One less thing for this year’s freshman class to worry about is where they’re going to eat their meals.
This is the first year that Mississippi State University has required all freshmen to have meal plans.
Assistant vice president for student affairs Bill Broyles cited IHL’s initiative to increase baccalaureate degrees.
“They’re [IHL] really stressing that we as a system have got to generate more graduates to help Mississippi move forward,” he said. “What we want to do at Mississippi State is do everything we can to ensure the students’ success.”
“Having a required meal plan and a freshman live-on requirement coupled with all of the other things that we’re already doing kind of closes the loop on [student success],” he said.
All freshmen were automatically enrolled in the ultimate meal plan, which is the most popular choice, Broyles said. They have the freedom to change their meal plan during the first two weeks of the semester, but all meal plans are a two-semester commitment.
The three primary freshman plans – Ultimate, Gold and Silver – cost $1,150 per semester. Ultimate is the only plan with unlimited meals at the Marketplace at Perry. Each plan contains a varying amount of flex dollars, which can be spent at other on campus dining locations besides Perry.
A fourth option, the Bronze plan, is available to only upperclassmen. It costs $1,025 per semester. Upperclassmen can also opt for the flex dollars only plan at $300 per semester.
The flex dollars only plan is not offered to freshmen primarily because it limits their community experience.
“We wanted them to have the opportunity to build that community,” Broyles said. “Building community is primarily going to be done by having meals with your classmates in Perry.”
Even freshmen in sororities or fraternities with required house meal plans must purchase an additional meal plan, called the Greek plan. Out of all the freshman plans, it offers the most flex dollars and the fewest meals at Perry. The Greek plan is only $650 per semester.
Aramark runs all dining services on campus expect StrangeBrew in Griffis Hall and the Barnes and Noble Café. Broyles said Aramark’s corporate philosophy on dining is different than some of the dining services in MSU’s history.
“We used to have meal plans long ago and if people didn’t use them, that was great: we made money and didn’t have to spend anything. But that’s not Aramark’s philosophy at all – they want students to get value by using the meal plan,” Broyles said.
According to the MSU Dining Services Web site, each freshman dining plan saves students between 20 to 60 percent off the retail price.
Executive food service director Jason Nall said two dining services kiosks have been ordered for Perry and the Union. Each kiosk will display the nutritional values of the food available at each location.
Nall said the kiosks should be up and running this semester. Nutritional information is also available on the MSU Dining Services Web site.
Undeclared freshman Alyssa Hooper is on the Greek meal plan. She said she realizes the convenience of on campus dining, but also prefers to eat with her roommate in their room.
“My food’s right there [in our room],” she said. “I don’t have to walk all the way here [to Perry] to eat.”
Broyles said student response is invaluable for deciding dining options.
“The more feedback we get, the better it will be,” he said.