Meal plan

From CarlWiki

Carleton offers several meal plans to students. These meal plans vary in cost, number of dining hall meals provided, and Snack Bar "flex" dollars. The meal plans offered are negotiated between the College and Sodexho, which owns both of Carleton's dining halls and the Snack Bar.

Most students live in the residence halls. These students are required to select between the 20 Meal Plan and the Block 130. The other options provided are for the benefit of students living off-campus. The minimum required meal plan varies, depending on the particular off-campus housing. [1]

The 20 Meal Plan is efficient for students who almost always eat at the dining halls, but unlike all other plans, extra meals under the plan cannot be converted into flex dollars (see below) or used by guests.

For those without meal plan credits, meal prices at the dining halls vary from $4.80 for breakfast to $6.75 for lunch to $8.95 for dinner, with faculty and staff receiving a discount. [2]

Flex dollars

"Flex dollars," often just called "flex," are units that may be spent at the Snack Bar. When flex dollars are used instead of cash, a 3% discount is applied to all items. Additional flex dollars may be purchased at the Snack Bar for $1 each, but must be purchased several days before their use. On all of the meal plans except for the 20 Meal Plan, unused meals may be converted to flex dollars at a rate of $3.50/meal.

Controversy

Many students feel hostile toward the stringent minimum meal plans at Carleton. All freshmen are required to be on the 20 Meal Plan for their first term, and then on at least the Block 130 for as long as they live in the residence halls. In addition, some of the meal plans appear to be clear wastes of money. The price of the 20 Meal Plan and Block 130 both increased substantially from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006

For this reason and others, many Carleton students, even those who occassionally enjoy the dining halls, aspire to live off-board.

Trivia

• In 2004-2005, the Block 40, the minimum meal plan in Benton, Geffert, Hall House, Hunt Cottage, Prentice, Stimson, and Williams, actually cost more per meal than even the most expensive meals would cost at the undiscounted guest rate. ("Special Event" meals cost $10.45 each, whereas the 40 meals from the Block 40 cost $12 each.) This was changed for 2005-2006 by lowering the price of the Block 40 plan and adding more flex dollars.

Past Meal Plans

   * Continental Breakfast: $4.00
   * Breakfast: $5.00
   * Brunch or Lunch: $7.00
   * Dinner: $9.50

   * Continental Breakfast: $3.45
   * Breakfast: $4.60
   * Brunch or Lunch: $5.30
   * Dinner: $7.20