The Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services Office will introduce a block meal plan system, offer unlimited meal plans and combine campus funds into one account starting in the 2021-22 academic year.
Sadler Dining Hall
The overhaul of the meal plan system was driven by student feedback, says Kris Klinger, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services, which includes the Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card (HMPID) Services Office. Students and their families often expressed confusion over the number of meal plan options, the weekly “reset” and the difference between the SUpercard FOOD and PLUS accounts, Klinger says. With the assistance of a nationally recognized college meal plan consultant, HMPID conducted stakeholder meetings and student focus groups over the course of several months, which guided planning for the new system.
Block Plans and An Unlimited Option
The new system offers students the opportunity to select “block” plans–a set number of meals for an entire semester. Unlike the current meal plan system, there is no weekly “reset,” meaning that students can use dining center meal swipes at their own pace over the course of the semester. HMPID will offer three different block plans—one with 220 meals per semester, one with 130 meals and a third with 85 meals. The new options roughly correspond with the old 14-, 10- and 5-meals-per-week plans, respectively.
In addition, for the first time, unlimited meal plan options will be introduced. Students on these plans will be able to swipe into a campus dining center (Ernie Davis, Shaw, Sadler, Graham and Brockway) as often as they would like—increasing flexibility for students who may just want to pop in to grab a coffee or a muffin for breakfast before class, or to return to the dining center to grab an ice cream bar after dinner.
Most meal plans will come with supplemental Meal Plan Dining Dollars, a declining balance that can be used at campus cafés and Schine Dining and Goldstein Dining. Students who live on South Campus, in the Skyhall residence halls or off-campus—who will eat the majority of their on-campus meals at Goldstein Student Center or other Food Services retail locations—may choose to select one of two plans solely consisting of Meal Plan Dining Dollars.
‘CUSE Cash for Students, Faculty and Staff
Another change will be the retirement of the SUpercard FOOD and PLUS accounts. Beginning on July 6, 2021, the funds will be combined into a single account, which will be accessible via SU I.D. card or the GET app. ‘CUSE Cash funds can be used to purchase food and non-food items at nearly every point of sale on campus, including all Food Services locations, the Campus Store, convenience stores, vending machines and stadium concessions stands and shops. A full list of campus locations accepting the ‘CUSE Cash tender is available on the HMPID website. At the end of each academic year, unused ‘CUSE Cash funds will be refunded to student bursar accounts.
Faculty and staff members are also encouraged to utilize their ‘CUSE Cash account, which would eliminate the need to carry cash or credit cards to make on-campus purchases. Unlike student accounts, faculty and staff ‘CUSE Cash accounts will roll over from year to year. Instructions on how to set up your ‘CUSE Cash account is available on the Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services website. Faculty and staff members may begin adding funds to their ‘CUSE Cash account on July 6, 2021.
“We’ve introduced a lot more flexibility into the meal plan system,” says Gillian Budman Kanter, interim director of the Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services Office. “We have something for everyone, from our on-campus students who will eat most of their meals in a dining center to the off-campus students who may only want to enjoy an occasional Dunkin’ iced coffee in Schine.”
Make Your Meal Plan Selection Beginning May 10
Meal plan selection for the 2021-22 academic year goes live for all Syracuse University students, new and returning, on the MySlice Housing self-service page beginning Monday, May 10. After making their initial selection, students can alter their meal plan choice up until the end of the second week of the Fall 2021 semester, though any student who feels they need a more robust meal plan can always increase the number of meals they need throughout the semester.
Students and their families can learn more about the new plans on the Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services website. Frequently asked questions are available. Questions? Contact housing@syr.edu or call 315.443.2721.
