This academic year, on-campus apartment residents are considered to be commuters, and commuter/apartment meal plan.
“We did a trend analyses of the spending habits of residents and found most weren’t buying meals, ” said Alvin Strudivant, director of Housing and Residence Life. “All [apartment] residents must buy the commuter meal plan, and have the option of upgrading 600 dollars, [which would be] billed to their student account.”
The commuter/apartment meal plan is 150 flex points for $200. While $600 can be billed to one’s student account, any additional funds must come out of pocket.
“At first I wanted the meal plan,” said junior Tom Muntaner, a resident of Marchetti West. “But it’s annoying to find another way to fund the meal plan.”
Muntaner said that, previously, his scholarship covered the meal plan. The change, however, does not allow him to add money from his scholorship past the allotted $600.
“[The cost of the option to have meals] was a management and overhead issue,” Sturdivant said. “Room and board is combined now. There is no separate meal plan.”
Muntaner and senior Ryan Soklaski, a resident of Marchetti East, did not find out about the policy change until they spoke to Parking and Card Services.
“I signed up for the 10 meal plan when I signed up for housing, and they told me it was fine,” said Soklaski. “I didn’t realize the change until I noticed I was not billed for a meal plan.”
Soklaski said that he’ll be using the kitchen more often, but as he was not notified of the change, feels the situation was “handled extremely poorly.”
“I just don’t understand the logic,” he said. “Why does my location on campus matter?”
Junior Linneah Riley said that she was also not told of the change, though she planned on getting the commuter meal plan.
“I was reading the page [during housing sign-up], and that’s when I saw the change,” she said. “It’s easier this way because it’s cheaper to buy more flex points when you run out.”
Despite a lack of prior notification, Riley said that the students she talked to are fine with the change.
“I haven’t heard anyone complain,” she said.
Additional reporting by Matt Wilhelm.
