You’ve just left a three-hour lab. You’re exhausted, irritated and in desperate need of a shot of energy. The convenience of Mendel Holy Grounds makes it the perfect spot for a quick pick-me-up. The total is $5.25, prompting you to use a meal (a piece of Villanova currency worth up to $9) to cover it. But when you ask, you’re told that only points or Nova Bucks are accepted. Frustration sets in. Just this morning, using a meal to purchase a beverage at the Bartley Holy Grounds was no problem, so why are the standards different depending on the location?

At Villanova, points are a limited commodity. Once they’re gone, you’re without them until the next semester, making it crucial to conserve them for when they’re really needed, like for grabbing treats from the convenience store. So, why is it that at some Holy Grounds locations, meals are just simply not accepted? 

“Most Holy Grounds locations accept meal swipes (MPEs),” Michael McGuckin, Senior Director of Dining Services, said. “However, Falvey Library, Wynne Commons in Mendel Hall and the Recovery Room in Driscoll Hall currently do not. The reason is that these locations lack the necessary infrastructure, such as storage and refrigeration, to support meal plan sales. In places where a Holy Grounds is attached to another retail location (e.g., Holy Grounds in Bartley, which is connected to The Exchange), we have the capacity to support meal swipes. All Holy Grounds locations do accept food points as an alternative payment method through a student’s meal plan.”

While the reasoning behind this decision is explained thoroughly and makes sense, there are potential solutions on how to fix this and make all students’ Holy Grounds experience easier and more accessible. Students should be encouraged to buy products from on-campus coffee facilities, not dissuaded because of the limited payment options available. So, to fix this, perhaps dining services could consider allocating more points to students so that they would have a bigger budget to spend at different Holy Grounds locations. They could potentially allocate points based on which school the students are in. For instance, students who spend much of their time in Mendel as neuroscience majors or in Driscoll as nursing majors might receive more points than those in the business school, who primarily spend their time in Bartley. That way, even if students do have to use points at these locations going forward, they can have more of a budget to do so. 

If all Holy Grounds locations accepted meal swipes, no single location would likely become overwhelmed at any one time, as the locations are evenly distributed across campus. It’s just the payment method that currently differs. And if Villanova wanted to try this plan out, it could implement it during non-peak hours and take note of traffic patterns. 

At the very least, there should be signs or social media posts informing new freshmen and all students about the accepted payment methods at each location. This would help ensure everyone is aware and avoid confusion at the counter.

Currently, there are no plans to implement a meal swipe option at Holy Grounds locations across campus, but McGuckin said they are always looking for ways to enhance student experience. 

“We are constantly evaluating ways to improve our services, and in the coming weeks, we will be enhancing the menu options at each location, [so] stay tuned,” McGuckin said. 

So, while for now students in the science or nursing wings of campus may have to make the trek to Bartley or other spots on campus to make use of their meal swipes, they can take comfort in the fact that Villanova dining services are constantly looking to enhance services for the student body.