The idea to form an Inter-Residence Hall Association committee to investigate the possible privatization of ISU Dining Services has been put on hold.

The IRHA Dining Service Advisory Committee cannot be formed until Iowa State puts out a request for proposals from companies interested in taking over dining services on campus.

The request – originally set to be sent out in mid-September – is tentatively set to be finished and sent to dining vendors by Sept. 30, said Nancy Brooks, associate director of purchasing.

According to past Daily staff reports, an evaluation team of students and faculty representing major campus groups was originally set to complete evaluations of ISU Dining operations and submit requests for cost-cutting proposals in mid-September. Brooks said the request was delayed because the group wanted to make sure all information was accurate.

Brooks said there are three major players other than ISU Dining who might submit proposals to be Iowa State’s next dining vender – SoDexHo of Gaithersburg, Md; United Kingdom based Chartwells Educational Dining Services; and Aramark, headquartered in Burbank, Calif. There may be proposals from other possible vendors as well, she said.

“Dining vendors will essentially indicate [in their proposals] how they would go about providing service to Iowa State,” said Peter Englin, director of the Department of Residence.

The university is still in the process of developing the outline and criteria organizations need to meet to be considered for the evaluations, Englin said.

If the request is submitted by Sept. 30, dining vendors will have until Nov. 18 to submit a proposal, although these dates are subject to change, Brooks said.

The final decision on whether to privatize dining or not will be made by the Iowa Board of Regents, she said. Brooks said if the decision is made to go forward with privatization, changes could begin in the spring semester or later. Jon Lewis, director of ISU Dining, said he would be submitting a proposal once the request has been released.

If the dining services switch hands, the new dining vendor will have to follow guidelines established by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees when dealing with current ISU Dining employees, Lewis said.

The IRHA committee will begin meeting after Iowa State starts to take proposals, Englin said. There is no time frame yet for when a recommendation must be made by the committee to Iowa State, he said.

Making a survey will be fundamental to gain perspectives from students in this process, said Nathan Taucher, IRHA president and junior in computer engineering. The survey will determine what students really want, Taucher said.

Besides concentrating on the possible privatization of ISU Dining, the committee will also seek opinions and ideas from students about the crowding in the Union Drive Community Center, possible changes to meal times and block meal plans, among other things, he said.

“The main thing is how can the dining service best serve the students,” Taucher said.

There isn’t a tentative time frame for the committee to evaluate the request for proposals yet, but the evaluation should be done in time so the students input will be heard, he said. Anyone with a meal plan is welcome to join the committee, and people should e-mail [email protected] with questions and suggestions, Taucher said.

“The more input we can get from students the better recommendations we can make to ISU Dining in general,” he said.