, if they really did they would help the students out and not make it mandatory because you arent helpiny myself or my family out by taking an extra $250 out of my pocket.......I can see it now what I will be telling my gf and kid...."well kids I guess its Wendys or Papa Johns again over at my campus....Load up"

no answer from UofL

Posted by p0ho0003 at Oct 16, 2008 01:52 PM
exactly, and UofL has not provide us one good enough reason yet. They keep saying that students have been complaining about foods options and that students are spending more time on campus. Hello! That's not good enough reasons. Just because we're spending more time on campus doesn't mean we want to eat on campus. They're just treating us like kids, like we don't know any better and can't even make our own decisions

Hiding from the real questions....

Posted by jlgwin01 at Oct 16, 2008 09:04 AM
The only answer I'm getting to my questions are how this will save me money and be better for the students and also how they are building more places to eat on campus for students and staying open later......uhm ok thats all fine and dandy but one problem....I dont really care!!! I'm here for my education and to get my degree not to be forced a fee I don't need or want. Its really sad students are struggling as it is but UofL doesnt take that into consideration they think by asking a few students who live on campus about a meal plan that they can go behind a majority of students back and implement this mandatory meal plan. It isnt fair to anyone, hopefully some good will come out of this forum on Monday but deep down I know UofL isnt going to change anything they are just doing these things to act like they care, if they really did they would help the students out and not make it mandatory because you arent helpiny myself or my family out by taking an extra $250 out of my pocket.......I can see it now what I will be telling my gf and kid...."well kids I guess its Wendys or Papa Johns again over at my campus....Load up"

WHY????!!!!

Posted by jfphil01 at Oct 16, 2008 11:30 AM
this mandatory meal plan is not smart on UofLs part. They need to realize that there are students that just CAN'T afford this. They need to not make this plan mandatory and not make their students so upset. I personally am a commuter who is on campus 5 days a week but I have, in the two years being here, maybe eaten on campus twice. I don't find the food nutritious or appetizing in any way and standing in LONG lines and being late for class or work isn't worth it. I think UofL needs to start focusing on bettering our education and not stuffing their pockets full with money we don't have to give them. Also what about all the other places to eat oround campus? the china inn, bearnos, beef o bradys, mcdonalds? Aren't these places going to be upset about loosing soooooo much money because students are being forced to spend money we don't have on campus. One last problem... why can't this plan be refundable. I think more students might consider this if #1 it wasn't mandatory and #2 if the money we don't spend could be returned to us as a full refund. this whole plan is going to make UofL get rid of all the students that they are taking advantage of.

UofL: Disenfranchisement, its happening here!

Posted by aptuck01 at Oct 16, 2008 12:09 PM
Once again the University has decided to underhandedly raise tuition. It is unconscionable to frame this as an increase in student choice when it is clear that the only choice is to capitulate to the Universities demands. Frankly, I am not shocked. Lack of student resistance on this campus has hit an all time high. The University has become certain that it can succeed in any attempt to increase tuition by shouldering the burden onto students, lessening choice (whether through forced meal plans, fewer teaching positions, lack of options as far as programs, etc.), and frankly becoming a corporation. It is time to remind this Universities administration that the students should be its number one concern, and that we will no longer tolerate this type of behavior from them. This battle started with their ridiculous increase in tuition (which we can clearly see went to a new entrance at the law school, a go-cart that sells food, and other inane beautification projects), and will only conclude with the complete disenfranchisement of students or with those same students holding the administration accountable for their actions and demanding a voice (not the silly, incompetent, mouth piece of SGA) that actually represents our interests.

Say NO to meal plan

Posted by p0ho0003 at Oct 16, 2008 01:41 PM
UofL is forcing students to buy an expensive meal plan EVERY semester, and for what reason? Because surveys show that students are spending more time on campus? Just because we're spending more time on campus doesn't mean that we want to eat on campus. I have been bringing my own lunch everyday for the last 3 years and have absolutely no problem with it. Why do I have to buy this meal plan?

