Baldwin Wallace University Dining Services is changing its meal plans for the Fall 2022 semester. Students will get semesterly swipes rather than the weekly meal swipes received before. The switch allows students to utilize their total meal swipes per semester, allowing more value for one’s money.  

All meal plans will offer a prescribed number of meal swipes, $200 worth of flex money, and four guest meal swipes. The three plans vary based on number of swipes offered per semester: the Prime plan provides 336 meals per semester, the Choice plan offers 224 , and the Basic plan offers 168.  

The three-block plans listed above range in price from the Prime plan at $3,269, the Choice plan at $2,892, to the Vasic plan of $2,563.  

Charles Fairchild, the director of university dining and auxiliary services, has been working in the food industry his whole life. He told The Exponent that the semester-based plan would be more convenient for students.  

“Instead of having your swipes run out at the end of each week, you have all semester to utilize your meal swipes,” Fairchild said.  

The current weekly plan consists of a limited number of swipes per week, along with the flex dollars and guest swipes. After a student used all their swipes for the week, they could not swipe in to eat for that day.  

Lexy Conway is a sophomore on-campus resident who currently has the Choice plan. As it stands now, the Choice plan offers 14 meal swipes a week, $200 worth of flex money, and four guest swipes. Conway said the new plan will be easier for her to get the most out of her money. 

“I am excited,” Conway said. “A lot of times I don’t use my swipes during the week, and then I don’t get to use them the next week, so it is a waste of my money.”  

Conway plans on getting the Basic plan for her junior year at Baldwin Wallace.  

“With the new basic plan, I will be able to divide my meals up better,” Conway said. “I’ll never have to worry about not having a swipe at the end of my week anymore.”