The Undergraduate Assembly passed its 2006 dining proposal this week, proposing changes that range from extended hours in dining halls to cheaper meal plans.
UA members say they are certain that dining executives will follow through on some of the suggestions in their proposal, which was passed at the UA meeting Sunday night. However, other sections of the proposal were hotly debated.
At the last minute, for example, members voted on an amendment recommending that the cost of meal plans be reduced. But UA members who have met with dining executives doubt that this is a viable option.
"Regardless of the dining executives, there are certain [price changes] that can not happen," said College freshman and UA member Bing Chen,who helped write the proposal.
Other representatives, however, believe the measure has a shot at making a difference.
Administrators "are going to take undergraduate opinion into account when they form meal plans in the future," said College sophomore Jason Karsh, the UA Student Life Committee co-chairman.
Dining executives couldn't comment on the feasibility of cheaper meal plans because they said they hadn't seen the UA proposal yet. They did, however, emphasize the importance of student input.
"We try to act on the feedback as much as we can and as fast as we can," Dining Contract and Relationship Manager Laurie Cousart said.
UA members have already discussed several major aspects of the proposal with dining executives. The finalized proposal, members say, was born out of those talks.
"This is a plan of action," Karsh said. "It has no time constraint."
The proposal also suggested extending the hours of McClelland Express, which offers to-go meals in the Quadrangle, selling more microwavable items in the express and serving more international foods in dining halls. UA members say they are certain those changes will be made soon.
Other parts of the proposal urged the University to offer a wider variety of food, enhance the quality of menu items and keep the dining halls clean.
Chen said that meetings with dining executives have already produced results.
"We've already had change on three-fourths" of the suggestions in the proposal, Chen said.
He added that improvements seen in dining halls over the past semester include moving fruit, ice cream and cookies to the same side of the dining hall, implementing a station with solely vegetarian options, maintaining a "dessert island" and properly stocking milk and juices.
A majority of these changes have taken place at 1920 Commons, Chen said.
UA members intend to meet with dining executives next week to continue discussions on implementing the suggestions.