UofL says that another reason for this is because of students' complaints about not having enough food option. Well, whoever complained, let them buy the meal plan. Why am I force to buy 1, too?

UofL has not given us one good enough reason, yet, we're expected to pay $250 out of our pockets EVERY semester. The fee waiver is only for those who have food allergies, strict diets, or religious problems. What about the rest of us who simply do NOT need and do not want to buy the meal plan? Don't out opinions matter, too?

Why is this meal plan mandatory? Why make it mandatory just so students have to fill out fee waiver? Even middle school and high school students have the freedom to make their own decisions. Even they can choose to buy foods in school or not. Why can't UofL students do the same? The last time I looked, this was still a free country? Why does UofL refuse to make this meal plan optional? Why not let students make their own decisions? Does UofL think that little of its students?

What is UofL trying to hide?

Posted by p0ho0003 at Oct 16, 2008 01:47 PM
There's a poll about the meal plan on SGA's website. I did not know about this. There will be a forum to discuss this on Oct 20 at SAC from 11-1pm. I did not know about this. FOX 41 said there was a protest about the new meal plan on Wednesday right after Fall Break. I did not know about it and could not find out where and when the protest was held. All of this information was never made public to students. The SGA poll clearly favors the meal plan, even kids can tell from the way all the choices are. All information about the meal plan was never made public to students. I would not have known about any of this if I had not sent a complaint about the meal plan.

What exactly is UofL trying to do, hiding the truth from students?

Teaching night classes

Posted by tmbrau01 at Oct 16, 2008 01:58 PM
I teach a night class and this is a major issue for many of my students. The students in my class are in class 5:00pm-9:00pm Monday-Thursday with a nominal 10 minute break between classes. These are full time students who would be required to purchase the meal plan. These students work during the day, many are JCPS teachers and are at school until 4:00pm daily. They do not have the time to eat before class.

What options will be available for them at 9:00pm? Also, if they stay on campus to eat, that is even less time they get to spend with their families. These students already leave the house at 6:30am to get to their jobs at JCPS on time and as it is don't get home until after 9:00pm. Now they must stay on campus to purchase food or waste their meal plan dollars.

I think this is a terrible idea when the student population is a commuter student population. If UofL had primarily an on-campus population, then I would support this idea. It seems that once again UofL is forgetting the population it DOES serve in order to attract the population it would LIKE to serve.

Here's my suggestion, bureaucrats...

Posted by mlrech01 at Oct 16, 2008 08:01 PM
I'm a commuter and, like practically everyone else who has voted/posted, I cannot afford this change. I'm more than happy to pay for my education (even considering that the cost of tuition has gone up in big increments annually), but paying for food that I WON'T eat? No way, it's nonsense and it has nothing to do with my education. UofL is trying so hard to move away from their commuter school status that they're willing to incur such ridiculous and wasteful charges on their students.

I'm also IRATE that UofL does such a terrible job of communicating these types of drastic changes with its student body; it's absurd and completely unprofessional. Then again, it's a ploy to make more money, so why would they tell us? Thanks UofL, for actually giving a damn about the people who keep you afloat... YOUR STUDENTS.

Anyways... *steps off soap-box* here's my glass-half-full suggestion: partner with a grocery chain too (Kroger, for example) so that those of us who don't eat on campus for $18 a week--which is probably most of us--can actually USE the money and not watch it be drained from our pockets needlessly.

Damn the man! Save the students!

That's a good idea...

Posted by s0shof01 at Oct 17, 2008 02:07 AM
My complaints would be nearly completely alleviated if a partnership with a grocery chain were to occur. Granted, that's probably not an agreement that the fast food chains would stand for...

I can see why you'd do this...

