The University will not add any GWorld vendors to the dining program this summer, a University official said last month.
University Spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said all merchant applications to accept GWorld cards will remain pending until the GWorld 2.0 project is complete – which Sherrard said could be the end of the fall 2010 semester.
“All merchants applying to be GWorld vendors will be reviewed and considered following the GWorld 2.0 project,” Sherrard said in an e-mail.
This comes as bad news for restaurants like McFadden’s, who submitted its GWorld vendor application last fall. A manager at McFadden’s did not return request for comments on their application.
While the GWorld program will not grow over the summer, University administrators and Sodexo said they will focus on finalizing plans for the new Pelham Hall dining space on the Mount Vernon campus. Director of Campus Support Service Nancy Haaga said changes will be also be made to the J Street dining area, reflecting student impact.
Haaga said the University will work closely with the student-run Dining Services Committee to prepare menus and hours of operation for Pelham, which will provide students an option other than J Street to spend their mandatory dining dollars.
“We will really be relying on the DSC for this, to help us figure out the best way to make changes and make it the best for students,” Haaga said of the organization, which is run by students under the Marvin Center Governing Board. “That dialogue between students and administrators is very important.”
The University will also provide a new comment center in J Street where students can write comments on a card and post it on a message board titled “Rantings, Ravings and Cravings.”
Haaga said Sodexo managers will respond to these suggestions and try to accommodate students’ requests.
“The beauty of this is that all students get to benefit by seeing other students’ ideas and also benefit from seeing the responses,” Haaga said.