College meal plans are typically an important factor in choosing a college. In fact, it is one of the key rankings looking at college life on Niche. According to Psychology Today, dining socially can not only increase students social support, but can enhance their performance in the classroom. College freshman who ate 11 meals a week communally had an average GPA of 3.4, while those who ate seven or fewer communal meals only earned an average GPA of 3.0.
Naturally, when I was looking at colleges, a big part of my Why Whitworth experience was time spent in the HUB dining hall. I was very impressed by the array of food choices, but also that I saw students making connections by sharing meals together. It gave me a glimpse into Whitworth’s social atmosphere, which was a factor in my college decision process.
However, in the COVID-19 era, it is nearly impossible to share a meal with someone without following social distancing protocols, especially where plexiglass divides all students when sharing a meal. Although I knew that my freshman year was not going to be a typical experience by any means, I remained hopeful when I stepped on campus.
As a new freshman residing on campus, it is mandatory for me to select one of three meal plans, ranging in price from $2,575 to $2750 for the semester. According to Alan Jacob, Associate Director of Housing, who oversees meal plans, this year mandatory plans increased in price by $75. However, it should be noted that the 2020 fall semester is different from normal, non-COVID years. For students who choose to go home for Thanksgiving, we are essentially experiencing a 10-week on-campus semester, compared to a 14-week semester.
While it was mandated that I choose a $2575 meal plan, which provides 14 meals a week, I have will not be using the plan as completely as I would in a typical year, as I will not be returning to in-person learning after Thanksgiving. I will also be taking Jan Term online, so my meal plan really has only covered a subset of the 10 weeks “on campus.” And I am not alone.
According to Jacob, of those students who responded to a campus survey, at least 217 on-campus students will not return after Thanksgiving break or before the end of the semester. And truth be told, because of the serious lack of social engagement on campus and during meals, I have chosen to go home on the weekends and have recently shifted to primarily online learning, now using none of my meal plan at all!
So, while the University should be commended for working too hard to keep Whitworth open and for doing everything possible to remain financially stable, it does seem like students not from Spokane County are paying per meal far more than the value we are receiving. Requiring a mandatory meal plan is inherently unfair and harsh to those of us who are already disappointed by the lack of social interaction on campus and find the need to go home to get the support we need. We should pay for what we consume and have a true opportunity to FLEX.
