By Beth A Huber Business Communication Proposal

Dear Trustees, Improvements are what everyone strives for, and having a cafeteria at Coshocton Campus would be a large improvement for both students and staff. Because we are an extended campus and not part of the main campus, we are in desperate need of our own cafeteria. By bringing in a cafeteria, the first and foremost improvement would be giving jobs such as food handling, building and maintaining the cafeteria to the unemployed public. By allowing the students to purchase meals, snacks and drinks, the cafeteria would be drawing money into the school, studies have shown that food businesses bring in more money than they spend on the food that is resold or made. There are many complaints about students running late to class because the only hot meal to be found is on the other end of town, and our breaks generally do not allow for much time to battle traffic and long lines at other food venues. Hot meals should be provided for the students who don’t have much to spend or have been at the campus all day and are hungry we all know that eating healthy foods will allow our brains to function better than eating vending machine snacks! Large improvements are easy to make even with a smaller food bar. Starting out with a soup and salad bar or small sandwich station may be just the answer. In conclusion, I think it's time to look at the possibilities and benefits of including food services at our campus. Respectfully, Beth A Huber

Improvements are what everyone strives for, and having a cafeteria at Coshocton Campus would be a large improvement for both students and staff. Because we are an extended campus and not part of the main campus, we are in desperate need of our own cafeteria. I wanted to find someone in the building that would know why we did not have a cafeteria. I wanted someone that would answer my questions. So, I made an appointment to see John McDonald, Building supervisor of Coshocton campus. I spoke to John McDonald. He spoke to me for about half hour. He explained to me some of the reasons why we do not have the cafeteria.  Coshocton campus has 277 students face to face at the campus. This is not enough students to even think about opening the cafeteria.  The cost is above and beyond what the campus can afford.  We have to have outside contractors bid on the contract.  We are state funded, so we have to stay within the campuses budget.  Trying to find a vendor who could accommodate long daily hours would be impossible. It is not even feasible. John also stated “the local vending pop machines will be removed from the vending area due to lack of usage and the campus is not making any money.” The campus has tried different ideas about opening the cafeteria. But at this time it is not even feasible until the student quota goes up. Within a few years that could happen. Here is some information on the cost to place a new cafeteria in our college. This is a rough estimate. This is a very vague question, but it isn't cheap. Even the smallest college renovating any cafeteria would be costly. As an estimate for a 200 person capacity cafeteria, renovating not only the front of the house (the tables, serving stations, building, etc.) but also the back of the house and kitchen, you’re looking at least $1.5-$2 million. Looking at bigger schools, there's a lot more to consider. Not only does the size matter, but also everything else associated with a larger university. Considering a 750 person capacity cafeteria, the cost would range from $3-$6 million.

The kitchen at Coshocton Campus is set up for catering outside the college. Caterers are able to come in and set up. The dining area has tables and chairs. The kitchen is provided with only a prepping area. It could be set up to allow students to eat healthy at reasonable prices, but it would take a lot of money to implement it. Also, by bringing in a cafeteria you would create more jobs such as food handling, and maintaining the cafeteria to the standards of the campus. New temporary jobs would be created with the building of the cafeteria. Like normal cafeterias, a person will have a tray to select the food that they want. It would be nice not only to pay for our purchases by debit or cash, but also using a meal plan. Student ID cards are then used to access the meal plan. A meal plan is not necessary to eat at a college cafeteria however meal plans can vary widely in their details to best fit the needs of the students and the college.

Previously, most students who chose not to eat in the dining hall instead became regulars at local fast-food and pizza places, eating unhealthy meals two or three times per day. This not only leads to weight gain but also other health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Most of us have heard of the so-called “freshman 15,” where first-year students would put on an additional 15 pounds due to eating so much unhealthy food. Nowadays, the threat of a huge weight gain is much lower. Students in today’s dining halls have many choices of good, low-fat and low-carb foods that will fill them up without filling them out. Students who have health issues such as diabetes or other conditions requiring special diets can have those taken care of in today’s dining halls. Many more students today are into health and fitness, and are much more careful about what they put in their bodies. Colleges who are emphasizing healthy eating can also cater to these students, helping them stay in shape while completing their studies. Upgraded dining facilities also lead to fewer students getting sick because of what they ate, helping colleges gain a reputation for good food while decreasing the number of students in the infirmary. Having great food can have a real impact on one’s college education. We are what we eat, and what goes into our bodies can have a real impact on how we feel during the day. Attending class on an empty stomach or with a stomach full of bad food leads to problems with concentration, mood swings, headaches and more. Being able to eat good foods morning, noon and night can help students feel better both physically and mentally. College dining halls are places for students to get together, and the more inviting they are the better students feel.

By allowing the students to purchase meals, snacks and drinks, the cafeteria would be drawing money into the school, studies have shown that food businesses bring in more money than they spend on the food that is resold or made. There are many complaints about students running late to class because the only hot meal to be found is on the other end of town. Generally our breaks generally do not allow for much time to battle traffic and long lines at other food venues. Hot meals should be provided for the students who don’t have much to spend or have been at the campus all day and are hungry. We all know that eating healthy foods will allow our brains to function better than eating vending machine snacks! Large improvements are easy to make even with a smaller food bar. Starting out with a soup and salad bar or small sandwich station may be just the answer. In conclusion, I think it's time to look at the possibilities and benefits of including food services at our campus.

Best Colleges.com Web. 14 November “19 Food Hacks for College Cafeterias.” “Use that fancy college brain to make your meal plan work for you.” August 29, Web. 22 November dining-hall-food-hacks dining-hall-food-hacks John McDonald, Building Supervisor at Coshocton campus, Coshocton Ohio