At the conclusion of the spring 2025 semester, Sacred Heart University (SHU) announced a new meal plan program that would begin in the fall. The update was intended to make dining more flexible and simplify how meal swipes could be used across campus. Since the program has been implemented, students have expressed frustration and confusion over the new system.
Source: Alexis Barada, Staff Writer and Photographer
Under the revised meal plan system, students saw changes in both pricing and meal swipe access.
“This year, the Big Red and Pioneer plans for freshmen and sophomores have been combined into the Big Red Unlimited Plan. As part of this new plan, dining dollars have been reduced to $325. However, students can now swipe up to 15 times per day for meals, snacks, fresh fruit, specialty coffee drinks and acai bowls. Additionally, the plan offers two meal swipe exchanges per day, which can be used at any of our eight retail locations with no time restrictions,” said Mark Tammone, resident district manager of SHU Dining.
While the goal was to offer more dining options, many felt that their choices were limited by the new meal plan.
“The new plan was a change for me because I was used to having a lot of dining dollars over meal swipes, although I like having unlimited swipes, I wish we had more dining dollars to spend on other items,” said sophomore Katherine Snyder.
Previously, there were stricter guidelines on where and how swipes could be used. Meal swipes could only be used for certain meals during certain hours. However, the revised meal plan allows students to pay with meal swipes throughout the day. The only restriction is that students can only use another meal swipe 45 minutes after their previous one.
“You could go in unlimited and get a coffee if you want to, but then if you want a banana 45 minutes later, you can go back in and grab a banana. You can go back in and eat with your friends at Thea’s 45 minutes later,” said Dean of Students Denise Tiberio.
One of the most significant changes involved the dining hall Thea’s Abbey. What was once a grab-and-go style dining hall like Linda’s, is now an all-you-can-eat style like 63’s. Thea’s was known for its variety of food stations, where students could use swipes or dining dollars on their meals.
The transition of Thea’s was intended to offer more value for meal swipes. However, students who preferred the previous options at Thea’s have voiced that the new format feels less convenient and lacks the old variety.
“My favorite food that I would get from Thea’s I am no longer able to get anymore,” said sophomore Sydney Diaz.
The updated plans were marketed as offering more variety, but some students argue that there is less variety.
“I was initially not very happy about the fact that we were given over $500 less dining dollars this semester. I noticed early on that my money was draining quickly and needed to find ways around it,” said sophomore Emily Franzen. “I don’t think we need infinite meal swipes because most of the better items in the dining halls are dining dollars. I think keeping the meal plan the same as it was last year would be a plus. The meal plan I had lasted me through the entire semester with leftover money at the end that I could spend freely.”
SHU dining has released a survey to gather student feedback on the new plans, and has already made several adjustments. One notable change included the return of Tu Taco, which was a popular Mexican food station at Thea’s.
“When Thea’s was converted into an All You Care to Eat dining hall earlier this year, we replaced the Tu Taco station with a rotating menu concept. After receiving significant student feedback expressing that Tu Taco was missed, we brought the popular station back to Thea’s in response to student demand,” said Tammone.
The survey invited students to share their experiences with the dining changes and make suggestions for improvement. Danielle Bahr, director of marketing, said that SHU Dining is continuously gathering student feedback to enhance their experiences.
“We actively review all comments and suggestions to guide meaningful improvements that enhance the overall dining experience. Additionally, we meet with Student Government each semester to discuss student priorities and requests for campus dining,” said Bahr.
While SHU has made attempts to address student concerns, campus dining has become one of the most talked about topics of the semester.
“We’re always looking to enhance the services that we’re providing to our students on a day-to-day basis. We completely understand that this is your home away from home, and we want to make sure that we’re making you feel comfortable. That’s giving you the food that you want and it’s also providing an opportunity to engage with your fellow classmates.” said Tiberio.
