Program provides student dining options

For the first time in two years, students, faculty and staff can expect a few changes next year regarding on-campus meal plans.

One of these changes will be a price increase.

The price of all Cream meal plans will increase by $150. The increase is based on operational costs, such as employee salaries and benefits, supplies to run dining operations and the rising cost of food, Director of RPS dining Sandra Fowler and RPS Executive Director Patrick Connor said.

“Additionally, RPS is opening a new dining center next fall, the Restaurants at Woodland, and the cost of this new facility has an impact on meal plan rates,” Connor said.

Opening this August at Forest Quadrangle, the Restaurants at Woodland will offer nine different micro-restaurants. Various food choices will include a cafe, yogurt bar and ethnic restaurants.

“Finally, RPS tracks the time of the semester when students start to add I-Bucks to their accounts in the fall semester, and the earlier it happens is also an indicator that we need to increase the starting levels of the plans.”

By increasing cost and starting levels of the plans, RPS hopes to avoid students having to add more I-bucks later in the semester.

RPS also plans to discontinue the Crimson meal plan at the end of this school year.

A new program, Hoosier Bucks, will be available to students, faculty and staff. Hoosier Bucks will allow students who aren’t required to have a meal plan to have more dining options while offering the same discount approach that the Crimson meal plan offered in the past.

Hoosier Bucks will offer a 25-percent discount on every purchase.

“The Crimson plan was replaced with the Hoosier Bucks account to offer more flexibility across campus,” Fowler said. “This account can be used at all RPS dining locations and also in the dining locations in the IMU and Wells Library food court.”

Connor said RPS and IMU dining are looking forward to serving students and are pleased to have this partnership that will benefit students on the go.