News
Contract deadline means UW-SP needs provider
The Pointer
kleb524@uwsp.edu
Chartwells, the company that provides food services for the Dreyfus University Center and Elizabeth Pfiffner DeBot Center, along with catering service on the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus, may no longer be part of the university come August 2009, when their contract expires.
To some people this may seem like a distant future, but many students and administra tors, including Student Affairs Vice Chancellor Bob Tomlinson, are already in the process of deciding where the students’ food will come from in Fall 2009.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” said Tomlinson. “We have to make sure we get a good cross-representation of our cam pus community [and] everyone on campus has a chance to com ment.”
To do this, a committee has been set up to find out what students want in food servic es. The committee will be bro ken into three subcommittees to focus on specific areas. All three areas, DeBot, University Centers Advisory and Policy Board and Student Government Association, are seeking students to sit on their respective subcom mittees.
“I think this is a great opportunity for students to get involved on campus,” said Justin Glodowski, Student Government Association presi dent and student chair of the SGA subcommittee. “This is one of those things that some students are really passion ate about.”
Currently there are three main university food service providers within the United States: Chartwells, Sodexo and Aramark. Tomlinson explained that students are not limited to these options.
The process of signing a con tract takes longer than many peo ple may have thought because of all the steps involved.
“They [the businesses] will submit a bid in response to the specifications,” said Tomlinson. “The committee will review those bids and they’ll develop a series of questions. The compa nies will come in to do a presen tation open to the campus. The campus will make a recommen dation to Madison and will sign the final contract.”
Each of the subcommittees will develop specifications to be discussed in committee and put in as requests to the potential businesses. One of the most poi gnant issues currently on cam pus is to what extent the food services are being sustainable.
Committee member Stephen Hittner explained there is a high level of complexity sur rounding sustainability.
“From day one our commit tee has been talking about this issue and it continues to be one of the issues we talk [about] the most,” said Hittner. “Students at UW-SP tend to have a lot of progressive ideas that will push the limits and necessitate a lot of flexibility and change from the prospective contract ing company to achieve goals in sustainability.”
An area of sustainability being vocalized by many stu dents involves allowing local vendors to provide foods. The current contract has specific stip ulations that local farmers have to follow in order for their food to be served, including having their food inspected. At this point the food is no longer local, said Hittner.
With the current economy status, many students are wor ried about the cost of food, whether it is local or not.
“I believe that students feel enough financial pressure as it is; increased pricing in food is not necessary,” said Residence Hall Association Representative Scott Asbach.
Though students do not want the increase in food pric es, it may become unavoidable. This is where the student input can really help the committee understand the needs of the stu dents.
“It is up to us as students to take that seat and to speak up,” said Wardle. “ You have a seat at the table. Pull up a chair.”
Those students wishing to participate and have their opin ion heard regarding food ser vices are encouraged to contact Tomlinson or SGA President-elect Katie Kloth.
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