Plans are underway for changes in the cafeteria on the University of Tampa campus. Amy Truong, the general manger of dining services on campus, has been meeting once a month with the Local Student Board of Directors, the campus food committee, to discuss possible changes. “This process has been taking place since last year,” Truong said.
Truong said no plans are finalized as she is still implementing student feedback into the changes. She said there were a lot of student surveys sent out and they have been using that information to better serve the student body. Some of the issues being addressed include the flow of the lines in the cafeteria, healthier food options for students and serving students with allergies better. “We are trying to make the flow better, and give students more stations and more options,” she said.
Truong said she is exploring ideas with the Local Student Board of Directors for different options for improving these issues. Some of the ideas include more stations for the cafeteria so students have time to eat between classes and implementing gluten-free food options for students with allergies, more specific decisions are still being reviewed. “A lot of students have allergies,” she said, “and we need to work with them to make sure their needs are met as well.”
Sara Winter, a senior on the UT campus, said the cafeteria needs some work. “The cafe is definitely not a horrible place to eat,” she said, “but there is a lot that could be improved to better cater to students needs.” She said healthier food options are high on the list of improvements she thinks should be implemented in the changes as well as shorter lines.
“I would also like more convenient hours of operation,” Winter said. “Many students here are in night classes that last until 9 p.m. or later and we would like to eat a healthy meal after class if we don’t have time to go before.” Winter lives on campus and said the hours of operation don’t always work for her or her friends’ schedules.
Nichole Hurst, a senior at UT and the chair of the Spartan Commuter Organization, said she has been working alongside Brian Dieterich, marketing manager for Sodexo, to make changes in dining services for commuter students as well. “We are trying to find a way for commuter students to use financial aid when buying meal plans,” she said.
Hurst said the goal behind these plans is to build unity in the commuter student community.
“We have also started planning a free breakfast for commuter students and free dinner for commuter students,”
These meals would be scheduled every other month. Hurst said she is looking for ways to make commuter students experience on UT campus better.
A final date for changes was not given as changes are being implemented and finalized every day. Truong said not all the changes are known yet, but student feedback is very important and taken seriously. “We want to keep up with the trends,” she said. “We want UT to have the best food.”
Kelly St.Onge can be reached at kstonge@spartans.ut.edu.