Committees

Rowan’s University Senate a body of facility, administrators and other influential employees of the university. This body is very simple to the set up  of the SGA’s Senate. 

It is the job of the SGA Senate Chair to work and stay in contact with the President of the University Senate to place students on committees that affect the university. 

I have served a variety of different committees they include Curriculum Committee, Food Committee, Recruitment, Admissions, and Retention Committee, Student Relations Committee, Late Night Task Force. All are very different but extremely influential. 

The interaction between students, faculty, and administration is very important at any university. It can only make the university better connected.  I have honestly met so many different people through these committees and I feel as a student I should know my university faculty as a whole.  Its all about networking in my opinion. 

The key is getting more students involved! These committees thrive on the student input and if you voice heard come by the SGA Suite and talk to our Senate Chair about getting on a committee for next semester!  

Remember students have the power to create change!

Sodexho Follow-Up

The wonderful staff of Sodexho have really been awesome the last two weeks. I would like to just personally put it out there that the issues that our dining services have faced are not just at Rowan but rather at other universities throughout the country.

Lauren Franchetti, the Resident Dining Director was kind enough to get back to me today and was able to answer a number of questions that I had regarding dining services.

The stealing of food from the Marketplace can be seen as a direct result of it being an “buffet style” dining hall.

Franchetti said, “Our policy has been to stop customers (who were trying to take out food and china) at the door and let them know that they were not allowed to take anything.”

 Trust me if your university is ordering new china in October, its a huge problem!

As I discussed in my last blog local universities have adopted new policies for their dining halls. Temple and Drexel University do have rules that do not allow bags of any kind into their dining facilities. 

I don’t think this rule will ever come into affect at Rowan but if more and more money is lost, who knows!

Just respect the university in all aspects because at end of the day your meal plans could be affected for next year. 

As the Beach Boys stated, “Be True to Your School.” 

Students Cause Costly Damage in the Marketplace

Last week it was reported by Sodexho, the provider of Rowan’s Dining Services that due to a raise in theft the university will be losing thousands of dollars this academic year.

Students might not realize the impact of taking an extra piece of fruit or a couple of cookies from the cafeteria on their way out. It adds up over the course of a day, week, month, and semester.

According to a memo from Brian Flynn of Sodexho Services there has been a two percent increase in food costs over the last year. That adds up to approximately $5,000 a week and $190,000 over 38 weeks that dining services are used in a year.

Flynn said, “Although, not all of these can be directly attributed to theft, ity has been impacted by it.”

One problem that has been seen by Sodexho employees has been students taking in food containers into the cafeteria. Students have filled their Ziploc containers with whole meals. Bookbags have been seen filled with fruit.

This is an issue that has caused Public Safety and Student Center staff to get involved when students are caught stealing.

Flynn said, “…the china, silverware, and food are all property of Rowan University, not Sodexho. When these items are removed or stolen, it is a university property that has been stolen.”

The university last year spent and extra $19,420.31 to replace plates and silverware. This year thus far the university has spent $30,163.78 to replace plates and silverware. Flynn estimates this year’s number could amount to over $50,000.

Throughout the academic year whenever there was not enough plates, silverware and cups, Sodexho has had to replace these items with plastic utensils, plates, bowls, and Styrofoam cups. Students could see Styrofoam and plastic ware as a permanent fixture in the cafeteria if there is not a decrease in theft.

Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland created a bookbag ban in their cafeterias after there were a number of thefts in their dining facilities. As a result students were not allowed to bring in outside bags into these facilities. Students at Washington College went into an uproar and their Student Government Association had to step in and work with their dining services director to create a solution.

They created “bookbag trees” that would allow student to leave their bags outside the cafeteria and not have to worry about leaving their bags elsewhere.

Last Tuesday night’s Sodexho Food Committee discussed ways to get the word out to the students that theft will not be tolerated within the dining facililtie.

Students discussed creating a campaign that would let students understand that stealing is wrong and can get them written up by Public Safety.

Lauren Franchetti the Resident Dining Director spoke at the committee meeting and discussed with the students about the problems with theft.

Franchetti discussed how managers are discussing this problem indepth and working with employees.

One problem seen by students is what is allowed to come out of the Marketplace. Students have been seen leaving the cafeteria with a piece of fruit or an ice cream cone in their hands. With the issues of theft going on, will this be allowed come next fall?

The loss of money is the real the problem seen now. Eventually this could affect the prices of next year’s meal plans. Nothing is known yet until next’s prices are set at the end of the semester.

**Please note that information has been changed after I found an error in my facts on Monday! It was changes this past Tuesday!**