Rationale of DDS Changes, Future Changes to Expect

As the student body continues to voice frustrations with DDS and its leadership, it’s important to understand the reality behind DDS operations, many of their recent decisions, and the future changes that we should expect. After a series of changes, most notably to the Courtyard Café (the Hop), the student body has almost unanimously decried every new feature (all except the addition of burritos to Late Night). But while there are some legitimate complaints that DDS should be expected to shortly address, many of the new and seemingly inconvenient features were imposed for valid reasons. 

To begin, the automation at the Hop is upsetting to students who seek human interaction. While this is a tradeoff in the decision to automate, there were two reasons why such a decision was made. First, labor was needed in other areas. It was more efficient to transfer the human labor to other areas. No employees were fired. Automation is only helping to relieve tension. Second – and most importantly – we all understand there is a theft culture at Dartmouth. Automating, specifically with the self-service vending machines, has virtually, though not entirely, eliminated this problem 

However, students don’t understand how big this problem truly is. Every year, theft costs DDS (and ultimately the honest individuals who pay for meal plans) approximately $650,000 to $750,000. Theft is no small issue. This was the same logic that originally went into making Late Night’s vending machines automated as well, and it is the same logic that has automated all the campus snack bars. The only unfortunate trade-off with preventing theft is the fact that meal swipes do not currently count at vending machines. Hopefully DDS can find a solution to this by changing the system to keep track of how much of a swipe has been used (not eliminating it entirely in one use). It is possible that this problem can be solved. Informed by a DDS representative who wished to remain anonymous, another change we should expect to see by this fall is the ability to customize salads and meals at the Hop. Meal equivalency, too, will likely be implemented, allowing students not to have to spend their DBA to order meals not covered by their swipes. 

While DDS has been experimenting with changes, many of which have created issues, it is important to understand that DDS is not randomly implementing these changes. Furthermore, it is not “greed” that is behind these decisions. DDS is an entity of the College, not a private company. It is also effectively a charity organization. In fact, DDS runs an annual deficit of approximately $500,000. For a greedy capitalist organization, they are doing a pretty bad job. Their annual expenses include $150,000 in providing a food shelf (of which 60% is utilized by grad students) as well as $250,000 to $300,000 in expenditures due to students abusing the interims to be fed beyond what they purchased in their meal plan. If a student has exhausted their meal plan over break, they can continue to use their IDs to swipe for meals, yet they are never expected to pay this back. Often enough, students are even given financial aid in cash for an unlimited meal plan, and yet they choose not to purchase such a plan. Then they eat over the interim and are paid for by the College (and ultimately other students).

Theft has a price. Labor is not free. Changes must come to address these. This is not to say DDS changes have been seamless or perfect. There are certainly many issues that need to be addressed and will be addressed. However, understanding where these changes are coming from is essential in creating a respectful dining dialogue based in reality.