UBC and first-year students are calling the new all-access dining plan a success after it came into effect at the beginning of the semester.
September 2022 saw a major change in the first-year dining plan. The food plan transitioned from an item-to-item paid declining debit system to a one-time paid system in which students have unlimited access to meals at all residence halls along with select on- and off-campus food venues for $6497.94.
According to UBC Food Services director Colin Moore, UBC Okanagan implemented a similar program last year with student satisfaction.
“It's a huge improvement,” said Moore. “There is no risk of running out of money…Students aren't making pricing decisions when they go in. They're not thinking ‘oh, how much is this going to cost? Jeez, that's really expensive.’”
In a previous interview with The Ubyssey, Moore noted that the main goals of this new program was to tackle high food prices, limited meal options and small portions. After spending time in the dining halls chatting with students, he is happy to see that students have been taking advantage of the variety of food.
Moore said many of the changes originate from past student feedback and direct involvement of the student body to make sure the program is as well received as possible.
“We're seeing a lot of success early in…we have solved a lot of those challenges that the students brought to us over the years,” he said.
Moore also noted that the new strategy was meant to emphasize the socialization aspect of dining that can be overlooked.
For first-year Science student Parth Bansal, sitting down for meals in one of UBC’s first-year student dining halls has become an important space for him to socialize.
“I’ve made a lot of friends [while eating in the dining halls]. People come and ask to sit with you, you chat with them, you have a meal with them, and it's pretty good. I should say, it's one of the most important ways of making friends, especially in residence.”
First-year arts student Kyla Nadeau said she has seen socializing beyond JumpStart occurring in the dining rooms.
“It’s definitely still very loud [in the dining halls]…there's a lot of conversations and it’s a place where you can catch up with friends too,” she said.
Another improvement of the new program is food variety and quality. For Bansal, there is just not enough time to try all the food varieties that the dining halls have to offer.
“I see a whole new menu [everyday]. The cooks make everything fresh. … I like the services a lot..”
First-year science student Angela Xu said that while she thinks the dining halls are running well, the plan is overpriced for the quality available.
“I think [the program] is quite a success,” said Xu. “But I still think the meal plan is kind of overpriced. I think it should be really optional, instead of mandatory.”
Another concern students voiced was the more limited take-out options. Under the new plan, lunches can be ordered ahead on the Nutrislice app, rather than all meals using a take-out container from the dining hall.
Moore said this change was intended to improve environmental sustainability and re-emphasize the socialization of dining.
“This is a dining program … and that’s intentional,” he said.