In late October, 2,672 undergraduates or House affiliates participated in HUDS’ semiannual satisfaction survey. Following is a brief summary of the survey findings and HUDS’ action plans to address the feedback received:
- 41% survey response rate
- House participation ranged from 17% to 62%
- Overall participation by all class years was fairly equally distributed
- 49% of freshman participated – an all-time high
- Personal dining preferences remain the same – 77% of students are omnivores, 8% are vegetarian, 1% are vegan, with the balance identifying an additional range of exclusions
- 71% of respondents identify as satisfied or very satisfied
- Ranking of factors as “Very Important” are consistent – with Taste of Food, Freshness of Food, and Cleanliness of Plates & Utensils remaining top three
- Satisfaction scores remain very consistent – within several tenths of a point (on a scale of 1 to 5) – of previous years.
- One exception – scores on the cleanliness of plates and utensils went down more than a quarter of a point
- Students are evenly mixed as to the importance of food being sustainable
- Themes in their open ended comments:
- Dissatisfaction with vegetarian entrees
- Interest in more healthy options
- More seafood
- Less fried foods
- More fruit
- Reduced salt
- Want more meat protein variety (less chicken)
- Meals need to be “re-balanced” – “all the good stuff in one meal”
- Menued options not available throughout the meal period
- Possible to shift meal hours later?
- Universal love for the staff
- 375th celebration menu a hit – can items be incorporated into everyday menu?
HUDS’ action plans:
- Company who services dish machines called in to review all machines and chemical calibrations – significant adjustments were made in most equipment
- Vegetarian entrée ideas solicited from students; an entrée tasting of 15-25 new items took place Friday, December 16, with approximately 20 people signed up to attend
- To eliminate or minimize menu run-outs, standards for re-stocking reviewed with staff; data as to 15 minute participation reviewed to revisit peak serving times
- Breakfast items added to lunch menu on Saturdays
- Sampling of new menu items as part of the winter menu (starting January 23)
- New line of frozen yogurt, with more available flavors and a flavor profile more like Berryline
- Beef consommé and Welsh Rarebit added from 375th
- Entrees like Wild salmon with herb crust
- New theme menus:
- Southern (jambalaya, etouffe, collard greens, grits)
- Peking chicken bar
- Japanese Ramen bar
- Weekly fruit bar at dinner (range of cut fruit and berries)
I am deeply proud of the work our team has done in this semester, and as we look to the balance of the school year, I am eager to continuing growing and shaping the dining program to meet the needs of the students and the College.
