In its latest move to convince students to stay in the college system, Dining Services has introduced more flexible meal plans and dining hours, and re-engineered the late meal system. The changes will take effect next year.
"If the college dining halls are reconceived as chef-driven, entrepreneurial, restaurant-like units, we are convinced that Princeton can provide outstanding food to its students, and in fact convince them to 'stay home' in the colleges," the 17-member Dining and Social Options Task Force concluded in its 2005 report.
The Task Force, comprised of faculty, administration and students, was commissioned in 2004 to improve the dining plans within the residential colleges.
One of the results of the Task Force report was the addition of "block" meal plans.
Instead of having a set number of meals to spend in a week, the block meal plans allow for a set number of meals to spend in a semester. Underclassmen can choose between 190 and 235 meals while upperclassmen will also have a 95-meal option.
In the current system, unused meals cannot be carried over week to week, an inflexibility that some students find irritating.
"For someone with a varying schedule like me, [the new system] works really well. I will still have my meals even though I may miss them," Amanda Bowers '09, who lives near campus and goes home on weekends for meals, said.
Dining schedule
Other alterations to the dining system include a change in dining hours. Recognizing the "variability of student eating habits" and the strict schedules of student-athletes and other sectors of the campus community, the Task Force recommended an extension of the meal times.
Next year, breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This extension is complemented by a shift in late meal schedules.
Late lunch will be offered from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and late dinner from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., a major change to benefit students with late-night cravings. The late meal credits have also been increased to $5.95 for lunch and $6.95 for dinner.
Overall, the report says, the "goal here is an increase in transparency and ease of access."
Student reactions, however, differ.
"Since I'm [in Dining Services and] working a lot of dinners, I'd rather dinner end at 7:30, not later," Daniel Douglas '09 said, noting that he usually stays at least half an hour after the end of dinner to clean up. "I'm fine with the way it is."
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