Posted by s0shof01 at Oct 17, 2008 02:05 AM
...but it seems to be a terrible idea. I'm a super-senior who has commuted from day one, and remember spending a good portion of my years on campus for ten hours a day, often well into the night with my on-campus friends. The lack of decent dining is a serious problem, particularly on the weekends, when most college students will want to stay up later but dining options were fewer and closed earlier. It's not really reasonable to demand that the residents shoulder the entire burden of the costs incurred in attracting better dining, but the residents *are* the primary beneficiaries, and it's even less fair to burden commuters.

Personally, I have rarely spent $18 on on-campus food in a month. This is partially because of the lower quality of food on campus, but also partially because of the higher cost of eating out in general. I might have been tempted if eating on campus were cheaper than eating at home, but let's not kid ourselves, that's never going to happen.

The meal plan is clearly not directly advantageous even to the residents that have been buying them for years, anyways. If taking more money than students would receive food for was not the intent, they would be at the very least partially refundable. It's difficult to defend them even for residents, especially with better off-campus dining options opening up every year.

Look at what I found....

Posted by jlgwin01 at Oct 17, 2008 04:37 PM
Well since I got a huge email detailing the meal plan and everything behind it I did some research and came up with this article from our paper The Louisville Cardinal....

http://www.louisvillecardinal.com/variety_of_meal_options_on_and_off-campus_campus_offers_many_different_dining_options_fast_food%252C_s


On here it doesnt saying anything about ideas of a mandatory meal plan, or even hint at the idea of a $250 fee for commuter students. This whole thing has gotten out of hand and someone on the school board or SGA just stand up and take responsibilty because they cant keep leading us on and make us think that this meal plan being mandatory will help us because it wont. I refuse to be a full time student starting in 2009 if this goes through. I will take 9 credit hours here and take the rest at IUS, I dont see them trying to sign a huge $11 million dollar contract to make all students get a mandatory meal plan.....

This is outrageous

Posted by d0ohnh01 at Oct 19, 2008 12:24 PM
I am a commuter student and I live on my own without my parents assistance with anything. I can not afford to pay 250 for a meal plan considering I NEVER eat on campus. Even if the dining service improved, I would not eat on campus. I bring my own food from home if necessary.
Why don't they make this meal plan an option? If U of L continues to hike tuition and tack on other MANDATORY fees I have to pay, I will not be able to afford to attend this school. This meal plan has nothing to do with education thus it should not be mandatory. Im sure by the end of Spring 2009 semester students will see another 9% tuition hike on top of this stupid costly plan. Way to go U of L, during hard economic times you continue to to squeeze every penny out of students.

This is just the beginning!

Posted by jsmars03 at Oct 19, 2008 01:43 PM
This is just the beginning, if they get this mandatory meal plan in place, no doubt that it is going to increase every year. Just like the meal plan has alerady. We need to stop this now, because once they have it in place its just going to keep increasing just like everything else at this University. I also DEMAND, as a paying student, to see this so called contract signed by the university and the new provider. I think it should open to the public it in original version. I also think this is a complete break down with the student body, and administration, and SGA! This is rediculous, Having a mandatory meal plan in place, is forcing revenue directly to the provider. Whats to say they still make crappy food, we have to spend the money here anyway. What happen to capitilsm, something this country was founded apon, if they provide good services, the food actually is worth the money, more students will pay to eat on campus. This is how it should be done. This is an outrage, we need to unite as a student body to overthrow this complete nonsense.

Thanks for Robbing us U of L

Posted by jcgile01 at Oct 19, 2008 06:57 PM
This is the wost plan I have ever heard of. I am a full time, night class taking student who commutes to school after work. I cannot believe they are making us participate in this meal plan when I am hardly on campus except for nights, and NEVER eat on campus. We should not be forced to pay an extra $250 for food when we just are coming to learn. I didn't know education now includes that we must eat where we are told to. I work full time to pay for tuition and this extra amount is not going to make this easy for me to pay tuition. I cannot believe U of L would pass a plan that forces us to spend any more money than we have to. Thanks ALOT

Waste of money.

