Dining Services says it is working to curtail food price hikes in order to help students deal with the recession.
Meal plan prices rise each year due to inflation in the cost of produce and food-related supplies. Annual price increases are also necessary to give hourly staff modest raises, according to Director of Dining and Business Services Patricia Klos. Taking into consideration the financial circumstances of the student body, the increase in meal plan prices this year is less than in previous years, Klos said.
She said that while overall food prices usually rise by about four percent each year, this year student charges went up at a rate of approximately 3.5 percent, and meal plan prices were held to a two-percent increase.
The slight price hike has not deterred students from buying meal plans. Klos said that Dining Services has actually seen an increase in enrollment in the Premium Plan, which offers unlimited access to both Carmichael and Dewick-MacPhie Dining Halls. This is partially because the freshman class, whose members are required to purchase Premium Plans, was larger this year than last. The plan costs $2,591; $46 more than last semester.
The dining halls have also grown in popularity in part because the costs of eating off-campus remain steep. Klos said that fewer students have frequented eateries on the Merchant Off-Campus Partners (MOPS) program, which allows students to pay for their food with JumboCash.
"We've seen a decline in participation in the campus retail operations and MOPS, which seems in line with the national and regional decline in eating out," she said. "We continue to see strong participation at Carmichael, Dewick-MacPhie and Hodgdon."
Klos also noted that more students are using JumboCash to pay for breakfast and lunch, while conserving their meal plans for dinner.
Julie Lampie, Dining Services' nutrition marketing specialist, said that while the university is taking measures to cut costs, the food provided is not dropping in caliber.
"We have not changed the quality, and we have not deleted anything from the menu in response to what's going on with the economy," Lampie said. "If anything, we have more [variety], especially in terms of produce."
Dining Services will continue to provide a selection of local produce and is constantly adding to existing menus. "We have new menu items, especially for vegetarians, and as items come on the market, we are able to source them and provide students with additional options," Lampie said.
To help students cope with ever-increasing expenses, Dining Services teamed up with the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate to create an array of affordable options now available at the campus center.
The Commons Deli and Grill menu added several new less expensive items to accommodate student need.
"This year we brought back the regular grilled cheese sandwich, and introduced grilled torpedoes, which are priced lower than our hot pressed sandwiches," Klos said.
TCU Senator Sam Wallis, a junior, worked last semester with Dining Services to create a value menu for Hotung Cafe. Wallis at the time chaired the Senate's Task Force on the Financial Crisis, designed to help students cut back on spendintg.
"Last year we created an ad hoc task force and looked at the ways students are spending money on campus," Wallis said. "[The findings] were implemented at Hotung, and there were definitely value items offered."
Wallis and the Senate continue to work closely with Dining Services and Klos to expand dining options for students.
