Sophomore Alexa Burch thought her meal plan was deferred after her mother submitted the necessary paperwork. Five weeks before the end of the semester, she received notice that she would have to move out of campus housing if she did not purchase a meal plan. Now, she has $1,500 to spend on food before the end of semester.
“I’ve basically gone grocery shopping, anything bottled,” Burch said. “I have three people that I regularly buy lunch, dinner, snacks for.”
Students who purchased meal plans at the beginning of the semester are at risk of losing money too. Some still have as much as $1,000 to burn through in the next few weeks. If it isn’t spent before the end of the semester, it will not roll over.
In the initial contract, Sodexo did have a rollover option, however, it was altered in later revisions.
Though the policy changed, the Reef continues to advertise meal plans with a roll over option. A sign in front of the Reef titled, “Not a Traditional Meal Plan,” reads “Too much money left over?? No problem! It will carry over to the next consecutive semester provided the student returns and purchases a resident or commuter meal plan.”
Daniel McGarigal, a senior and executive branch member of Student Government, posted in the USFSP Know-It-All Guide on Facebook to ask students about excess money in their meal plans. He received more than 40 responses.
McGarigal and other members of SG have gathered student response and attended Dining Committee meetings, which invite student input on hours of operation, meal quality and other campus dining improvements Sodexo can make.
“The only way anyone can help make a change is if we know the extent of the issue,” McGarigal said. “It’s pretty clear from the responses that something isn’t working.”
“Students have been buying products in bulk for the last eight weeks, i.e. cases of soda, or snacks, dozens of cookies, full pies,” wrote Louis Duran, general manager for Sodexo, in an email to the Crow’s Nest. “If a student has a special request we will always work with them.”
Sodexo allows students to purchase items in bulk but makes reservations for certain products. Companies such as Coca-Cola may not allow excess orders.
“It’s essentially a business. They can’t refund those dollars or they would lose money as well,” said Christa Hegedus, SG vice president. She thinks having bulk items for sale year-round would help decrease loss for students.
Students have launched Facebook efforts to spend remaining dining dollars. Let’s Feed St. Petersburg With Our Meal Plans, an event hosted by Trenton Barrow, encourages students to spend and take food to the homeless at Williams Park.
“This is a great way to give back to our community and do something meaningful,” Barrow wrote on the page. “Even if you don’t have a meal plan, find someone who does and get involved, last thing please invite your friends to this event, I want all of USFSP to know =).”
Other students have used the page to warn against the dangers and legal repercussions of distributing food the homeless. Local activist groups have been arrested for participating in mass homeless feeding programs in recent years.
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