“I think everything is on the table,” Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey said. “It’s a great opportunity to look afresh at our dining program.”
Aja Frost
[follow id=”ajavuu”]
As part of an effort to make Cal Poly more residential and accommodate the growing number of students living on campus, the Cal Poly Student Affairs Division will begin to play a major role in directing Campus Dining.
The shift means Student Affairs will seek input from students and relay those suggestions to Cal Poly Corporation, which runs Campus Dining, with the expectation that the corporation will put those requests into play.
“Many things need to evolve to make sure we can serve the students and support more students,” Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey said. “We’re involved in the programmatic direction of Dining.
“My job is, in all things, to listen to the needs of the community and figure out how to make them happen,” he added.
This might mean changes for Cal Poly Corporation’s Student Dining Committee, which currently acts as the liaison between the student body and Campus Dining.
“We have to make sure we’re using it in the right way,” Humphrey said. “Maybe it’s something that evolves into a larger committee that the university holds — we haven’t had that conversation yet. What’s important for students to know is that their feedback is valued.”
Apart from structuring dining services to reflect the push towards a residential campus, at this time Student Affairs doesn’t have any concrete plans. The division is planning on taking the rest of the 2013-2014 academic year to consult students and the Cal Poly Corporation before making any adjustments.
“I think everything is on the table,” Humphrey said. “It’s a great opportunity to look afresh at our dining program.”
Student Affairs has already heard people want healthier food, a greater variety and increased options for those with special diets.
“In big cities, for example, you can go online to a grocery store’s website and order some things, and then say, ‘I’m going to come by between 5 and 7 p.m. to pick them up,’” Humphrey said. “That may be a service we offer students.”
Though Humphrey said the residential campus vision would likely mandate a meal plan, that doesn’t mean one of freshmen’s biggest grievances will go unaltered.
“Maybe the meal plan won’t require certain number of meals at certain number of locations,” Humphrey said. “That might be something we look at, if today’s students want more flexibility in when and where they eat.”
Humphrey is hopeful this development will let students know the university is eager to listen to their needs.
“Students are coming to Cal Poly for a specific experience,” he said. “We want that reflected in every aspect of the university.”
Humphrey said he is eager to hear from students, suggesting they send him an email, come to his office hours from 4 to 5 p.m. on Mondays or set up an appointment to see him.