University dining changes leave Ohio Wesleyan students frustrated

DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) -- Students said changes to a private university's dining plans are frustrating, and the school is now trying to adapt to their concerns.

"We all assumed that they would make more accommodations for us, because it was already so difficult to get a table at lunch to go get food," said Olivia Green, who's entering her junior year at Ohio Wesleyan. "So to see that they had actually done the opposite and taken away quite a lot of options, I think most people were just in an uproar and just such shock."

On July 9, Ohio Wesleyan announced it will reduce dining hall hours and locations this fall to address rising costs without major increases to student meal fees. The announcement sparked outrage, as many of the 1,500 students said the universal meal plan was a factor in their college decision.

"Our main goal, in response to student feedback over many years, is to keep student costs as low as possible while providing a dining program that meets students’ essential needs," OWU told students on Wednesday. "We have worked earnestly to address your concerns amid this nationwide climate of surging food and labor costs."

For years, OWU has advertised its "anytime" dining options, allowing students to use unlimited meal swipes at 24/7 dining halls so food is not a barrier to learning. Starting this fall, OWU will reduce its dining hours to close at midnight and open at 7 a.m., similar to many other Ohio colleges. Before student concerns encouraged the university to revise its dining changes, the times were more restrictive.

Save for medical and commuter exemptions, all OWU students live on campus for the entirety of their undergraduate experience, and all on-campus students must have meal plans. Plans range between $3,000 and $4,000 per semester. An OWU spokesperson said if the university did not reduce hours, the costs to offer dining services would have surpassed student program fees.

The university is still moving forward with plans to combine two on-campus cafes next spring, which will remove a dining option from the science building. OWU also took the opportunity on Wednesday to clarify that student dining jobs would still exist, and to say the changes are unrelated to a new alumni-funded student lounge.

OWU said to avoid meal costs increasing dramatically, it analyzed student use data to determine cuts and found dining hall use dropped off rapidly after 11 p.m. or midnight. Ava Johnson, a rising senior, said there are frequently no lobby employees in the late night and early morning hours, so students still use the services but may not swipe in.

“My sophomore year, I would eat dinner at two o'clock in the morning, because that's just when I had time to because I was studying," Johnson said.

Johnson said this is especially important because OWU's library has been closed due to mold for several years, and the new library won't be completed until January 2027. During this interim period, she said many students use the dining halls to study overnight.

Green said although the updated changes are better, she's still concerned, especially because she's seen students eat on the dining hall floors because there were too few seats. The university said it will address overcrowding in dining halls by adding 200 more seats in one building. Green said she's not sure how new seats will fit.

Green also shared emails and comments on social media from fellow student. One student said, “My spiritual beliefs mean I can only eat breakfast before dawn. Literally one of the only reasons I came to this school was that I could eat whenever I wanted.” Another said, “As a tour guide, I have effectively been lying to families when selling the school.”

An OWU spokesperson said the university is no longer advertising 24/7 dining. A convenience market will be open around the clock for grab-and-go options, but the market only takes credit cards and "dining dollars," so the university agrees with students that 24/7 dining is no longer fully accurate.

The most expensive typical meal plan at OWU offers $75 in dining dollars, and the least expensive offers $25. Green said that would not be enough to buy more than a few meals.

Johnson, who will be a rare off-campus commuter this year, said it felt like there was a lack of transparency with the changes. Although she thinks the new dining changes are an improvement, the solution is far from perfect.

"If they truly, truly think that this dining change is going to benefit the students, I would like to hear them have a very thorough conversation about that," Johnson said. "Being frustrated is an extremely blinding emotion, and I feel like a lot of the student body feels like that right now."