Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia Food Services has new meal plan options available to the campus community for the 2015-16 academic year. Block plans with 65-80 meals per semester in the dining commons and Paw Points redeemable at any UGA Food Services location, including retail cafes, eateries and vending, will be available for $1,796 to $2,802 for the academic year.

The decision to create new options came from a growing need to provide more meal plan choices for commuter students, faculty and staff.

“The University of Georgia’s dining program is nationally renowned for its exceptional quality and innovation,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said. “I am pleased that commuter students, faculty and staff will now be able to enjoy a wide variety of dining options on campus through meal plans that are tailored to their needs.”

Food Services gained support from UGA Student Affairs to implement new plans and worked with the Webb Foodservice Design consulting group to evaluate the dining program. A campus-wide survey of students, faculty and staff showed customers were seeking more variety and a plan geared toward commuters.

“Many off-campus students came to us asking for a lunch-only plan,” said Bryan Varin, interim director of UGA Food Services. “The block plan gives even more flexibility by providing them with meals to use throughout the semester. They are not limited to lunch only. If they find themselves on campus during other meal periods, they are still able to eat in our dining commons or retail locations.”

Additionally, the division created two new residential dining plans by adding Paw Points to the pre-existing seven-day and five-day all-access meal plans. Paw Points, where one Paw Point is redeemable for $1 worth of food from campus eateries and vending, can be used for snacks.

“The survey gave us a lot of valuable information regarding dining preferences. We plan to use that information as a guide for bringing different retail options to campus in the future,” Varin said.

“We have been eager to see more flexibility for students in on-campus dining options, and we are thrilled with these new options,” said Victor Wilson, vice president for student affairs. Students spend a great amount of time each day on campus, and dining is an excellent way for them to engage with each other and with the institution.”

“We are pleased to acknowledge the collaborative effort of the Student Government Association, Student Affairs and our own Food Services Division in making these new meal plan options a reality,” said Ryan Nesbit, vice president for finance and administration. “These plans give our students, faculty and staff greater flexibility to dine in one of our five outstanding dining halls, grab a meal to-go in our retail locations or enjoy a quick snack.”

More information on the commuter block plans is listed below. The new plans are currently available and can be obtained online at foodservice.uga.edu.

BLOCK PLANS

Available to off-campus students, faculty and staff only

80 Block Plan with 665 Paw Points/semester – 80 meals per semester in UGA Food Services dining commons plus 665 Paw Points per semester to be used at any UGA Food Services location or vending. The academic year 2015-16 purchase price is $2,802 ($1,401/semester).

80 Block Plan with 255 Paw Points/semester – 80 meals per semester in UGA Food Services dining commons plus 255 Paw Points per semester to be used at any UGA Food Services location or vending. The academic year 2015-16 purchase price is $1,982 ($991/semester).

65 Block Plan with 300 Paw Points/semester – 65 meals per semester in UGA Food Services dining commons plus 300 Paw Points per semester to be used at any UGA Food Services location or vending. The academic year 2015-16 purchase price is $1,796 ($898/semester).