UM-Flint Announces New Campus Dining Service

The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved new board rates for students who will live in the new residence hall during the 2008/2009 Academic Year. The University of Michigan-Flint also announced it is entering into an agreement with Sodexo, Inc. to provide expanded dining services on campus, and provide meal plans for students who live in the new residence hall.

In 2006, a committee of students, faculty and staff was formed on campus to look at the issue of dining services. Following a year-long study of a food program to complement the new student housing, the committee recommended Sodexo provide the service. Sodexo is an international company with extensive experience in universities. In addition, Sodexo is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, serving 10 million customers in 6,000 locations every day. Sodexo is not new to the greater Flint Community, having provided food services at Kettering University for more than 15 years.

In an effort to keep disruption to the campus community to a minimum, work on the new dining area will begin after the winter semester concludes on the third floor of the Harding Mott University Center. Two new retail sales areas, Grill 155 that will cater to the hamburger and fries taste, and a Stacks Deli serving the sandwich and wrap appetite, will be adjacent to the remodeled dining facility. This area will showcase an all-you-care-to-eat, multi variety buffet. Sodexo is committed to providing a wide selection of nutritious foods as part of the service.

The dining service will be open to all University of Michigan-Flint students, faculty and staff as well as the community. Extended dining service hours will also help to accommodate the needs of both commuter and residential students.

Students living in the new residence hall will be required to purchase a meal plan as part of the agreement with Sodexo. Students will be charged $1,300 per semester for the meal plan. There will also be other meal plans upgrades available.

Sodexo will be hiring a number of new employees for the operation. A student advisory group will be created to assist Sodexo with the selection of menu items available on campus. The dining service operation will begin this summer.