Dining Halls Will Go Online

In what could be the first step toward a more flexible meal plan, students will next year use a computerized card system to check in for dining at the houses, Harvard Dining Services (HDS) officials said yesterday.

The card system will prevent students from eating at several houses on the same night because it will register them on a central computer as soon as they check in, said Raymond R. Cross HDS Manager of Financial Systems.

"Harvard's dining locations are scattered, and a computerized access system will help communications between houses," Cross said. "It'll help the dining hall staff identify students on the board plan quickly and efficiently."

Administrators could also utilize computerization to develop a more flexible student board plan, HDS Director Michael P. Berry said.

Instead of the present requirement that students pay for all three meals each day, the new plan could allow them to choose how many meals they would pay for each year.

HDS has been considering a flexible meal plan for years, Berry said, but the planning was pushed forward by the development of the new Memorial Hall complex. The complex to be completed in 1996, will include three new restaurants run by the dining services.

"We have been meeting with the Undergraduate Council for two years to discuss flexibility in meal plans, but we determined it just Wasn't the appropriate time then," Berry said.

Now with three new restaurants coming on-line at Memorial hall, there's real need to implement an access system which...we could build up to provide more flexible meal plans," he said.

But planning remains preliminary since College administrators have not yet addressed this potential use, Berry said.

"I don't think the future uses of a computerized dining hall system has been determined," said Associate Dean of the College Thomas A. Dingman '67.

The new system will be prepared for any changes in the board plan approved byDean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57, housemasters and the Committee on House Life, he said.

Undergraduate council member Jennifer W. Grove'94 a former chair of the Residential Committee,said the council has called for increased mealplan flexibility many times.

House masters in the past raised concerns thata flexible meal plan could detract from housesolidarity, Grove said.

"Masters wanted students to continue to feelcomfortable eating at their own houses," she said"[But if] students couldn't always go into theirhouses to eat, like if they'd used up their mealsfor the week, they just wouldn't feelcomfortable."

The council offered two meal plan proposals,Grove said.

These were a "variable meal plan" under whichstudents could choose 14 or 20 meals a week, and a"declining balance plan," under which studentscould choose 10, 14 or 20 meals a week andsupplement them with money from a dining hall"credit card."

The Greenhouse Cafe, Dudley House and theBiological Laboratory Cafe will also be accessibleby card after next January, HDS officials said

Undergraduate council member Jennifer W. Grove'94 a former chair of the Residential Committee,said the council has called for increased mealplan flexibility many times.

House masters in the past raised concerns thata flexible meal plan could detract from housesolidarity, Grove said.

"Masters wanted students to continue to feelcomfortable eating at their own houses," she said"[But if] students couldn't always go into theirhouses to eat, like if they'd used up their mealsfor the week, they just wouldn't feelcomfortable."

The council offered two meal plan proposals,Grove said.

These were a "variable meal plan" under whichstudents could choose 14 or 20 meals a week, and a"declining balance plan," under which studentscould choose 10, 14 or 20 meals a week andsupplement them with money from a dining hall"credit card."

The Greenhouse Cafe, Dudley House and theBiological Laboratory Cafe will also be accessibleby card after next January, HDS officials said