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Dining Services adds swipe conversion, rollover

By Jake Gold, Senior Staff Writer

In the face of mounting student concerns about the inflexibility of Miami's meal plans, Dining Services has made changes that students have demanded throughout the semester, including rollover buffet swipes, extended deadline for meal plan changes and conversion of buffet swipes to dining dollars. These changes will apply to all Diplomat buffet-type meal plan holders.

"These advancements are the result of valuable feedback from the student body, our great partnership with the administration, and lots of hard work," Secretary for On-Campus Affairs James Oaks said.

For students on the Diplomat Minimum plan, they will be allowed to convert 38 swipes to declining balance, totalling $247. Students with the Diplomat Standard plan can transfer 48 swipes to $312. At the highest tier, students with Diplomat Premium plans can switch 58 swipes to $377. This conversion values a single meal swipe at $6.50, 73 cents less than a buffet meal's average value. In order to make this conversion, students must fill out an online form emailed from the HOME office.

Dining Services has also made changes to allow meal swipes from this semester to be carried over to the spring semester. Finally, the deadline for changing meal plans has been changed to the second week of class. Next semester, that's Feb. 3.

As students finish the semester, many of whom have additional meal swipes, these changes will be greatly appreciated.

"I'm thrilled that these changes are coming to life and know that the student body will be, too," Oaks said.