As part of a new pilot program, all graduate students not on a meal plan had 12 free meals automatically loaded onto their PUIDs for use over the course of the fall semester. The program, called the 12 Free Meals Pilot Program, kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 25 and gives students access to meals in Procter Hall, the dining hall located in the Graduate College. The program doubled the number of free meals that graduate students receive per semester.
The program is being piloted in collaboration with the Graduate School, Dining Services, and the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life, following a year-long effort by the Graduate Student Government (GSG) to increase the number of free meals for students.
“The reason that I identified this as a problem initially in the summer of 2023 was because I became aware of the Upperclass Two Meals Per Week program,” Christopher Catalano GS, GSG vice president, told The Daily Princetonian.
The Two Meals Per Week program provides undergraduate juniors and seniors with two meals per week in any dining hall, regardless of whether they have purchased a meal plan. “We saw that and immediately noticed the disparity between how the undergrads and the graduate students are being treated,” Catalano said.
Dissatisfaction with the graduate student dining system was not a concern solely highlighted by Catalano.
In a survey conducted by the GSG in March 2024, over 99 percent of respondents expressed that the implementation of a “Two Extra Meals” pilot would “positively” or “very positively” impact students’ sense of community on campus. Free-written responses from graduate students included, “I would love this so much. I would feel so much more connection to the University,” and “This would literally be the best benefit we’ve ever gotten as a grad community.”
“Many graduate students work 10 to 12 hours per day with little access to free or affordable food,” Amari Tankard GS, the GSG president, told the ‘Prince.’ Meanwhile, she said, “The undergrads have access to not just a plethora of dining halls, but also guest swipes that graduate students are barred from.”
“I’m a grad student — I’m busy,” Catalano added. “I don’t have time to get groceries, and I don’t want to pay for takeout on Nassau Street again and again, because it really is adding up in my budget.”
Although graduate students are presented with the option to purchase a dining plan, the plan is unaffordable for many. “The $3,000+ dining plan is well outside of our budgets,” Tankard said.
In April 2024, Catalano led the effort to draft a policy proposal to add free meals alongside several members of the executive board. The GSG Executive Committee initially proposed two free meals per week at any dining hall — on par with the corresponding program for undergraduate juniors and seniors. However, the number of free meal swipes in the proposal was eventually reduced, as the Executive Committee and the administration reached a compromise with the 12 free meals pilot. In December 2023, Catalano ran for GSG vice president on a platform that emphasized achieving parity for graduate students.
“This policy change is the result of six months worth of effort, including a formal proposal and several meetings with the Graduate Housing Advisory Board (GHAB) and the Graduate School,” Tankard said.
The new pilot is part of a broader effort by the GSG to “make grad students feel like an equal partner on campus,” according to GSG Facilities Chair Alana Bernys GS. “Over the last couple of years, GSG has been focusing on how we can include graduate students in the community-oriented focus of the University.”
“The Graduate School is delighted to have worked with Campus Dining and the Graduate Student Government (GSG) to shape a pilot program that doubles the free meals available at Procter Hall,” Tracy W. Meyer, the director for communications at the Graduate College, told the ‘Prince.’
In their policy proposal, GSG used Wintersession as a case study demonstrating “the positive impact that complimentary meals can have on fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.”
Bernys said that Wintersession is often “the best two weeks of the year for many grad students” because of its strong “sense of community” and unlimited food. She expressed a desire to cultivate a similar atmosphere for graduate students year-round. “It’s really about sitting over a meal with some friends and exchanging ideas — just talking, letting off steam.”
“It’s great for mental health as well,” she added.
The continuation of the pilot is contingent on its continued success and impact. “After the fall pilot, the Graduate School will work with Campus Dining and the GSG to evaluate the program’s usage and impact,” Meyer noted.
In the future, GSG aims to broaden its reach in the dining halls and allow graduate students greater access to free meals.
“Let’s expand this pilot program to two meals a week, or one meal a week,” Catalano said. “We’re limited to Procter Hall whereas undergrads can use their meals anywhere; people are really hoping that we can get access to the dining halls on campus too.”
Procter Hall is a 20 minute walk from the main campus.
Student leaders like Tankard have also proposed initiatives like Too Good to Go Princeton, a project that would reduce food waste while reducing the financial burden on graduate students. “At Columbia, my undergraduate institution, we were allowed to take any and all dining hall food [left over] at the close to prevent it from going into the trash,” Tankard told the ‘Prince.’ “I wish that Princeton could find a liability-free way to give [leftover food in dining halls] to the students who want and need it.”
According to Catalano, student reactions to the pilot program have already been overwhelmingly positive. He reported that GSG has received over 100 emails of appreciation in the days following the announcement.
“So far, we’ve already heard that the brunches at Procter have been absolutely huge, in terms of more people being there and it being this really lively community environment,” Bernys added.
Eojin Park is a contributing News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Sena Chang is a contributing News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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