ISU students may be limited in the number of choices they’ll have for soft drinks while on campus next fall.

Iowa State is considering making one single pop-providing unit exclusive at the university. Such a change would affect many areas of campus, including the Memorial Union, the Athletic Department and the Department of Residence.

Last fall, Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden appointed an advisory committee and a consultant from Minneapolis to investigate the possibility of a single-beverage contract, which he pointed out is common at many public universities.

“We’re not doing something here at Iowa State that is new,” Madden said.

Similar contracts have been used to capitalize on the financial benefits of exclusivity at such universities as Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State.

Madden said the idea of having only one soft drink company would not be to raise on-campus pop prices but to seek additional financial benefits.

Arlo Meyer, ISU purchasing manager and chairman of the ad hoc committee, said that by having a single-beverage contract, other universities have been able to receive additional funding for scholarships, diversity needs, student lectures and entertainment.

If Iowa State opted for a campuswide contract, a university group would develop a plan for using the contract revenues.

“A consultant hired from outside the campus arena is currently looking into the proposal,” Meyer said.

“He is looking at all sides of the agreement to see if the university should move ahead. He also has worked with other campuses that have taken advantage of the pop-brand exclusivity,” he said.

Meyer has interviewed several faculty, staff and student group representatives about the possibility of a single-beverage contract. He said the financial advantages outweigh the disadvantages of such a move.

“[There are] very positive things that would offset the limitation of choices,” he said.

The decision to sell only one brand in convenience stores is one main point the committee is examining.

Meyer said he doesn’t want to harm any part of the campus climate.

There would still be a small part of convenience stores stocked with the other brand, regardless of the campus decision, he said.

Some students expressed mixed opinions about a single-beverage contract.

Jered Prostrollo, senior in architecture, said he would support the idea, but he is afraid of establishing a monopoly on campus.

“If the good would outweigh the bad, then I don’t have a problem with it,” he said. “I get suspicious when we start talking about a monopoly on campus.”

Erin Holtman, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication, also said she was concerned.

“I don’t think it’s good or fair to limit the choices and give Coke a monopoly over Iowa State,” she said.

Currently, Coca-Cola is already supplying much of the campus without necessarily having a monopoly, Madden said.

“There are a number of contracts that aren’t maximizing Coke return here on campus. We need to pull them together to benefit from financial exclusivity,” he said.

Any further decision should be made in February.

The change would occur over the summer, when fewer people are on campus.