For the 2016 spring semester, there are 5,669 students total enrolled in meal plans. Of those, 700 are purchased by off campus students.
The 14 meals per week plan is most popular among students.
-from Karen Adkins, interim dining director
A group of students called BSU Steal Plan is trying to spark a conversation among students about their meal plans.
The group is a viral marketing campaign project for an English class that uses Facebook, Twitter and fliers to report statistics about the amount of money that goes unused per student per year from meal plans.
Junior creative writing major Keith Jackson is a member of the group.
“We’re not trying to be incendiary or assume things. We just think a little more transparency would be nice,” Jackson said.
Although Ball State offers different meal plans, dining services does not expect students to use all of their meals allotted per week, interim dining director Karen Adkins said.
Adkins said Dining Services factors in students not using their meal swipes in order to keep costs low.
“As we price our meal plans, we understand that not everyone will eat all of the meals. We take this into consideration as we price the plans, which keeps the cost to students down,” Adkins said.
Isabella Hartselle, a first-year nursing major, said she had concerns about her meal plan. Although she opted for 18 meals a week instead of the maximum 21, she still finds that she doesn’t use all of her swipes allotted per week.
“I wish we could have it just roll over into our account, like if it went into dining plus that would be fine with me because at least I could still use it,” Hartselle said. “I honestly don’t know where it goes.”
Money that students do not use on meal plans, whether from not spending all of the allotted $8.20 per meal or missing a meal entirely, is cycled back into Residence Life and Ball State Dining, Adkins said.
“They [leftover funds from unused meal plans] help fund renovation projects and emergency expenditures,” Adkins said.
For the 2016 spring semester, there are 5,669 students total enrolled in meal plans. Of those, 700 are purchased by off-campus students.
The 14 meals per week plan is most popular among students.
BSU Steal Plan also thinks that leftover money on meal plans should be given back to the student or to those in need.
“I don’t live in Johnson A or B, why do I need to pay for renovations?” Jackson said.
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