Representatives of Stony Brook University’s various campus dining services met with students on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in an effort to address the laundry list of complaints and concerns brought forth since the start of the fall semester.
Issues raised at the forum included the mandatory residential meal plan, unreasonable food prices, the removal of the Flex Points system, mishandling of food by staff, and reports of undercooked or ill-prepared meals.
The meeting, which was organized as an open forum for students to air their grievances, was announced in response to the Facebook group: SBU Food Complaints/Improvements which boasts over 1,000 members.
The representatives seemed sincere and receptive to the students’ plights, and said that they would start making changes to better their services. In response to the numerous reports of staff misconduct, such as handling food without gloves and preparing meals incorrectly, all of the dining service managers have pledged to review each station to ensure food is being prepared properly, as well as to rectify any food freshness or preparation problems when they are addressed.
“We have a different business model than Walmart… we can’t offer the same prices,” said Customer Advocate Dawn Villacci. She goes on to explain that they offer competitive bid pricing in an attempt to get the best prices possible.
Villacci said prices are set by the Campus Dining Resolution Committee “which is open to students for feedback.”
Another reason for the high prices of food on campus is that there is no large food storage facility on campus. Without such storage they cannot stock up on food products long term. Currently, there is no plan to build one in the near future, according to Villacci.
As for West Side Dining, which has reportedly been having problems since its opening, will begin Phase 2 for the coming spring semester. They plan on expanding the food options offered, adding up to 300 more seats to the sitting area, and incorporating a market place for “grab-and-go” items, according to Enzo Brun, the food service manager of West Side Dining.
The dining service managers invite any students with a grievance, to speak with them directly, or leave feedback on the campus dining website: Campusdining.org
Author
Daine Taylor
