FLEX plans still available despite change
Carolina Dining has reintroduced the traditional five-per-week meal plan after a surge of student demand.
“It was brought to our attention that students were missing it,” said Cynthia Steele, marketing manager for Carolina Dining. “Because of programming complications, it’s not listed on VIP, but people can purchase it by calling or going to CarolinaCard office.”
So far this semester, 95 five-a-week meal plans have been purchased. Students can purchase new meal plans or upgrade their current plans at any point during the semester at a pro-rated cost based on the number of remaining dining days.
The plan, which pays for a total of 80 meals at a cost of $698 per semester, had been discarded last semester and replaced by the “minor FLEX” plan, which cost $700 for the same number of meals in FLEX dollars.
The minor FLEX was one of three FLEX plans that were introduced last semester, modeled after a dining system launched at Pennsylvania State University and also adopted at Virginia Tech.
The Daily Gamecock reported in September that few students saw the value in the FLEX plans, as they yielded an increase of just 20 in the total number of meal plans sold last semester.
Sales of the FLEX plans decreased from 905 in the fall to 706 in the spring, according to Director of Business Affairs Helen Zeigler.
Zeigler said decreases are to be expected because Dining lost customers who pledged into Greek life (many fraternities and sororities have their own meal plans at their respective houses) and because of drops in the university’s enrollment.
But, she said, the FLEX plans have still increased Carolina Dining’s profit margin from last year: total revenue this spring is up $700,000 over Spring 2011.
The FLEX plans will most likely remain next semester as a second option for students, according to Dining Services District Manager Robert Coffey.
“Right now we’re in the information-gathering stage, as this year was a pilot year, and we’ve heard good reviews,” Coffey said. “What we want to achieve in everything we do is have more choices ... I think students appreciate having the opportunity to pick and choose what works best for them.”