Starting next semester, Emporia State and Sodexo will be implementing new meal plan options and replacing bonus swipes with a new Dining Dollars system.

Sodexo is shrinking their plans from 15 and 10 meals per week to 14 and nine. The all access plan will still be offered.

Each plan, nine meals, 14 meals and all access, gives students $125 to use at any dining service in Memorial Union. Students will also be able to use their Dining Dollars and a regular swipe at the cafeteria within the same time block, something they are unable to do currently.

This new system was conceived by student focus groups and help from Sodexo, according to Jason Bosch, director of the Memorial Union.

“We heard from focus groups of students on meal plans, food quality, everything dining,” Bosch said. “We brought in a marketing expert from Sodexo to look at meal plan trends and to help create a new structure for next year.”

This plan is an effort to make the dining experience better, according to Bosch.

Ryan Howerton, junior art education major, doesn’t see all of the changes as good ones.

“I think that the idea of changing parts to a dollar amount would be nice so I wouldn’t have to worry as much about just getting a combo in HX,” Howerton said. “But reducing some of the plans seems ridiculous to me because I already have a hard enough time keeping myself fed throughout the week.”    

This change to meal plans and the removal of bonus swipes is all part of the growing process for the Memorial Union and its dining options, according to Bosch.

Sodexo and Memorial Union service administrators will be looking into how students spend their Dining Dollars and when they spend them. Students have the option to add $130 to their Dining Dollar amount each semester, making it a total of $260 for the year.

14 percent of incoming students, who have finished their housing contracts for next year, have already chosen to add the Value Dollar program, according to Bosch.

The Memorial Union is in the early stages of improving meal options and the general dining experience of students, Bosch said.

Tyler Schweitzer, sophomore sociology major, didn’t think the old system needed a change.

“These new options seem like a good idea, I guess,” Schweitzer said. “I don’t really know if they really needed to change anything, to be honest. I’ve never run into a problem.”