In an attempt to alleviate the pressure of Flexfunds for on-campus students, the Resident Student Association passed a resolution last night that the group hopes will make Flexfunds a little more lenient. The resolution asks University Dining Services to let students use their regular meal plan money at Zza’s in the Union after midnight.
This resolution seems like the right compromise students have desired since the implementation of Flexfunds according to Craig Tuttle, RSA president.
“I think Dining Services owes it to the students at this point,” Tuttle said. “The resolution is a positive step toward showing students that Dining Services is not trying to make eating on campus hard for students.”
Ashlee Rauckhorst, chair of the committee who formed the resolution, said the idea is the first step RSA has made to change some of the aspects of Flexfunds.
“It all boils down to the fact that this is the most sensible idea and Dining Services won’t be throwing money down the drain to accommodate this change,” Rauckhorst said.
This step is a small one, Tuttle said, and would not be difficult for Dining Services.
“It looks like a suggestion that is feasible,” Tuttle said. “It won’t require extra effort, extra hours or employees. This way Dining Services won’t be losing any money.”
With the resolution passing through RSA, it must now go to the newly formed Dining Services Advisory Board, which is made up of administrators and students.
But Tuttle said the group will go ahead and relay the resolution to the Linda Newman, director of Residence Life; Gail Finan, director of University Dining Services; and Ed Whipple, assistant vice president of Student Affairs.
Because on-campus students must buy meal plans, Tuttle said he feels strongly about getting this resolution through administrators quickly and implemented as soon as possible.
“When 90 percent of the people we represent are required to buy meal plans, we have to speak up,” Tuttle said. “We need to stir things up.”
A member of RSA, Michelle Timko said the group looked at what students need and decided they need somewhere to eat late at night.
“Students don’t go to bed at midnight. And Zza’s is great because it is in the Union,” Timko said.
Tuttle said RSA is hoping to get student support for this resolution to put pressure on the administration to activate the resolution quickly.
“The best way for students to support our endeavors is the talk to their hall councils and pass on the message that they support it [our resolution],” Tuttle said. “Please offer suggestions because we want as much feedback as we can get.”
Off-campus students can work through USG or talk directly to University Dining Services, Tuttle said.
This resolution will benefit students and Dining Services Tuttle said. “We hope Dining Services will see this as a way to reach students and also compromise with them, and see it more in this way than as way to make more money.”
