Would you like to use an MPE or points? The amount of times I have been asked this question in the mere month I have been a student at Villanova is astronomical. However, I find myself guessing which answer to respond with because I have no idea what this means. There is so much confusion when it comes to Villanova’s meal plan, and it often leaves room for lots of mistakes. Whether that is accidentally using a method we didn’t want to use or being unsure of what our meal plan even covers, it can be overwhelming. However, our meal plan is constructed with a bigger purpose than just the eating habits of an individual student.
As a freshman, coming into college for the first time, one of the most helpful parts of Orientation was the explanation of the meal plan. My Orientation Counselor sat all of us down and showed us what MPEs were, how we used points, what NovaBucks are and how many meals we had per week depending on our plan. Despite how helpful Villanova is with showing students how all of this works, do we really need all of these options on our plans?
Personally, I think that we do. I hear so many complaints regarding how confusing our meal plan is and how students don’t need all of these methods of payment or help. Yet, there are many students in our community who come from various financial backgrounds and this meal plan system helps to ensure no one feels left out. Students who don’t have the means to put disposable cash on their NovaBucks account are provided with points per semester that they can use so they also can go grab some candy or a treat from Spit’s convenience store. Meanwhile, students who are worried about being able to pay for their coffee date with a friend can just exchange one of their extra meals for the week so they don’t have to think twice about it.
The meal plan system can be a lot to understand because there are so many nuances, as our Villanova community is very nuanced. Villanova aims to create an inclusive community where no student needs to feel out of place and this meal plan system is another example of Villanova’s position on the importance of community.
“The meal plan system here wasn’t constructed with the intention of making anyone’s lives harder or more confusing but rather accommodating each student’s financial and dining situation,” freshman Megan Lawn said. “For myself, I am a gluten-free student here on campus, so having a wide variety of options with a flexible meal plan not only gives me lots of dining options, but it makes me feel included with my friends even when I cannot eat the same food as them.”
As a fellow gluten-intolerant student on campus, I understand the struggle that students with various dietary needs have on campus, as well. I have been struggling with my dietary health for more than a year and I was nervous because I didn’t want to have a limited amount of options or feel left out. With this wide-range meal plan, I am able to eat at all of the same places as my friends, including Holy Grounds and Cafe Nova, and not have to worry about bringing food from somewhere else.
I understand, especially as a freshman, how confusing the meal plan situation can be. However, in my opinion, the Orientation Counselors do an incredible job at explaining the system to us. I felt well-prepared going into the dining halls after Orientation since the system had been explained and the employees have been so helpful. I have been in multiple scenarios where a friend would ask an employee in the Spit convenience store how a certain aspect of NovaBucks or points worked and they were more than happy to help us understand.
I think that these benefits are ones that you cannot find at every university and add value to Villanova as a whole. I feel lucky to be at a university that supports the financial and dietary needs of each student through the meal plan options. It can get confusing with all of the nuances to the plan to include all students and their situations, but everyone is very helpful. The meal plan system at Villanova is one that benefits all students and is the best system to support all Villanovans.
