The contract for the company that provides VSU’s food services is up for bid this year. Sodexo, the current food service provider, will be facing competing companies for the bid.

“As the Request for Proposal (or RFP) has already been issued, certain details cannot be addressed until after the award, at which point all records will become public,” Bill Filtz, director of business services, said.
The RFP states the requirements and regulations which all interested companies must take into consideration.

After companies issue their proposals based on the RFP, an evaluation team uses worksheets to score each company’s proposal, and will decide which one meets the standards of the RFP best.

The evaluations will cover such issues as company backgrounds, the quality of the bidding company’s programs and services and the ability of the company to use the technology currently in place.

The final decision of which company will run the food services at VSU will be made based on these evaluations.

The RFP for this particular bid was issued on Sept. 20. Final evaluations won’t be made until January, and the winner of the contract will be identified on March 1. If a new company is chosen, the tentative date to begin transition from Sodexo to a new company is March 18, 2011.

“Since it will take time if a new company is awarded the contract, the transition will not be completed until June 30, 2011,” Filtz said.

If a new company is awarded the bid, the transition would bring about a great amount of changes to VSU, beginning with the management staff.

The idea of such changes has been met with mixed emotions from students.

Eric Beckmann, a senior Mass Media major, welcomed the idea of change although he was not at all displeased with VSU’s current service.

“Change is always necessary,” Beckmann said. “But, I really have no beef with the dining services as of now.”

Junior mathematics major William Ryder was excited about the prospect of change and hoped that with it comes price differences and more dining options.

“Flexible price options would be wonderful,” he said. “I really never eat at Hopper or Palms, so I’m not the one to ask about that, but I would like to see change in the food offered in the Union.”

Misty Smith, junior criminal justice major, also agreed that having a change in prices would be beneficial.

“I can’t afford $8 meals every day,” she said. “Maybe, with the change, prices will go down a little bit. Changes in price would be welcome, but I’m not holding my breath.”