Survey provides student feedback about RPS dining

March 12 is the last day students can fill out a dining survey conducted by Residential Programs and Services.

The survey asks for insight into students’ dining experience and is part of a three-year program to make changes that respond to their service expectations.

Results from the survey will be received in April.

Patrick Connor, executive director of RPS, said about two years ago the University hired Envision Strategies, a consulting group, to look into the food services at IU.

Although the consultant recommended no changes and considered IU to have a great program, Connor said there is always room for improvement.

With the help of a consultant, RPS created a strategy to provide even better service. The five general areas that RPS wants to improve by April 2012 are culinary, cost efficiency, reinvestment in facilities, sustainability and communication.

“We completely redid McNutt last year,” Connor said. “We invested in Read and Wright.”

Tony Mangin, McNutt Hoosier Cafe and Store manager,  said he considers the new dining area at McNutt an improvement.

“It has a modernized look,” he said, adding that it now looks “sleek.”

The construction at the cafe was finished last spring and although he said the freshmen don’t realize the difference, students who come back to visit often exclaim how nice the students have it now.

Mangin said one of the major improvements was the addition of space for students. The bigger and more casual service area helps students interact with each other.

Connor said RPS is also working to build a new dining hall on the southeast side of campus. RPS plans to distribute the survey every year, taking students’ feedback seriously as it moves to complete the five goals it has set.

“The main thing people complain about is the variety,” Mangin said. “They want to see the menu change, especially those who live here. It gets boring.”

Sandra Fowler, director of dining services, said RPS knows students sometimes tire of the choices offered.

“We are trying to increase the amount of items that we have,” she said. “Especially those that can be freshly cooked in front of the students. We have added more vegetarian foods as well.”

Connor added that presentation cooking is something that has become popular and almost necessary. Students want to see the food cooked in front of them.

Mangin said McNutt often has sampling of new dishes in order to see how students respond to them.

“We want a good response or it defeats the purpose,” he said.