Official says U. posted 'food czar' job listing

Penn is in the process of deciding whether or not to outsource Dining. While administrators weigh bids submitted for a possible outsourcing of Dining Services, a top Penn official has already given the green light to an outside consulting firm to seek out prospective "food czars." At the end of the month, administrators will decide whether to outsource Dining to Aramark Corp. or Bon Appetit Management Co., or maintain it under Penn management, according to Marie Witt, director of support services for Penn's Business Services. Administrators reported that they received bids from both Aramark and Bon Appetit that were "significantly lower" than last year's Dining Services costs under Penn management, Executive Director of Hospitality Services Don Jacobs said. Although Witt declined to provide specific figures, a Dining Services Steering Committee member who requested anonymity said both firms offered packages at a savings of about 40 cents per meal. Currently, the average cost per meal to Penn Dining Services is $2.50. According to Jacobs, the contractors did not consider extra costs-- such as the new student week barbecue -- in their assessments. He stressed that Dining Services is in the process of brainstorming cost-cutting measures -- including streamlining the number of meal plans from 12 to five -- which will be unveiled at the committee's next meeting later this month. Officials have already visited universities with successful self-operated or contracted food services, including Boston University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Los Angeles, Witt said. "We are weighing the pros and cons on all different sides," she said, adding that some considerations include facilities, quality of meal plans and food delivery and level of training in managed and staff roles. In the meantime, University administrators are soliciting applications for a top dining position "in order to assess the marketplace," according to Penn's Vice President for Business Services Steve Murray. Murray, who would not comment last month on whether he authorized the Cornyn Fasano consulting firm to post listing for such a job on the National Association for College and University Food Service's Web site, admitted yesterday that he did approve the posting. Murray explained that he originally declined to comment on the posting because he felt "an obligation to communicate beforehand with the Dining Services Steering Committee" -- a group of faculty members, staff and students appointed to consult with administrators throughout the outsourcing decision-making process. The vague listing -- posted February 6 -- called for a food service director to manage dining at a major East Coast University with a total enrollment of more than 22,000. Prospective applicants were instructed to contact Portland, Ore.-based Cornyn Fasano by March 1 for further details. In October 1996, the University hired Cornyn Fasano to review campus dining services and issue recommendations on late-night dining options, campus catering, athletic concessions and food service at the Perelman Quadrangle, the $69 million project which will link the renovated Irvine Auditorium with College, Houston, Williams and Logan halls. According to Murray, consultant John Cornyn approached him before the posting went to print with the suggestion that Penn request a "base of resumes for people with a variety of experience." He added that Cornyn did not place the listing for any one client, noting that the firm works with several schools along the East Coast. The listing, however, specifies a job opportunity at only one university, and a spokesperson for Penn's Admissions Office said last year's total enrollment hovered around the 22,000 mark. Cornyn Fasano officials failed to return repeated phone calls yesterday. Murray emphasized that the practice of gathering applications before a position opens up is "not unusual." He added that the position will not affect the job security of Dining Services Director Bill Canney or Jacobs. Last month, both Canney and Jacobs expressed concern about the possibility of their jobs being placed in jeopardy. At a meeting with the Dining Services Steering Committee on February 13 -- the same day that The Daily Pennsylvanian published an article on the posting -- administrators explained the context of the posting and provided the committee with an update on the status of Dining. Wharton senior and committee member Alan Danzig said the committee did not question the posting, adding that the type of position has "no impact on the outsourcing decision." But according to Jacobs, statistical similarities between Penn and the University described in the ad left little to the imagination. "It was so obvious [it was Penn], there was nothing to react to," Jacobs said. And although Jacobs initially said the posting matched his job description, he revised his comments yesterday. "I suspect [the posting is for] someone to supervise Canney," he said.