A student committee appointed to evaluate the possible outsourcing of campus dining services will oppose privatization.

Inter-Residence Hall Association Dining Service Advisory Committee chairman Jason Buehler, junior in biology, said he thinks turning campus food service over to a private entity will not be advantageous, because students and staff are already satisfied with the quality, price and wages of ISU Dining.

Buehler said he plans to introduce a bill in IRHA sometime in early November that would establish the student association’s official position against privatization.

Nancy Brooks, associate director of purchasing, said the university will be considering proposals from ISU Dining and private companies for the rights to provide campus dining services in December. Requests for proposals were sent to private providers ARAMARK, Sodexho and Chartwells.

Brooks said input is welcome.

“We’ve talked a little bit about it; I think there’s a lot of concern about privatizing ISU dining,” said Nate Taucher, president of IRHA, and a member of the advisory committee, on IRHA’s views of privatizing.

Taucher, junior in computer engineering, said a number of the students IRHA represents work in residence halls and are concerned about jobs. He also said campus dining is important because of the large number of students it feeds.

“We wouldn’t want to see any decrease in quality,” Taucher said.

Taucher said he appointed the dining advisory committee to “look at privatization issues, as well as other things that were happening in dining service.”

He said Buehler’s bill will be the official opinion of IRHA, and will be based on the committee’s research.

“Everyone who I’ve talked to does not like the idea of privatizing,” Buehler said.

He said the privatization has already caused some full-time dining employees, such as ISU Dining Services Director Jon Lewis, to leave, while others are beginning to look for another job.

Buehler said private dining services could also make Iowa State less attractive to students, which could potentially cause Iowa State to lose money.

“The more and more I think about it, the more and more I hate it,” he said.

Brooks said although the university welcomes input, proposals are already being considered.

“There’s no reason to believe that people’s opinions don’t matter,” she said, adding the advisory committee’s – and other groups’ – advice will be taken into account before and while proposals are considered.

“We’re taking all and any input,” Brooks said.