Posted by amstro06 at Oct 20, 2008 02:05 AM
Like so many others who have posted here, I either eat at home or I bring food from home. I'm only on campus 2 days/week, and I only spend $2.50/week on campus food ($1.25/day on a drink from a vending machine.) $250 is more than I would spend in a full year. Being forced to spend that much in one semester is absolutely ridiculous.

For some students, this plan may be reasonable, so to offer it to them as an OPTION makes perfect sense. To force the rest of us to waste money on a meal plan that we won't get any real use out of is despicable. It seems like every time I open a new email, read an article in the newspaper, or listen to a news cast, U of L is announcing another way they plan to drain even more money from their students.

Betrayal...It's Happening Here.

Posted by jlthai01 at Oct 20, 2008 02:48 AM
UofL really hid this plan from us well. Never once consolling us about it, let alone even mentioning it to us. I found it sad to hear this from the school's newspaper rather than from the plan's organizers themselves. How long have UofL been hiding this plan from us? If it had not been for The Cardinal, when were they going to tell us? This is absurd!

As a student of this university, I feel has if I have been stabbed in the back. I feel betrayed by my own school. Like many posters before me, I'm a full-time student, who can not afford this mealplan. I have classes four days a week and never eat on campus. Two days, I only have one class. I go to it and then go home immediately afterwards. The other two days are jammed pack with no breaks. When do they expect me to eat?

I feel very fortunate to still have my parents help me financially, but that can not be said the same for everyone. My family and I are already steep in debt (with hospital bills and loans) and can not afford this plan. I can't afford it even with my family's help! I work several days a week and my WHOLE paycheck goes to the gas I need to get to campus. I don't eat on campus because I need that money to fill my gas tank each week to even make it to class. I have my own food at home in my own fridge. I can make my own food cheaper and healthier than ANY foodchain on and/or around campus!

I know several people who are struggling to make end's meet. They don't eat for days so that they can save up money to pay their rent and bills. And now the school, that students are supposed to be able to trust, are tell us that we have to pay an extra $250 a semester on top of the already rising tuition! It's outrageous! There are people with family that they have to feed. There are people with more important bills to pay. There are people who can put that $250 a semester for better use.

UofL said that students spend about $18 a week on campus food. Which students are they surveying?! Certainly not me. Their statistics are bias. They most likely surveyed the students who do and can afford to eat on campus. But what about the rest of us who don't and can't? Where do we fit in this equation? UofL also said that students want better food choices, and thus the higher prices and this mealplan. Well then, make THOSE students pay for the plan because I never once complained and nor do I ever CARED what food services we have. I am not part of those statistics yet I still have to pay? Absurd. Why ruin it for all of us when it's only because of a small percentage? If a student wishes to eat on campus, then more power to them. Let them buy the mealplan. But for the rest of us, who don't wish to do so, we should have the option to opt out of it. We are not children and the university is not our parents. We do not need our school deciding for us, especially on what we eat. Like someone before me said, high school and middle school kids (even elementary students) have that choice, why can't fully-grown adults?


Betrayal...It's Happening Here.

Reply

Posted by mdsmit14 at Oct 24, 2008 04:18 PM
""Which students are they surveying?! Certainly not me. Their statistics are bias. They most likely surveyed the students who do and can afford to eat on campus.""

Knowing UofL, they probably took their surveys in the food courts. They found people who were eating Wendy's and asked them if they would like better food. This is just a sneaky way for UofL to get more money. How greedy do they have to be to go behind our backs for extra food that relatively no commuter wants to pay for?

Meal plan

Posted by jsmars03 at Oct 20, 2008 04:52 PM
I was just thinking about this, the president of U of L, Dr. Ramsey is payed over $500,000 a year. Lets not forget, he did deny his $100,000 dollar performance bonus this year. How nice of him. He sure wasn't joking about his "doubling the numbers" plan. What I am trying to say here is, that we the students are what pay for his salary, and keep this univeristy a float.I demand a person who compensates to all the faculty's salaries here, that the students voice should be the deciding factor in decisions that DIRECTLY effect us. The administration should be ashamed of themselves for a break down in communication. Also SGA, they are just puppets in this war!! This is only the beginning, it is going to get alot worse, and we should not budge against the fist of U of L's administration that is strangling there students financially!!!

