An annual survey was sent out by Longwood Dining and food supplier Aramark to students on Oct. 10 and received feedback until Nov. 4. The survey included questions about students’ areas of concerns about all of the dining services.
“We survey our customers once per year to get feedback and information which helps us provide better services,” said Senior Director of Dining Services Grant Avent.
The survey received 876 responses.
“We’ll (Longwood Dining and Aramark) go through the data, share with the university and together as partners make decisions,” said Avent.
“I hope that a lot of people participated. I think the incentive to have the gift card in there was good. I think that will get people to participate when that gift card is offered,” said Morgan Rollins, a junior biology major who also serves as an executive senator on the Student Government Association (SGA). “I don’t think they are going to have the survey just to sit on it. I think it will bring about change.”
In the Nov. 1 SGA meeting Dr. Tim Pierson, vice president of student affairs, mentioned that he noticed an increase in concerns voiced by students about dietary needs with the dining locations that Longwood hosts.
Also mentioned in the meeting was the possibility of placing a box in the lobby of Dorrill Dining Hall to allow for students to place their concerns on a sheet of paper to be reviewed by the dining hall staff for improvement.
Rollins has attended over six 'Dine with the Director' events since she started attending in fall 2015. Rollins stated that so far, this semester, there has been one event in which nine undergraduate students and one graduate student attended to voice their concerns with dining services.
“It’s a really welcoming environment. Grant is there, but he also has Ashley (Jones, marketing assistant to Longwood Dining Services) and other people who work in dining services who are there. They’re all taking notes. They’re all paying attention. They all seem very interested in what students are concerned about. Grant always has an open ear to suggestions,” said Rollins.
Rollins added how she has noticed an increase in complaints concerning gluten free options as well as student staff in the dining hall being unaware if the food has been either cooked with gluten or contains gluten.
“Grant said he would be more willing to put other things in the rotation to supplement not only people with religious obligations but also allergies and things like that,” said Rollins.
Rollins shared Avent sends out a daily email to students who have requested to receive the email, containing nutritional information as well as the ingredients found in the food for the entirety of the day.
“I’m not sure if this is true, but they are working on having secret shoppers go through D-hall (Dorrill Dining Hall) because there has been an issue with some of the student staff not being aware if something is cooked with gluten, so there’s an initiative to have secret shoppers in D-hall and going up and asking if there is ‘X’ ingredient in that meal, and if they don’t know that person is going to report to Grant that this staff member stated on this day at this time that they didn’t know,” said Rollins.
“As always, we value all feedback, the more timely and specific the better,” said Avent. “We really appreciate all students who take the time as citizen leaders, to give feedback that helps make positive changes for the whole campus community.
Rollins disclosed that Kevin Napier, a junior kinesiology major who also serves as an executive senator on SGA, has met with Avent to discuss the possibility of adding a committee for the dining hall and dining services to the SGA.
It was assured by Rollins that the committee will incorporate a diverse group of students on the SGA to ensure all areas of concern are accounted for. The members of the committee would be required to attend all of the ‘Dine with the Director’ events.
