Upcoming meal plan changes

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, Lawrence University will implement a new meal plan system. These changes will be the first time in the past ten years that the university has made changes to the meal plan options offered to students.

In Fall Term, Director of the Warch Campus Center Greg Griffin held listening sessions in which students were invited to give input on the upcoming changes. The results of these sessions and other factors lead to the upcoming changes.

The biggest of the changes will be the transition from block meal plans to weekly meal plans, meaning that students will select their meal plans based on how many meals a week they want to eat in Andrew Commons (and the corresponding number of swipes).

For the current meal plan system, students can choose between four meal plans: 150 swipes per term (15 per week/2.14 per day) with $38 culinary cash per term, 110 swipes per term (11 per week/1.57 per day) with $240 culinary cash per term, 70 swipes per term (7 per week/one per day) with $500 culinary cash and the all culinary cash plan of $1199.

The meal plans offered under the new system will be: 19 swipes per week (190 per term/three per day) with $100 culinary cash per term, 14 swipes per week (140 per term/ two per day) with $225 culinary cash per term, 9 swipes per week (90 per term/1.28 per day) with $400 in culinary cash per term and the all-culinary cash plan will still be available but with $1175 in culinary cash.

The new plan is significant in that it allows students who choose the first option to eat all three meals in the Commons, whereas students on the current plan can only eat two meals in the Commons each day. It also allots significantly more culinary cash to students who choose the first plan than on the current plan.

According to a statement from Griffin, the changes come in response to student demands for more robust meal plan offerings.

The change to a weekly plan system will also mean that swipes will not roll over from week to week, meaning that the meals for one week must all be used that week and will not be able to be used the following week. Culinary cash will roll over as usual but must be used by the end of each term.

Reportedly, Bon Appétit Management Company is planning major renovations to Kaplan’s Grill and Café, including expansion of the kitchen and eating space. Changes will also be made to Andrew Commons in order to make space for a new food station. These renovations are scheduled to begin this summer and are planned to be completed within the next two years. The upcoming meal plan changes will go towards funding these renovations.