P.S. President Ramsey, can you honestly sleep at night? Do you think this Univeristy would be any different for the common student(whom of which you are soposed to serve) if you made 200K a year? OR IF YOU WERE NOT HERE AT ALL? Then again I quess he still needs something to cushion his Trust fund and portfolio while the rest of the common family's struggle to get there kids through college by taking out loans that they could be potentially paying off for the next 30 years. This is a battle against the students and the administration, and for one being a public univeristy, they are soposed to SERVE US... REMEMBER THAT(administration) THE NEXT TIME YOU OPEN YOUR PAY CHECK.

Bad Deal for UofL Students

Posted by cmcagl01 at Oct 20, 2008 07:11 PM
Setting aside the fact that this deal is completely unethical, I think this is just a bad deal for the school and (especially!) students; whoever negotiated for Louisville in this contract gave Sodexo a hell of a deal. Observe:

UofL has "over 22,000 students," according to the school website. We'll start with 22,000.

Roughly 85% of those are commuter students. That's 18,700 students.

There are around 6,000 graduate students who are exempt from the meal plan. We're down to 12,700 students.

Each of those 12,700 pays $500 per year for the meal plan. That's $6,350,000 per year in gross revenue.

That's $63,500,000 in gross revenues over the life of the 10-year contract; keep in mind, that's only counting commuter students, and it assumes both that no student will spend more than the required $500/year and that the dollar requirement for the meal plan won't go up.

In return for a minimum of $60 million in guaranteed total gross revenues, Sodexo is spending $11,000,000 on new dining facilities.

If you were the school, would you sign this deal?

OUR VOICES WILL BE HEARD

Posted by gmszyp01 at Oct 21, 2008 03:51 PM
You can send emails trying to incriminate the students and point the finger but WE ALL KNOW that we did not ask for this and DID NOT WANT IT. Sounds to me like somebody messed up somewhere and now the University is targeting the wrong people - the people who are a HUGE part in their budget. Look, I'm trying to be polite here when I say this but WE THE STUDENTS ARE CALLING FOR CHANGE and change in the RIGHT direction. Our voices WILL be heard because we are the student body and without us there is no University of Louisville. You want proof that this is unwanted? Look around you, ask people on campus, CHECK OUT FACEBOOK (we all know facebook is in an uproar and EVERYONE is talking about it). If you want another rally from the students, you're heading in the right direction. That's all I'm saying. I'm not even sure I'm still attending the same University anymore...

facebook link

Posted by gmszyp01 at Oct 21, 2008 04:02 PM
For those of you who are inquiring about the group on Facebook that everyone is joining:
facebook.com/topic.php?topic=5404&post=19734&uid=38629648614#/group.php?gid=38629648614&ref=mf

or logon and search "meal plan" or "UofL" and it's definitely on the first page of results with a whopping 1,100 members and growing by the minute!

It's Happening Here?

Posted by jatole02 at Oct 21, 2008 04:59 PM
It's Happening Here? Where? The only thing happening here is that us the students are being robbed of money many of us desperately need for things other than a meal plan that we will not use. I am a full-time commuter on campus five days a week and I definitely do not spend $18 a week on campus food. I can much easily wait to eat food at home that I know will be good. They say the meal plan is so that Sodexo will build new dining options, but what is the guarentee that the new options will be any better tasting or healthy. They can't guarentee that the food will be to our liking as a whole and I don't want my money wasted on food that will turn out to be bad. I can't afford to have this extra financial burden on my shoulders. I can barely afford to pay for my books and with this new meal plan they would be making it harder harder for me to buy them. And isn't the point of going to college to get an education and it would be hard to do that without books. College is about education and learning to make choices on your own. So let us make the choice of being on the meal plan or not. The university is not my mother, they can't tell me where and when to eat if I don't want to.

