Administration pledges food service changes after student complaints

A reduction in dining services led to long lines and hangry students last semester, but now the university administration is trying to make amends.

Student dissatisfaction led the Franciscan Justice Circle and Student Government Association to take action and create a petition and a proposal for change.

While the proposal addressed multiple issues, dining services was singled out as a problematic area.

Then, on January 11, shortly before the start of the spring semester, Dean of Students Sarah Williamson sent an email to the campus community.

The communique promised that the Knights Café would fire up its grill at 10:00 a.m. and stay open until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday as well as use an app to cut down lines. 

Bruder will keep it salad bar open until closing and expand its meal options, including grab and go items.

However, one student is still unhappy.

Salina Keita, a Senior Bio-Pre-Med major at Neumann, said that she received an undercooked sandwich on January 16th around the beginning of the Cafe’s opening.

After expressing to a Sodexo worker that her order was not only wrong, but cold, she says that her complaint was met with no help. Keita claims that the worker told her that they were the only one working and just started to make breakfast.

Many students agree that these proposed changes are good, but are not being fully carried out. There are still long lines and problems with food options and service on campus.

These are not the only problems students bring up daily about dining on campus.

Last semester, there were also discrepancies that Bruder’s “Meatless Mondays” were not actually meatless.

Staff has been accused of being impatient by multiple students, which was another concern that was addressed in the petition. The administration’s response focused only on expanded dining hours.

Keita said that she had multiple allergic reactions due to cross contamination at Neumann with one experience landing her in the hospital. She wants the dining hall and Knights Café to label their food with an ingredients list so that students can be aware of what they are eating.

“No students should be worried about eating something that will cause any form of harm towards his/her health,” said Keita.

January 11, 2024

Good evening, Knights!

We are excited to see you all return to campus over the coming days as we kick off our spring 2024 semester. I am writing to you this evening to share an update regarding Dining Services for the spring 2024 semester. Thank you to those who expressed interest during the fall semester in improving dining services on campus and for meeting with members of the University administration to discuss this at the end of last semester. The university administration discussed feedback and suggestions brought forward by students as promised. As a result of these conversations, I am sharing an outline of the changes the university administration is implementing for the spring semester. In each section, I am including the concern brought forward and the solution by dining location.

Knights Café:

• Concern: Students expressed concern that the grill was not open at 10am, when the Café opened.
• Solution: Beginning in the spring semester, the Knights Café grill will open at 10am to offer:
• Wrapped and customized breakfast sandwiches
• Customized omelets
• Breakfast sides (hashbrowns and breakfast meats)
• Meal swipes can be used in Knights beginning at 10am.

• Concern: Students expressed concern that Knights Café reduced hours were too limited.
• Solution: Knights Café will remain open until 4pm Monday-Thursday rather than the fall semester closing time of 3pm.

• Concern: Students expressed concern that the lines and wait time at Knights Café was too long.
• Solution: In addition to the extra hours outlined above, Dining Services is implementing the Everyday App to allow guests to order in advance and pick up without waiting.

Bruder Café:

• Concern: Students expressed concern that the salad bar closed before the end of service at Bruder.
• Solution: The salad bar will remain open daily through the end of service.

• Concern: Students expressed concern regarding the variety of meal options offered at Bruder.
• Solution: Menu offerings are being adjusted for spring semester to include the following:
• Addition of new items and updated menus for spring
• Chicken will be available during lunch, dinner, and late night
• Grill and sandwich specials offered
• Cheesesteaks available at Bruder between 3pm-5pm
• In addition, the administration will review the SGA survey results on meal options at Bruder and add the top choices to the menu rotation if feasible.

• Concern: Students expressed concern about the lack of grab n’ go options at Bruder when Knights Café is closed
• Solution: More grab n’ go options, including the following, will be offered at Bruder:
• All beverages available for grab n’ go at Knights Café will be offered at Bruder.
• Tuesdays will feature rotating grab n’ go specials at Bruder (i.e. wings, etc.)
• In addition, the administration will review the results of the SGA survey on additional grab n’ go options at Bruder and add the top choices to the menu rotation if feasible.

Thank you again to those students who invested time this fall semester to improve our dining services, including our Student Government Association (SGA) cabinet and senators. As a final reminder, meal plans for the spring semester will go into effect on Saturday, January 13^th at 11am for brunch in Bruder Café. Knights Café will open on the first day of class, Tuesday, January 16^th.

Go Knights!

Dean Williamson