It’s no exaggeration to say there are some big changes in store for Iowa State’s residence halls.

In several years, students will be able to choose from suite-style rooms, apartment areas and plain old dorms.

But dorm students next fall may have another big choice to make — this one between eating food service chicken kiev or a Chic-Fil-A sandwich in the Memorial Union Food Court.

Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden and Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill have proposed a plan that calls for the combining of dining halls and the MU food court.

The proposal would allow students with the Department of Residence meal plan to purchase items from the MU food court instead of in food service. The lack of food options on the northern end of campus may also be addressed in the proposal.

As with all proposals, there are many unclear areas.

Is the price of a meal plan going to go up? The plan is ambitious; so when will it go through? Will students actually use the new options?

But the most important question is this: What will students think?

The specifics of the plan aren’t available yet. It’s not clear whether students will be allowed unlimited access to items in the food court, or if they will be allotted a certain amount of money to spend per meal.

If officials decide on the latter, it will pose a problem for students. After all, a meal in the dorms costs under $5. How far can you go on $5 in the MU Food Court?

The Department of Residence already received kudos this week for proposing a new continuous housing plan, which would allow students to stay in their dorms during Thanksgiving and spring breaks.

Giving students choices is always a good idea. But restricting their choices with a dollar limit wouldn’t be much of a choice at all and would just add headaches for MU workers and students alike.

Madden, Hill and the Department of Residence are to be commended for thinking of students’ needs. But now let’s let students decide whether this proposal — including all of its possible limitations — will be the best for them.

Let them have a say in what they’re eating — and how they’re paying.