SGA representatives are not doing their job

Posted by p0ho0003 at Oct 22, 2008 10:34 AM
Based on the Louisville Cardinal newspaper, 77% of UofL students don't want to buy the meal plan, and 67% voiced their opinion on this website, saying they would NOT buy the food even if there were more options. Simply put, the majority do NOT want this meal plan, yet SGA supports it. How is that representing students? And to think SGA members are being paid with our tuition money to represent us, the students...

Socialism strikes again

Posted by drmill08 at Oct 22, 2008 03:36 PM
this is socialism plain and simple. I say remove ALL food services from campus. there are plently of food places around campus that offer food without forcing me to pay for crap I'm not going to use anyways. This basically becomes another way for UofL to offer more 'sweet meal plans' to Basketball and football players and not get introuble with the NCAA. I'd rather have the University make me buy a 200 dollar gift card to Kroger at least then i dont have to use it on campus and can control what i spend my hard earned money on.

I never head anything

Posted by mltull02 at Oct 22, 2008 05:11 PM
I am a first year transfer and thought I had researched the school pretty well, but apparently not. The first I heard about the meal plan was the first article in the school paper. As a commuter with a 40+ hrs a week job and I’m taking 17 hrs this semester here at UofL. I don't have the time to come back to campus to eat lunch once I leave. This semester I have spent a total of $23 on campus food. That’s a little shy of the $175 that I should have spent so far, according to the minimum meal plan. I think that it’s great that the university is taking great strides to build up the campus as far as housing, food, and activities, but run this as a business. If people want more options they will call for it, and if a company comes in and can’t stay in business then we don’t need it.

This just isn't right!

Posted by bawilb02 at Oct 24, 2008 10:04 AM
Look at the poll, 68% of the respondents don't spend $18 a week on food on campus, for them it's just not worth it. In my case, I commute to U of L, and pack my lunch, which is much cheaper than any $250 meal plan. I don't even spend $20 a semester on food on campus, and for myself, and other students like me, this is a complete waste of $250. If 68% of the respondents don't spend enough on food on campus to make this plan worth while, then why are we doing it???

The Plan Doesn't Work For Me

Posted by c0perr02 at Oct 24, 2008 10:47 AM
To start off let me state my position and that is that I oppose the new meal plan for students who commute. I think the main people this doesn't work for are those who work and go to school and simply don't have time to eat on campus. When I leave work, I go directly to class, I schedule my classes back to back so when I leave one I walk right into another and typically I don't get out of class until 7 or 8pm and by then I'm ready to go home and take care of my other priorities. I simply don't have time! I would have to go out of my way to spend the $250 that UofL is trying to force me to spend.

On the other hand, if UofL wants to implement this and doesn't want a protest, perhaps they should focus on a quick and easy way for students to file for exemption instead of each case having to go through a committee! For a lot of students the meal plan is fine and they aren't going to object. BUT if a student doesn't want to spend $250 on food at UofL then UofL shouldn't have any say as to whether or not that student has to. The exemption process should be that you file for exemption and you're exempt, that's it.

In a time when the economy is hurting and students already have it hard enough as is, UofL should really be more considerate to their students. It's really sad to see such a great University try to implement a policy obviously driven by greed.

not cool

Posted by afzwic01 at Oct 24, 2008 10:56 AM
I'll be going into my senior year next year and will be co-oping one of those semesters so I won't even be on campus at all that one semester. Yet, I would still have to pay $250 so that I could not eat on campus. I communte from my home here in Louisville meaning I never eat on campus. There's no need for me to spend money on food here when I can eat something healthier and cheaper at home. In the 3 and a half years I've been at UofL I'd say that I've eaten on campus a dozen times. I couldn't care less what kind of food services UofL puts on campus. And it shouldn't be communter students responsibility to pay for something that none of us need. The cost should be placed on students living on campus. They are the ones that eat there the most. To me, it's just another cost to tack on just like that college of business fee for 300 and above courses and that health fee.

