<p>I do more than just rant on CC you know. I publish to several student orgs, am part of the spoken word circuit, and I did once write a guest column to the Cav Daily. [url=<a href=“http://■■■■■■■.com/3rcldvf]Fossil”>http://■■■■■■■.com/3rcldvf]Fossil</a> Fuel Fu-kushimas<a href=“I%20didn’t%20know%20it%20was%20that%20easy”>/url</a></p>
<p>but just testing the waters. you know, before I do anything major.</p>
<p>cheers.</p>
<p>Thanks Dean J. Not sure what to believe but it was not good the day I was there. Only one day, I know. So I asked. “Horrible” was the word most commonly used and this was by the guides. They said the good news was that after the first year I could get a plan that required me to eat less on campus. Not a ringing endorsement. Yes, I know it is not as good as home cooking. But being a long way from home, I do still need to eat. I like plans that say, all you can eat. What I heard while there was eat all you can stand. sorry. just calling it as it was reported to me.</p>
<p>If you look at other websites where current students are asked to rate various aspects of their college, UVa rates highly in almost all areas - except the dining services.</p>
<p>At the same time, the meal plan at UVa is cheaper than at some other colleges.</p>
<p>As someone who has experienced UVA’s and Virginia Tech’s dining services, Virginia Tech definitely has the edge, but UVA’s food isn’t horrible by any stretch. I’d say that UVA definitely has a lot more “low-tech” options and there isn’t as much variety in the prepared food, but the actual food is fine. One of UVA’s dining halls is currently being renovated so I think that’ll be a major plus for future students. The only other major difference is that Virginia Tech uses flex/plus dollars for everything which I find to be far superior to the meals system that most universities use.</p>
<p>It sounds like there is need for some competition. A simple solution would be to split the dining halls and other eating places into 2 contracts that are separately bid. That way students could vote with their feet, and the company that provides the best product would get the largest share of the dollars.</p>
<p>A number of colleges also use a food court arrangement, with a few different food providers, but a single dining hall and a single set of dishwashers.</p>
<p>One issue is long-term contracts. I believe many large scale foodservice contracts run 10 years or so, sometimes even 20. I don’t know what stage of the current contract UVa is under. An immediate switch would require the University to break the contract, and could potentially be very costly.</p>
<p>Bringing in a second provider so that ARAMARK is forced to compete would most likely increase the amount that UVa has to pay for foodservice. Expected profits from food sales of each provider would be far less due to the creation of a competitive environment. In turn, UVa would have to negotiate on less favorable terms. The added amount that it would have to pay would be reflected in increased tuition or draws on funding.</p>
<p>In other systems, vendors pay the schools rent; the schools get money from vendors, not the other way round.</p>
<p>I would also like greater transparency about this whole thing. Does the University not make money off of ARAMARK?</p>
<p>Foodservice providers offer three basic types of contracts. In reality, many contracts end up being a combination of these.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Profit and Loss: The provider receives all net sales and bears all expenses from the provision of service. A commission may be paid to the client.</p></li>
<li><p>Profit Sharing: Modified P&L contracts with the added feature that commission paid to the client is a portion of profits generated by the provider.</p></li>
<li><p>Management Fee: The provider gets paid a fixed dollar fee for service. There may also be incentive fees based on performance.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I do not know the specifics of UVa’s contract, but I am 95% sure that the school gets a percent of ARAMARK’s sales. I have seen some situations where a company or school makes money for contracting out foodservice, as well as others where it loses money. Not sure which is the case for UVa. Either way, the school would be worse off financially if it were to bring on a second provider to compete with ARAMARK. If it currently makes money, it would either make less, or start losing money. If foodservice is already a net loss for the University, such a change would make it even more costly.</p>
<p>I read this as AMTRAK. I was confused for a whileeee LOL</p>
<p>What would Jefferson have done? Would he have tolerated such a vulgar arrangement at his University?</p>
<p>this of course not just a UVA problem. and it will not be solved soon. but one solution during all the wait of years and years is to assemble a team of vendors who would easily replace ARAMARK after the contract. Generally, a plethora of small business owners are responsive to their customers, are sensitive to dissatisfaction and produce very high food quality.</p>
<p>I am Singaporean – food made with heartfelt love, its constant innovation, reinvention and examination – is central to my culture. (I’m also part of OYFA, where Filipinos in general share that same love.) in 30 years, we went from third world to first and increased our per capita GDP many times over. Out of a city of a few million, tens of thousands of poor people rented subsidised commercial lots in the 1960s, set up their own stalls (after passing national health checks), and many of them are now in the same lots as the 1960s, only now unsubsidised, driving Mercedes Benz’s; their stalls are now superfamous and even the affluent line up to get a taste. </p>
<p>Charlottesville itself must have an abundance of potential vendors – soul food vendors especially. But of course Americans can’t seem to accept innovative (or not so innovtive) ideas outside their culture – it’s always the other way round – we have to accept ideas from you, eh?</p>
<p>Big corporate ARAMARK is a far cry in terms of value, richness in taste, richness in culture and service – and economic efficiency ! – compared to the small mom and pop owners that thrive in marketplaces from Singapore to Hong Kong to Taiwan – probably even Brazil. But our University has caught Stockholm Syndrome I think. But even when I graduate, it will be in my personal cultural interests to see the buggers destroyed.</p>
<p>(also I’m not merely twiddling my thumbs on CC. but I shan’t disclose the exact projects in mind yet. chickens hatching and all. but the anti-aramark movement has many potential allies and aramark has many potential enemies. see you guys in the fall.)</p>
<p>charlie, students would still just eat wherever is closest. newcomb is the worst dining hall but it is closest to classes so it is always busy (except the weekends, when it is closed).</p>