Dining Services is considering a new, more flexible resident point plan that would let students use their points anywhere on the campus or choose exactly how many points they want.
Five students, part of the business school’s Quest Program, designed the plans for a semester-long project. They have met weekly with Dining Services Associate Director Joe Mullineaux for more than a month, said sophomore business major Zach Schutz.
The students will make their final report to Dining Services Wednesday, when officials will make recommendations and any revisions. The earliest the resident point plan could be implemented, if at all, is in 18 months, Schutz said.
“I do consider their work most helpful and look forward to what and how we can implement,” said Dining Services Director Pat Higgins.
The students were assigned to find a product, conduct research and create a new product that caters to the desires of their consumers. The five students picked Dining Services in order to create new options in response to the unpopular meal plans, which currently offer only three choices.
“We got a little frustrated,” Schutz said. “Something needs to be done, and nobody’s doing anything.”
The Quest team’s proposal includes “Union Bucks,” points used only in the Stamp Student Union food court. Dining Services proposed a similar idea for meal plans aimed at students in on-campus apartments, which is still being discussed within the department.
One of the resident point plans proposed by the Quest team, generically called the “new point plan,” would allow students to select how many resident points they want in their plan. There would be a set minimum of resident points, but Terp Bucks and Union Bucks would be optional.
This option would give students the flexibility to customize their plans, the students said. Students could choose any value in increments of 100 points from 800 to 1,200 for use in the dining halls. Terp Bucks would range from zero to 400 at increments of 50, and Union Bucks would range from zero to 100 at increments of 25.
The new point plan would produce 225 variations of the meal plan. “The plans are more unique to each student, so we hope students wouldn’t spend that many extra points that they don’t want,” Schutz said.
In the second proposed plan, called the “discount plan,” all the points would be lumped together and could be used at any location that now accepts resident points or Terp Bucks, as well as in the Student Union’s food court.
All students would purchase a minimum base plan, but would have the option of adding more. There would be a discount of 50 to 60 percent at the dining halls as an incentive for students to spend their points there.
The students are optimistic their plans may actually be approved.
“If we’re actually able to make a change, we’ll be leaving a stamp on the university by changing this system,” said Lindsey Gillenwater, a sophomore business major.
At first the group was apprehensive about whether Dining Services would be willing to listen to them, but found the department was responsive.
“They really jumped on board,” said Leo Malyutin, a sophomore computer science major. “Everyone was really excited about it.”
However, group member Mindy Liu, a sophomore civil engineering major, said she’s skeptical about how smoothly the plans may go. The group still needs to research the financial impact it may have on Dining Services and whether it is even possible to implement the plans. The plans need to go to the Dining Services Advisory Board of the Residence Halls Association for recommendations and approval.
The Quest team also proposed three other plans, including an all-you-can-eat-style plan, but students in focus groups and surveys preferred the point and discount plans.
The team wasn’t required to present the project to Dining Services or to sell their project, Schutz said. However, the students wanted to see the meal plan implemented and said they will continue working on it to the end.
