Editorial
Students take notice of improvements at UWRF Dining
April 4, 2024
For thousands of UW-River Falls students, just as a visit to Chalmer Davee Library, the University Center, or any of the UWRF’s other academic buildings, is a part of their daily routine, so too is a visit to Riverside Commons. Located in the University Center, or UC, Riverside Commons provides students with a variety of food options, which are sourced through UWRF Dining’s vendor, Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, UWRF Dining has seen significant change, and, for the last few years, has been a subject of controversy among student circles. Much of this conversation has been negative, with many students criticizing the variety and quality of the food that Riverside Commons offers. On the website Rate My Professors, for example, UWRF scored a relatively low 2.7 out of 5 in Food. This assessment is not inaccurate; the Student Voice has noticed frequent issues in the past, from undercooked pizza and limited allergy-free dining options to more serious concerns like moldy bread and contaminated chicken.
Recently, however, many students, as well as members of the Student Voice, have seen a noticeable improvement in food quality and variety this semester.
In January, Chad Peterson, of Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, took over as Food Service Director for UWRF Dining, and it has been his mission to listen to student feedback and improve dining services on campus. The Student Voice interviewed Peterson, and Max Beeler, a Senator for UWRF’s Student Governance Association, and the Chair of the Dining Services Advisory Committee, to find out if Peterson’s efforts have been successful.
There are many areas where Peterson and UWRF Dining staff have made changes to improve food services. The first is food safety, which we believe to be the most important, and should be prioritized over areas like variety. Peterson said that he and his staff have conducted two-week reviews of each of the stations in Riverside Commons. They have also improved food safety and dietary standards, in an effort to, as Beeler said, not just conform to health standards, but exceed them.
The Student Voice believes that these efforts have paid off, and that students have seen a more positive experience over the last two months as a result. It is nice to see that the money that students spend on UWRF meal plans is being invested to improve the services they are paying for. One example of this is the chicken. Riverside Commons has moved from frozen chicken to fresh chicken, in part because of a new chef that started on March 1. Another example: they have purchased new rice cookers to address widespread concerns that the rice is undercooked and crunchy.
Peterson said that student feedback is the first priority for him and the rest of the staff. He meets with the Dining Services Advisory Council, or DSAC, every Tuesday to listen to feedback and ideas. He said that he plans to gather additional feedback by emailing a survey to every UWRF student with a meal plan. Beeler said that Peterson sometimes addresses dining concerns even before they can be raised at DSAC meetings. We appreciate this prioritization: UWRF Dining seems to have a genuine interest in taking student feedback seriously.
Another area that has improved is the variety in Riverside Commons, in the form of ‘pop-up menus’ that are scheduled for certain days in advance. These menus are intended, Peterson said, to be custom to River Falls, and to be fresh and different. We at the Student Voice appreciate the effort and experimentation that goes into these menus; one of our members especially enjoyed the boba tea pop-up that was featured a few weeks ago.
The Student Voice would like UWRF Dining Services to keep up these efforts, and continue experimenting with pop-up menus, but, more importantly, continue to prioritize student concerns.