To the Pipe Dream Editorial Board:

First, I want to assure you that my staff and I take the administration and management of the University’s food service contract with Sodexo and your concerns very seriously. While the campus does pride itself on having an excellent partnership with Sodexo, we always remain diligent in upholding a very clear vendor/client relationship with includes strict adherence to the terms and conditions of the contract.

Your Feb. 22 editorial raises some concerns regarding dining hall pricing and pricing policies. To fully address and respond to this issue, we need to gather facts relating to the application of the pricing policy. I am charging the Resident Dining Advisory Committee to review a sampling of various products and prices being charged in the dining halls to verify the prices have been properly developed and applied. I believe that this committee is the most appropriate team to do this as its membership is comprised of students selected by residential community presidents, as well as University faculty and staff, who are familiar with the resident dining programs and associated cost and rate development. They will be asked to provide me with a full and detailed report of their findings and recommendations.

Upon completion of the review, I would be happy to provide the Pipe Dream Editorial Board with a copy and, if desired, we can meet to discuss the reports, its findings, recommendations and any changes that may be warranted.

James VanVoorst
Vice President for Administration