Contracted Dining - Research Paper Example

They would then be given, in many cases, a usual or average plan (Occidental College). In-house eating offers the best solution for college students to meet there food and meal needs . Discussion Today, there are companies that have become specialized in contracting foodservices to schools and educational institutions. These include Aramark Corporation based in Philadelphia, Sodexo, Inc. based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and U.S. Foodservice, Inc. based in Rosemont, IL. (Chartwells). The one which services my school (Wentworth xxxx), is Chartwells Educational Dining Services, which operates out of Rye Brook, New York (Chartwells).

Off campus dining can normally be expensive, but it depends on the location of the school. For example Cornell University speaks of a place called Collegetown that has a lot of restaurants offering all kinds of food from organic to ethnic (Cornell). And then in Ithaca, New York, there are places where one can get fast foods or go to sit-down restaurants. Off campus eating has the advantage of offering more options to students. Usually one may find special discounts and coupons and promotions.

Plus there is the ability offered to be able to find out about an area, to mix the residents and to encounter and enjoy other atmospheres. But then there are certain disadvantages to off-campus eating. These disadvantages have to do with not knowing the area well. Becoming victim to sharpies or even just to crime, or course, can be a problem. Then there is the transportation option, the time involved. Certainly, every student should experience off-campus eating. But one should not base their entire meal plan on it.

Most schools have meal plans. They vary in price and most schools seem to offer alternative plans. One school has a program which recognizes three plans of which two average in comparison to other plans and one costs more. Plans have to be gauged according to what the student generally spends, the amount of financial aid, and of course, the costs of the meals including service. The plans can cover a full 30 weeks or arranged over two semesters that are 15 weeks each. The plan at MIT has three levels.

One costing $3,800/year includes 7 dinners and breakfasts, or 14 meals per week. The $3,400/year includes only 6 dinners and 6 breakfasts per week for a total of 12 meals per week. It is not open to freshmen. Notice that none of these plans include lunch. The MIT report notes that students all spend in variable amounts for food, and some cook for themselves. The figure for median spending over 30 weeks was $2,100. But this median figure differs widely in its breakdown, going from $2,422 to $3,000.

Yet the school itself uses median figures representing the 75th percentile of all student spending. This figure averages from $3,000 to $3,600 covering all undergraduates to the level of students who dine in the house. The officials then base their plan on $2,900 to $3,800. (All figures from MIT report covering 2010-2011 period). The MIT lists the expenses of over plans. These are mostly from Ivy League schools and include the following figures. Yale University averages $6,000 for a full plan.

Boston college's full residential plan is $4,632 and Boston University is $4,632 for its full residential plan. Harvard University charges $4,606 for its full plan. There are other variables. For example, Cal Tech's figure of $4,956 is buttressed by an