Meal plans undergo changes, deeper discounts

STEPHENVILLE (April 3, 2017) – Residential students returning to campus this fall will notice major changes in their meal plans.

Increased retail options, along with venue changes and expansions, will be the most visible changes, says Dr. Laura Boren, vice-president of Student Affairs, but the built-in value of the plans also will improve dramatically.

“A meal plan is something we require of all our residential students,” Boren said. “Our pricing is set up so that any student on a meal plan receives a discount from what they would pay at the door. Depending on which meal plan a student selects, discounts range from 5 to 15 percent.”

Updated pricing for meal plans across the board has been a project on her radar since coming to Tarleton in 2015, Boren said.

“To address students’ desires for more retail,” Boren reported, “every single one of our meal plans now includes at least double the ‘Dining Dollars.’ We aligned the meal plans to be a better deal than just walking up to the counter and paying cash. Some of the meal plans will see a reduction in cost from the past; some will see a minimal increase.”

Dining Dollars are features built into every meal plan, allowing students to spend a pre-set amount at retail establishments on campus, including Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks.

As an example, the most popular plan, allowing 15 meals per week, will see a price reduction from $1875 to $1826 per semester, and doubled Dining Dollars from $100 to $200.

“Ultimately, this is about how can we best serve our students, meet their needs and be conscious of what our students are paying,” Boren said.

In addition to differences in meal plan pricing, students on campus this fall will notice an expanded Starbuck’s presence in the library, the relocation of the “C” Store to Texan Village, a Dunkin’ Donuts or similar brand location near the dining hall and a permanent food truck with tables near Traditions Hall.

The meal plan upgrades result from a joint effort between Tarleton and its dining services contractor, Sodexo, Boren said.

“Sodexo has been really good at listening to our students’ needs,” Boren said. “Not only in helping us with more retail options and improved value for meal plans, but at the dining hall. We have a population of students who are gluten intolerant and we‘re seeing some changes happening now to address that. We have a gluten-free station. We’ve increased our healthy food options. We think students will really appreciate all these changes.”