<p>Summary of this entire thread: BC Dining is broken.</p>
<p>I’m a 5’8" average, healthy student. I rarely eat out, and try my best to have three meals a day. And, yet, I still have over $1000 remaining on my account currently. I don’t want to have to spend the rest of my money on Soda and Water, but at this point, I’m not going to let my parent’s money go to waste.</p>
<p>Time for the BC family to write emails to the Dining Hall Administrators and ask for a full review and implementation of a new system. I find it hard to imagine a Jesuit institution with its emphasis on caring for the poorest of the poor cannot wrap its arms around this simple problem and make sure its parents and students don’t lose money every year, are compelled to “donate” it with no write off, or need to load up like it’s Costco or something.</p>
<p>Dear All : There is a valid case presented here for rolling left over dining dollars into the new academic year. If I may, let me present the counterpoint to the discussion.</p>
<p>One of the reasons why freshman meal plans are required [along with those students without kitchen facilities] to be on a meal plan is that the University is trying to guarantee that no students are going hungry in an attempt to cover the tuition bills. Now, some readers might find this to be a “weak” argument; however, five years back when my eldest entered Boston College (now since graduated on onto graduate school), this was a very hot topic as students who could not afford to eat while on campus was a national story.</p>
<p>Allowing a roll-over policy underscores the notion that if an undergraduate can “cut down” on meal costs, their dollars will last longer.</p>
<p>Scottj: Why do all of the other accounts roll over (ie flex, eagle bucks) then?</p>
<p>Dear bcgirl2 : Eagle bucks roll over since these are “hard cash” used for other university functions including laundry and such. Flex dollars are not used as the main meal dollars and would be insufficient to pay for a full semester’s meals. </p>
<p>Remember, our “explanation” was predicated on the University’s desire to guarantee that all students (and in particular freshman in this example) are not trading meals to cover tuition. Hence, only the meal plan would be excluded from roll over consideration. Meal plan roll overs would effectively allow a single semester’s appropriation ($2300) to be used over an extended period which defeats the purpose of trying to insure that freshmen are eating as opposed to starving to save money. </p>
<p>“Use it or lose it” is the only viable policy to steer clear of this problem for the student body as a whole.</p>
<p>Scottj,
You are right - it is a remarkably weak argument. The university is very well aware that there are a disproportionate number of students who end up with substantial money left on their meal plan. As I said, it was actually joked about in the parent’s orientation. ('When you see girls paying for guys meals around Valentine’s Day, it’s not romance. It’s that the girls always have money left on their meal plan in the spring and have to use it up somehow. Ha, Ha.") So, let’s get the university story straight. Are the girls ‘starving’ (your word) themselves to save money … or is the initial required dining amount way too high and they all have so much left that they can’t possibly use it and are forced to find a way to give away/waste/donate their parents hard earned cash? And, from a previous poster, it’s not just the girls who have money left. Even the guys, who likely consume much more, seem to still have money on their plan that they will have to forfeit. My daughter, who eats well and has even tried very hard to ‘use up’ her plan dollars by sharing, donating and taking snacks back to the dorm will still have approximately $1300 left at the end of the semester. So, again this semester, she is put in a position and having to overspend my money for no good reason. And even after she attempts to use it up, Boston College will still be keeping around $1200 - $1300 of my money! I know that this is not an isolated case. If BC insists on a ‘use it or lose it’ system, then the minimum should not be so high that it virtually guarentees that a substantial number of students will 'lose it." That’s not monopoly money they are losing … that’s cash out of my pocket. What is the university’s ‘explanation’ for not allowing a tiered system? I’d be happy to pay a more reasonable base minimum (which, to address your contention, insures that nobody ‘starves’ at BC) and then add to it when/if it is needed.<br>
To go back to your ‘weak’ (your word) explanation, starvation is not the issue at BC. The issue is the use of these forfeited dollars to subsidize the entire university dining system. Do I seem upset? You bet, I am. My daughter is not suddenly going to start eating like a football linebacker (who are probably some of the few who actually use their entire allotment.) So, over four years, it is possible that BC will keep $4500 of my money that we are forced to forfeit. Either lower the initial dining dollar requirement, set up a tiered system, or allow that money to be used elsewhere. BC should not get to just “keep” over $1000 of my money every year.</p>
<p>Why not just lower the amount and still have it be use it or lose it. It could come with guidance that says this an appropriate amount for students who eat three full meals in the dining hall most days or two full meals and a snack every day. If you are likely to eat three full meals every day you will need to add money (which is not use it or lose it). Something like that…</p>
<p>It blows my mind that some kids have that much money left on their food plans. My son has actually lost weight due to having to be conscious of his spending and is always barely making it to the end of the semester. The food is expensive and almost all of my sons friends are in the same boat as he is. I think that BC would be better served if there were different tiers of food plans you could choose from, not a one size fits all, since there is such a discrepancy. I don’t think this will happen soon though.</p>
<p>Here, here, 2bdetermined! If BC insists on this crazy food plan where one size fits all, then the money ought to be refundable or payable toward tuition/fees, etc. Unquestionably, all universities are charging increasing costs for room and board that far exceed COLA, inflation, and any other indicator you wish to apply, and our beloved BC is no exception. I strongly suggest letters to administration identifying the problem and recommending changes. We can either do something or be back here a year later, like Groundhog Day, complaining about the same thing. BC is attempting to teach our children prudence, yet its own system is incongruent with the very values it purports to represent.</p>
<p>@bluebayou: “”*But the real question is whether that practice is moral? </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Consider all of the students who paid the same and had money left over but could not back a truck up to McElroy to stock the summer beach home.</p></li>
<li><p>Consider all of the students on financial aid, where even a couple of hundred dollars in lower R&B can make a huge difference to the family.* "’</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Is BC really worried about this? If they were they would probably try and fix it. It’s their system, so they are the ones who would have to change it. Expecting people who just gave 10’s of thousands of dollars to the school to walk away leaving another few hundred there doesn’t make much sense. I agree with the conversion to Eagle Bucks idea. Or even better, the OP idea of having some way set up to put it against a food bank system to support less-fortunate Boston residents.</p>
<p>One thing this system *does *do is avoid what one sees at some of the “All You Can Eat plan” schools (like UMass, Tufts) where students check in for their meal and then can stay and eat as much varied offerings as tey choose. having eaten at some of these places, I saw students load their trays like the guy in “Animal House”, and only eat half of it and dump the rest in the trash. With an a la carte system like BC’s, the waste of food is reduced greatly. But the system is far from perfect. And the prices at BC are pretty high on an item-by-item basis. It is deinitely being run as a profit center and not as a break-even venture. Either that or their costs are out of whack.</p>
<p>Meal plan roll overs would effectively allow a single semester’s appropriation ($2300) to be used over an extended period which defeats the purpose of trying to insure that freshmen are eating as opposed to starving to save money. </p>
<p>From what I see in this thread, suppose a normal student uses 1300$/semester.