Meal Plan

Posted by jdbrei01 at Oct 24, 2008 11:20 AM
I am a student who lives off campus and eats off campus. Why should I have to be a part of this plan?

Meal Plan

Posted by jdbrei01 at Oct 24, 2008 11:20 AM
I am a student who lives off campus and eats off campus. Why should I have to be a part of this plan?

this is stupid

Posted by hmvonn01 at Oct 24, 2008 03:26 PM
creating a meal plan in which every student has to abide by is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. what is the point of doing this except for the university to make money, they hope that most people wont cash in on all of it and thats their way to make pure profit. this doesnt benefit us at all, if we are hungry and need to eat on campus we will do it with our own cash. this should not go through.

Here's What I Think...

Posted by mdsmit14 at Oct 24, 2008 03:48 PM
UofL big-wigs wants to make UofL more appealing to incoming freshmen. High School Seniors will see how nice the dining is and it will help sway them in the way of coming to UofL. But they didn't read the fine print. What they don't know is that they'll be slapped with a $250 fee every semester because of it.

UofL wanted new dining, so they went behind our backs to get it. They probably posted the plan once in #7 of the SGA newsletter one week. But honestly, with our busy schedules, who actually reads the SGA newsletter??? We might scroll through the contents page but that's it. They wanted to get as much money as possible so they targeted the largest group possible: the commuters who, almost all of them, have busy schedules and don't want to spend extra time at school to use up their meal cards.

It sickens me the way UofL went about doing this. "Oh, we had so many complaints with the dining, so we tried to fix it to better the students." Yeah right. Take a LOOK AT THE POLL. Does it look like the majority of people want upgraded dining at the cost of a smaller wallet?

There really is nothing we can do about this though. We'll post on this board and post and post but nothing will happen. Sure they might take away the mandatory meal card, but tuition will go up. "But wait... there's more. With your purchase of tuition, we'll throw in a free $250 meal plan -- just pay higher tuition."

Are we not old enough to eat on our own?

Posted by kseske01 at Oct 24, 2008 07:42 PM
I am a full-time student who works full time as well. I am taking night classes at the college of Business three nights a week and one online class. By the time I arrive on campus I have approx 5 minutes to get to class and not leave until 8:15 or later. When exactly am I going to find the time to eat? Why should I be REQUIRED to pay for something the I'm NEVER going to use. It seems to me like it's only a way for the university to raise money. I'm at the point that if I am going to be required to pay this, then why should I stay with UL? There are plenty of other universities out there that do not require you to prepay for food. I feel that I am old enough to know when I get hungry and to make sure that I have enough money on me to eat. Make it just an option for students to purchase if they so desire to. As for the rest of us, we will probably never use half of the meal plan if not any of it. I can not believe that a university such as the University of Louisville, is requiring their students to purchase this. I have spoken with many University of Louisville Students and non students about this problem we are facing as a student body. They are appalled that such a requirement would be instated...especially for those who are only there for night classes anyways. I guess we will have to wait and see what is decided and what this waiver is going to do. I am sure there are plenty of people out there who agree with me and are probably in the same boat I am.

There had better be a waiver

Posted by merive01 at Oct 24, 2008 11:14 PM
As a commuter student, I've never gotten into the habit of eating all that much on campus. The selection of places to eat is part of it, but another part is that I have food back home, much of it healthier than what's available on campus. Mandatory meal plan or not, I don't intend to eat five days a week on campus.

