Mason Dining Focus Group

By Broadside Interim Asst. News Editor Sonya Hudson

Members of the Student Government and Sodexho met to discuss George Mason University students’ needs regarding campus food on the second level of the Johnson Center, Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Rob Clarke, representative of Sodexho campus services, asked a small group of students the following: When you eat on campus, where do you go? When you eat off campus, where do you go? Why do you go to where you go? When you think of campus food, what do you think is missing? What is good about campus dining? What is bad about campus dining?

The answers are essential for Sodexho to improve its services at Mason and provide acceptable food that students and faculty.

These focus groups help dining services understand what students want and why. Participants have an opportunity to explain their perspectives on Mason dining directly to a representative of Sodexho.

The rest of the student body can have its voice heard through an online survey, available starting Monday, Sept. 15.

Mark Kraner, assistant vice president with University Services, encourages all Mason students to participate in the food survey.

“We are asking questions of you, trying to get to where you eat and what you do.” Kraner said, referring to the focus group and survey questions.

This anonymous survey will take about 20 minutes and will ask students about their dining routines and opinions.

“The survey is really important because statistically we can identify the types of food and brands people like,” Clarke said. “We’ll be able to identify what buildings everyone is in at lunch time and dinner time.”

The survey will let dining services know what they are doing correctly and how they can improve.

At the end of the survey, students, faculty and staff who want to provide their email addresses will be put in a drawing for a variety of prizes. These prizes include two tickets to Lewis Black, two to OneRepublic and two $250 bookstore gift certificates.

“This is a unique opportunity for students to have their voices heard in regards to dining,” said Student Body President Zack Golden.