Then.
Without the policy, maybe a student, like you implied, would try to starve to save money. I don’t think he could lower the cost to lower than 500$. So he saved 800$. Ok, someone attending a school of a COA more than 50k per year would give up his health for less than 2k. And if someone really want to do that kind of thing.
Without the policy: He trades his health for 800$.
With the policy: So the school asks someone who would even trade his health for 800$ to be forfeited a 1000$ for no reason. He could buy a truck of bottle water or he would lose it. I bet he would cry out.</p>
<p>Taking over 1000$ for no reason from those who would even try to starve to cover tuition in the name of guaranteeing their health? Ridiculous. I believe BC students are not so dumb to trade their health easily even they have difficulty managing the tuition, but this policy of BC is more of a hindrance to them then a help.</p>
<p>@scottj
don’t know why my quote function isn’t working. The first paragraph is from your post.</p>
<p>food options change for next year-- too bad, since Hillside has great sandwiches not available elsewhere.</p>
<p>[Hillside</a> Will No Longer Take Mandatory Dining Funds - The Heights - Boston College](<a href=“http://www.bcheights.com/hillside-will-no-longer-take-mandatory-dining-funds-1.2864018?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=The_Heights_2&utm_campaign=The_Heights_2_2012430246]Hillside”>http://www.bcheights.com/hillside-will-no-longer-take-mandatory-dining-funds-1.2864018?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=The_Heights_2&utm_campaign=The_Heights_2_2012430246)</p>
<p>bluebayou,</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be surprised if that policy is altered in the near future. It’s been about a day since the change was announced, and this petition (and it’s 645 backers) has popped up literally overnight. It’s going to be interesting to see how BC Dining replies.</p>
<p>[Petition:</a> BC Dining Services: Stop the Unreasonable Increases and Changes in the Mandatory Mealplan | Change.org](<a href=“http://www.change.org/petitions/bc-dining-services-stop-the-unreasonable-increases-and-changes-in-the-mandatory-mealplan]Petition:”>Petition · Stop the Unreasonable Increases and Changes in the Mandatory Mealplan · Change.org)</p>
<p>^^Hopeso just because Hillside offers different fare than can be found in Lower Dining Commons. The sandwiches are often much better (and perhaps healthier?). Nothing beats their cranberry bread sandwiches!</p>
<p>Alternatively, Lower Dining should copy Hillside’s menu items, if the College is saying that LD is a more efficient place to serve the masses.</p>
<p>One tier system to prevent “starving students?” If this hypothesis were even remotely true, then half the student population in our country would be anorexic. </p>
<p>There is no real justification for the “one size fits all” meal plan except as a source of guaranteed profit. To say that BCDS would not be able to cover its expenses should it move a tiered system is an ignorant claim. A great number of schools use this system, and they still seem to be able to cover expenses. In order to move to this system, though, BCDS might need to send a few of its managers to CSOM and learn the topic of demand forecasting that is covered quite well in its “Operations Management” class. Thus, instead of cranking out constant levels of food at the $2000/person/semester level, BCDS might actually have to compensate for the variations in revenues by taking a second look at their operations. Welcome to the real world, BCDS.</p>
<p>I love BC, but the administrative aspects of the school are extremely annoying.</p>
<p>I just signed the petition and recommend other parents and students consider it. I am going to ask my son to post the link on the BC admitted student FB page. It could go viral!</p>
<p>BC needs to be cognizant of its audience. By looking at this system and either lowering the required plan amount, having a tiered system or allowing up to $(pick an amount) to rollover, BC can say to its students and their parents we hear you, we know it’s expensive to attend here and we are going to work with you and do something about it! Simply put, that would be good business.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you get one of the sandwiches with brie or bacon on it, you’re not really getting it for the health value.</p>
<p>Anyways, next year I will travel to Newton every time I want a sandwich.</p>
<p>I also find scottj’s argument kind of hilarious given my circumstances. I usually don’t eat much, I rarely buy drinks, and I have a dining job which gives me an allowance for every shift. I have a lot of money left on my account because of this. I have issues with compulsive eating, and all this extra money that I feel obligated to spend really is not helping.</p>
<p>Anyways, I’m off to buy more Smartwater.</p>
<p>Had lunch w our D at McElroy today. Food was great and staff was very friendly. Saw lots of people walking out with cases of smart water, cokes, powerade etc. In fact prices were posted for cases ($64 for a case of Powerade!) at any rate it seems that families are using their meal $ instead of losing it and some handsome profit is being made on soft drinks, water and the like! not an ideal situation but until it’s fixed stock up!</p>