DINING SERVICES
Ted A. Mayer, Executive Director
65 Winthrop Street, 617-496-8600
www.dining.harvard.edu

Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) operates the kitchens and dining rooms in all undergraduate Houses and Memorial Hall. HUDS is completely self-supporting; its budget is set by student board charges.

The manager of each dining hall reports to the Director for Residential Dining and operates within the guidelines set forth by the department and the University. Each manager makes every effort to respond to particular needs and preferences of the community and is routinely responsible for arranging special dinners for House and freshmen events. Proposals for meal policy changes in the undergraduate dining halls are generally introduced by House Masters, the Dean of Freshmen, the Office of the Dean of the College, or by the Executive Director of Dining Services.

It is a Dining Services policy to allow students to eat all they wish at any meal. Because of this policy and Dining Services' responsibility to students and their food dollars, students are asked not to waste or take food from the dining rooms. Students who require special diets for health or religious reasons should speak to the dining hall manager, who will either accommodate the diet or refer the student to the department's executive chef.

Students are encouraged to communicate their thoughts and views about the dining program. Students may speak directly to the dining hall manager, complete and submit a "Feedback Card" on line or in the dining halls, or call the Executive Director of Dining Services. They may also communicate their ideas and opinions through student surveys and focus groups or by speaking with members of the UC-appointed Student Advisory Council to University Dining Services, whose members eat periodically in students' dining rooms.

Because of the large number of House dining halls, a major portion of the board fee goes to pay fixed operating costs. The fee is based on the fact that the average student eats approximately thirteen of the twenty-one meals available per week. Income is allocated to pay expenses in the following approximate percentages: wages and benefits, 46 percent; food, 30 percent; other expenses such as supplies, utilities, laundry, rubbish removal, etc., 24 percent.

Dining Halls

Guests

Guest and inter-House rules for each House are determined by the House Master and the House Committee. Students may invite members of other Houses for any meal at which guests are allowed. If the guest is "on board," there will not be a charge, although an HUID must be shown. Guests not on a meal plan or their hosts may pay the transient rates that are posted at the checkers' desk (cash, BoardPlus and Crimson Cash are accepted for payment). Guest meals in the resident dining halls are charged as follows:

Food may not be shared with or given to those who are not on a board contract or who have not paid for the meal.

BoardPlus

In response to student requests for more flexibility in the board plan, Dining Services offers all undergraduates participating in the board plan BoardPlus. BoardPlus is $130 applied to a student's HUID, to spend as he or she chooses at campus restaurants operated by Dining Services or for guest meals when entertaining friends, colleagues, or relatives in the resident dining halls.

There is no need to sign up. A student's BoardPlus account is automatically activated with $65 at the beginning of the first term and again when the second term commences. The student simply lets the restaurant cashier or dining hall checker know he or she would like to use the BoardPlus and present his or her HUID. The balance will be displayed each time the student uses the account. Once students exceed the credit limit, they may either pay cash or, if they have already purchased Crimson Cash, they may ask the checker to apply the balance to their Crimson Cash account. The BoardPlus account is part of the board plan, therefore no refunds are awarded on unused credit.

All purchases in the campus restaurants are charged a la carte.

The BoardPlus account is for the students' use only. If a student's HUID is presented by someone other than the student, the card will be retained and forwarded to the Executive Director.

Meal Hours

Meal hours may vary slightly from House to House. The meal hours of each dining hall are posted and are approximately as follows:

Student Employment

Dining Services employs many students to work in the dining halls, in catering, in campus restaurants, and in clerical support positions. Students interested in such employment should contact the Human Resources Office at Dining Services at 65-67 Winthrop Street (617-495-5543).

Campus Restaurants

In addition to the board meal plan, Dining Services operates several restaurants on the Harvard campus. The food and atmosphere at each restaurant express their own identity. Meals at these locations are not part of the board plan and are payable in cash. Students are exempt from paying meals tax with the presentation of their HUID. Meal hours may vary slightly from those indicated.