Online Outcry Follows News of Sodexo; Finances Characterized as Deciding Factor

By CONNOR RYAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fordham’s decision to sign a 10-year contract with Sodexo, the university’s food service provider of the last 30 years, has left many students dissatisfied and skeptical that their dining experiences on campus will actually improve.

“Rams For America,” a popular Facebook account on campus that is operated by members of Fordham’s College Republicans group, according to students with knowledge of the account, has gained traction while specifically targeting those students involved in the process of selecting Sodexo.

“The students who voted to let Sodexo back on campus betrayed their fellow Rams, and their actions are comparable to those of Judas at the Last Supper,” a post on the account, which gained over 80 “likes” from students by Thursday evening, said.

The account also posted two images that suggest the account operators want those student leaders who supported Sodexo through the bid evaluation process to resign their posts. The combined images have gained over 100 “likes,” indicating that many others support – or at least agree with – the sentiment.

One such image boldly reads: “Voted yes on Sodexo? We want you voted out of office.”

Brendan Francolini, GSB ’14 and the incoming executive vice president of Rose Hill’s United Student Government (USG), served as chair of the student engagement committee – one of the three small groups that oversaw the process of selecting a food vendor. He called students’ negative reactions and criticisms “understandable and almost expected.”

“My response to students is to have faith in the process that we went through this year and to look toward the improvements coming for the fall and over the next year,” Francolini said in an email on Thursday. “I hope students can be optimistic, while also being constructive and critical as to what their needs are.”

Aileen Reynolds, FCRH ’14 and the incoming executive president of USG at Rose Hill, did not participate in the process of selecting a food vendor. She did, however, express her full support for the decision to rehire Sodexo in an interview on Thursday.

“After a yearlong process, I have full trust in the decision of the committee to choose Sodexo,” Reynolds said in an email. “The new contract has many changes, including ways to ensure student satisfaction is at the forefront of Sodexo’s priorities.”

When asked what she would say to students who are upset over the selection of Sodexo, Reynolds emphasized a message of sanguinity.

“I hope students who are disappointed will hold their criticisms until they see the new contract come to life,” Reynolds said. “Although I always encourage fellow students to voice their concerns and demand what is best for our community, I also ask the Fordham community to come into the next few years of the contract with an open mind.”

Reynolds and Francolini declined to comment on the “Rams For America” Facebook account.

Jeffrey Gray, senior vice president of student affairs and chief overseer of the food vendor evaluation and selection process, said he believes the students who were involved in the process ultimately saw that Sodexo had the best proposal. He did, however, recognize that Fordham would have to earn back students’ trust in the cafeteria.

“I think you win them back one student at a time, always understanding that there’s going to be a conversation, a challenge, there’s always going to be some people that are unhappy,” Gray said. “But to the students that believe this was a predetermined outcome or a sham, I would simply say you should talk to the students who were part of the process.”

Adjusted meal plans with lower price points, a greater number of menu options and increased payment flexibility in every on-campus eatery are Gray’s top priorities as he prepares for the contract’s launch this summer.

When asked about clearing the negative connotation the name “Sodexo” has in the minds of most Fordham students, Gray made reference to the fact that Sodexo offered the university $25 million more in capital investments than Aramark, its chief competitor, did.

“A different name does create the perception of that new broom that sweeps clean, and that was the question we wrestled with,” Gray said. “Do we ride that perception or do we go with the incumbent knowing on the front-end there’s going to be some negative blowback, but that the opportunity for real substantive long-term change is more probable?”

Gray said that “slightly more” students favored Sodexo without having any knowledge of the financial information contained within the proposal. Once the committees knew about Sodexo’s financial offer, the students involved in the decision-making process eventually moved to vote 8-0 in support of Sodexo’s proposal.

“The financials are the things that really make some of [the proposed changes] possible,” Gray said. “At the end of the day, the physical changes and a lot of the meal plan changes and a lot of the things that have to happen have to be backed by resources.”

Gray noted that at the beginning of the process he did not plan on sharing financial details with students. But, ultimately, “the financial details were so significant that I basically decided to violate my own commitment,” Gray said.

“I wanted [the students] to have a full handle on all the information so that they could make informed decisions,” Gray said.