Refectory limits weekend hours
Due to staff shortages, the Refectory will close on Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m.
As CSB and SJU continue to face staffing shortages in the aftermath of COVID, the Refectory is the latest service to reduce operations.
In an email sent Tuesday, Associate Provost for Student Success Mary Geller informed students that starting March 25, the Refectory will close at 3 p.m. on Fridays and 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
“Continued staffing shortages in SJU Dining Services require a slight change in service hours at the Refectory for the remainder of spring semester,” the email said. “We appreciate your understanding given these circumstances.”
Sexton Dining will remain open until 9:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights, and Gorecki Dining will be open normal hours.
“We currently do not have enough professional or student staff to cover the same number of operational hours we have been open until now,” said Janet Despard, director of SJU Dining, via email. “The decision regarding the specific meal periods was made because it will affect the fewest possible guests. Friday and Saturday dinners during late second semester typically have the lowest guest counts.”
Also noted via the email, students on the continuous meal plan will receive an additional retail meal exchange (RME, more commonly known as a “punch”) per week, which will help ensure that students have access to meal options and narrow the gap between student demand and dining hours.
“The culinary production staff are amazing and work incredibly hard to prepare and provide great meals for students, monastics and guests. There just aren’t enough of them right now,” Despard said. “We currently have four cooks total, plus the Sous Chef, for hot food production. Many other Dining team members lend a hand every day to make sure students and monks have plenty of good food to eat at each meal.”
Part of the staffing problem stems from a sharp decline in student employees. According to Angie Mareck, CSB+SJU director of student employment, about 55% of CSB+SJU students currently work on campus. In the year before COVID, about 70% of students worked on campus. Student employment at dining services is facing an even steeper decrease. In 2018-19, about 350 students across both campuses worked in on-campus dining. Today, that number has fallen to only 180 students. CSB and SJU are not alone in facing these problems. Across the country, staffing shortages are requiring many colleges and universities to alter hours of operation for typical campus services, such as dining, transportation, mail, admissions and financial aid. According to the National Education Association, many large universities have closed at least one of their dining halls or consolidated staff in one or two locations. Others have trimmed hours of operation, particularly late-night dining, which has left students scrambling to order food from delivery services.
“All of us in Dining and Events are very grateful for the grace and understanding of the university community during this difficult stretch. We certainly understand that everyone is tired of hearing about staffing challenges, and it is equally tiring to try to work through them, but we will continue to do everything we can to ensure Johnnies (and visiting Bennies) have access to meals throughout the rest of the semester,” Despard said.