Meal Plan

Posted by tdharr09 at Oct 25, 2008 01:20 AM
My last semester should be spring of 2009, but I still feel that it is important to voice my opinion. I know that a lot of people have been very unhappy about this change and the need to make it a mandate. Well, this is another post expressing the stupidity of this proposal. School costs have risen a great deal over the past couple of years which I personally have been barely able to afford. Now, suddenly, I am being told that I have to pay addition costs that will be no benefit to me what so ever. I haven't been inside the cafeteria in 6 years, and don't plan to. I don't even go on that side of the campus. I am a full-time mother, wife, and student. I eat my meals at home. With the cost of higher education today, how does this help the 69% of the students who have voted against this in your poll above?? Why should I have to pay for something that I don't need???

Just to let you know

Posted by edhans01 at Oct 25, 2008 11:09 PM
Just to give the SGA a heads up there are Lawyers working on a case to sue. Hopefully some changes are made; you have a lot of mad students, parents and others on your hands. Maybe some changes could be to make this an option…

Mandatory Meal Plan

Posted by cmjone20 at Oct 26, 2008 02:15 PM
Students staying in university apartments WITH KITCHENS or students who don't even live on campus should not be required to purchase a $745 or $250 meal plan.I would not have a problem with a mandatory meal plan IF I could at least choose the dollar amount I felt significant for me to be able to eat what I want when I want to eat it, but that's not the case. I have an apartment near campus, but I'm technically not on campus and therefore DO NOT eat on campus. I prefer to buy my own food from grocery stores because it's more convenient and less expensive for me to COOK than to waste money at the SAC everyday. I don't care what new dining facilities are available because they're all too expensive.There are plenty of restaurants in Louisville for those that want to eat out everyday of their lives.I don't feel it's necessary for those that actually use the stoves in their kitchens to go all the way to campus 2 or 3 times a day to eat between certain hours. Making the meal plans mandatory and then telling us that we have to pay a certain amount is redundant considering the fact that the prices more than likely will be so high that we really won't even benefit. Some students get sick of "take out" and simply CANNOT AFFORD to waste money on it these days. I hardly have enough money after tuition and fees each year for books so where is this money supposed to come from? If this is really about helping the students then maybe someone should consider having better choices of FOOD in the market stores and not just junk food everywhere you turn. The prices there are REDICULOUS and there's hardly nothing to choose from as far as vegetables or real MEAT.Buying groceries only costs me about $100-$125 a month whereas if I were eating on campus it cost about $7 for one meal three times a day which is $21 a day and about $630 a month THAT'S CRAZY! It also means that students on these meal plans really may not be getting enough to eat and at some point or another end up grocery shopping anyway. Getting these new dining facilities isn't making it more efficient or cheaper for ALL students and that's all that should count right now with the way the economy is.

SGA/UofL: Who do you think you are?

Posted by jdpett01 at Oct 28, 2008 12:31 AM
I will be graduating in the spring and it won't affect me either, but I had to chime in on this mess. We are still a commuter school. In cases like mine (and many others), I live in Old Louisville and go home for meals. On top of that, I am paying out of state tuition and will barely be getting out of here without killing myself financially in student loans. I understand tuition increases, those are fine and needed to pay out faculty, etc. But telling us where we are to eat and that we will not have a choice in the matter is ridiculous. I am 22, a grown man, and don't need my hand held and have these basic decisions made for me. SGA did NOT inform us of this matter through a proper medium. Who the hell does the SGA think they are? I can ask this with sheer curiosity knowing that I did not vote for any of these stooges to be in office for me.

This is Robbery

Posted by almaso01 at Oct 28, 2008 06:12 PM
There is simply no other way to look at this. The University is solely looking to take our money. I am tired of this. They do the same thing by raising tution and parking tickets. If you live at Bettie Johnson, a "dorm" with a full kitchen, you are required to spend over 700 dollars. I buy my food elsewhere and cook my own food because it is cheaper and far more healthy. They are forcing us to pay and I promise you they won't give the money back at the end of the semester. They are taking money that isn't theirs and money they have no right to and not giving us equal return for it. Somebody should explain to me how that is not robbery. I encourage all of you to write your congressman and the president and the SGA. This plan shouldn't exist!
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