Dining model subject to change

President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz asked for input from students on the College’s current dining plan, in a blog post March 10. He asked students to describe what they value most about the current system. The dining model may change following the review process.

In order to achieve the College’s goal of maintaining balanced budgets, Liebowitz said all aspects of the budget will continue to receive scrutiny. Even as he calls for input, Dining Services introduced a new salad and soup line in both dining halls in an effort to reduce congestion. The move comes after several months of student complaints about the length of lines during the lunch hour.

In his post, Liebowitz acknowledged the uniqueness of the current dining model and asked students to describe what aspects of it needed to be preserved.

“The question is whether all that this meal plan brings is worth the premium,” he wrote.

“I would love to know, in specific ways, what about our meal plan do our students love most, and what about it should be preserved, and preserved above other aspects of Middlebury that are going through budgetary review.”

In his message, Liebowitz emphasized that both students and his personal observations supported the conclusion that dining remained a unique part of the Middlebury experience.

“Having taken many lunches in Proctor this year, I can affirm this observation,” he wrote. “I have been to enough dining halls elsewhere to see the difference and believe the students and parents who make this argument make a lot of sense.”

One immediate change to the dining model occurred this week when Director of Dining Services Matthew Biette announced that a separate salad and soup line would open in auxiliary locations in both Ross and Proctor Dining Halls.

The lines are located in the Fireplace Lounge in Ross and in the Redfield Proctor Room on the second floor.

Biette said the College decided to open the lines after discussion at the President’s weekly staff meeting.

“The discussions about the alternative soup and salad lines have been happening for some time and the implementation came about in the middle of last week,” he said.

“The thought is to divert people from the lines that form to get a quick lunch and be on their way.  In our current ‘scatter system,’ people tend to line up and visit all the stations rather than visiting one and being done.”

Biette believes the system will enable students to get quick lunches and move on to other parts of their day.

“This will allow people to be more comfortable and quick,” he said.

“You must maneuver through a larger group of students in the general area when you visit the main lines.”

The new system shows that the College will evaluate the services they provide and add new ones when they benefit students.

“We are always looking at ideas that will spend your money wisely,” Biette said.

“We should continue to look at ways to operate more efficiently.”

One of the weaknesses of the current system is that it allows for guests to enter dining halls without paying, meaning students are receiving less value for what they pay.

“As a parent and a business person, I don’t want someone coming in and diluting the balance I have in the till to feed you,” Biette said.

“Many meal plans have guest meals but they are not unlimited in number.  With the cost of food these days, I want as much money for those who have paid into the pool.”

At the same time, Biette believes the current system creates a unique feel among college dining establishments.

“Middlebury Dining is special because it treats you like family,” he said.

“The unlimited entry makes that possible. If there were changes to the current model, I would like to be sure that those who have paid get what they pay for. I’d also like to see those who have not paid be given an opportunity to either pay or eat elsewhere.”

With supplies of dishes running low again this year, Biette urged students to return any dishes or glasses they have in their rooms.

To comment on the current dining system, students can add comments to Liebowitz’s post. See http://blogs.middlebury.edu/rononmiddlebury.