Cap and Charter affiliates dominated the dining pilot working group

On Nov. 13, the University released its Spring 2023 Dining Pilot Final Report, with results on the controversial pilot to change upperclass dining. The program provided pilot participants five additional meal swipes per week to use at late meal, any eating club, dining hall, or co-op. The dining pilot was overseen by a working group consisting of students, alumni, and University and eating club administrators. This committee included a more diverse selection of student participants and leaders than those who typically have a voice on University committees. The Daily Princetonian analyzed dining and University affiliation of the working group members as of Spring 2023.

Almost all upperclass students and alumni in the working group were affiliated with an eating club. All of the alumni on the committee have been affiliated with an eating club. One student, Mayu Takeuchi ’23 was independent, and one, Naomi Frim-Abrams ’23, was the president of the Real Food Co-op. Of the 12 upperclass students and alumni in the group, four were affiliated with Charter and three with Cap and Gown, together comprising over half of all members eligible to join an eating club. The dining pilot also included two members of the Class of 2025 and two from the Class of 2026, who were required to be on the Campus Dining meal plan. As of publication, one member of the Class of 2025 joined Terrace, while one is independent. Additionally, one Charter member is now a member of Tiger Inn.

Out of the 11 students on the dining pilot committee, five students were in the Class of 2023. Seven out of the 11 students on the committee were upperclassmen in the spring.

Eleven out of 26 people on the dining pilot committee have leadership roles in organizations directly related to the pilot. The group includes Interclub Council (ICC) advisors, eating club managers, liaisons to eating clubs, a student co-op president, and eating club presidents. Two students out of the 11 in the working group are part of the Undergraduate Student Government. The pilot included both the ICC president and vice president.

The high percentage of representatives of Charter Club speaks to the increased profile of the club since a revamp during the pandemic. The current president of Charter Club is also president of the ICC.

The University is turning to Huron — a consulting group with a focus on the healthcare, commercial, and higher education industries — to draw conclusions from the dining pilot data. The group is affiliated with Studer Education, a K-12 educational consulting group and has experience working with students’ experiences on university campuses. According to LinkedIn, eleven Princeton graduates work at the consulting firm.

Mary Ma is a contributing Data writer for the ‘Prince’.

Suthi Navaratnam-Tomayko is an assistant Data editor for the ‘Prince’.

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