Longwood students are required to purchase a meal plans if they live in Longwood-affiliated housing. The housing options that Longwood provides are on-campus housing, Lancer Park, the Longwood Landings and the Longwood Village.
As of the fall semester there have been changes made to the meal plans of Longwood students. For instance, if a student had a block 80 plan, students were able to use those swipes on anyone they choose, Longwood student or guests. This is no longer the case, according to Grant Avent, the senior director of dining services.
The meal plan choices include 19 meals per week with $175 bonus dollars, 14 meals per week with $275 bonus dollars, 10 meals per week with $375 bonus dollars, block 160 which gives you 160 swipes per semester with $325 bonus dollars and the block 80 plan which gives you 80 swipes for the semester with $325 bonus dollars. Both of the block plan meal plan options are geared towards students living in off campus housing to give flexibility not to lose meals that are not used on a weekly basis. Each of the weekly meal plans come with a certain number of guest swipes and all plans include a certain amount of bonus dollars. All figures are according to the Longwood website.
“There was some meal plan sharing, that factored into this (decision to change the plans) a little bit,” said Avent.
Avent felt that these changes, in his opinion, were not big changes. The block plans never had guest swipes like many thought in which students would simply use one of their own swipes for friends, making it seem like the plan included guest swipes. All plans increased by $25 in addition to the increase in guest swipes from five to seven for weekly plans and the block 180 plan.
Avent made it clear that the information was available to students and that he would look into possibly adding the information in the weekly email all students receive with updated weekly information via Elsie Angus, Executive Secretary Senior for Student Affairs.
“It’s (the new changes are) on the Lancer Card website, it’s on the RCL website, it’s in the student handbook I believe, so it’s out there,” added Avent.
Dr. Tim Pierson, vice president of student affairs, and Ken Copeland, vice president for administration and finance, according to Avent, approved all of the changes in regard to the meal plans. Both Pierson and Copeland signed off on the action in which was necessary in order to move forward with the changes for the fall semester.
These changes were approved in the late spring of 2016, but are just now being brought to the surface. Avent claimed that he brought it up at a meeting and that he met with Peer Mentors after the changes were made.
“I met with the peer mentors in the first part of the summer and then through the summer, and I let them know what it meant,” claimed Avent.
Avent made it clear that meal plans have always been non-transferable. With these changes, it just makes certain that students no longer share their meals and are able to take full advantage of what they are paying for, according to Avent.
Students patiently wait in line to be swiped into the dining hall.
