Strategic Plan

Mission

WMU Dining Services is a team dedicated to providing quality food, excellent service, and exceptional value while advancing the University mission and goals.

Dining Services Goal 1:

Provide outstanding products and service.

WMU Goal: Advance economic and environmental sustainability practices and policies.

Divisional Goal: Encourage healthy, ethical, and responsible behavior.

Objective 1:

Increase satisfaction with food choices in Dining Services for customers.

Strategy A: Offer locally roasted Water Street Coffee in Dining Services locations to increase customer satisfaction and sales.

Strategy B: Open a new Campus Café in the Library to increase food choices for students and guests on campus.  

Strategy C: Provide a mobile/online ordering capability within Dining Services to increase meal plan accessibility.

Strategy D: Establish a communication channel where students/survey respondents can see that their feedback is given consideration.

 Objective 2:

Increase customer satisfaction with hours of operation. 

Strategy A: Extend hours of Late-Nite Carryout at Café 1903 for increased student satisfaction. 

Objective 3:

Increase customer satisfaction with late-night services.

Strategy A: Restructure the offerings at Late-Nite Carryout at Café 1903 & Market for increased quality and efficiency.

Objective 4:  

Increase use of WMU Dining Services for faculty, staff and students living off campus or in the WMU apartments.

Strategy A: Dining Services will offer a promotional “Dining Day” to the campus community for a less expensive way to try out the Dining Centers. 

Strategy B: Restructure student Meal Plans to increase perceived value and create more options that can be tailored to fit individual life-styles. 

Dining Service Goal 2:

Assure a culture of service.

 WMU Goal: Promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive University culture to ensure social sustainability and accessibility. 

Divisional Goal: Encourage healthy, equitable, and responsible behavior. 

 Objective 1:

Dining Services will engage with opportunities to incorporate more diverse activities into operations and programming to create more inclusive working environments.

Strategy A: Dining Services management team performance evaluations will include the criteria of participation in two professional development activities, as requested by Student Affairs. 

Strategy B: Dining Services Management Staff Meetings provide space for conversations and to review material that will help to keep management team members up to date on what is expected behavior regarding inclusive University policies.

Objective 2:

Menu, food, point of sale information and labeling will be relevant to the needs of the customer to create a more inclusive dining environment.

Strategy A: Dining Services will focus on creating a more inclusive rotating menu, reflective of continued requests for halal, plant-based and gluten-free options. 

Strategy B: Dining Services will participate with Peta2 Survey for a rating on the level of vegan options offered by Western Michigan University Dining Services.

Objective 3:

Dining Services will expose students to visionary food choices and regional and international cuisines through recipes, menus and events.

Strategy A: Dining Services will host an international dinner in all dining centers on March 20, 2019 featuring an assortment of dishes from various Chinese provinces. 

Strategy B:   The international dinner will expose students to traditional Chinese cuisine from a variety of Chinese provinces.   

Objective 4:

Dining Services will create a positive impression for guests of WMU.

Dining Service Goal 3:

Operate with environmentally and fiscally responsible methods.

WMU Goal: Advance economic and environmental sustainability practices and policies.

Divisional Goal: Encourage healthy, ethical, and responsible behavior.

 Objective 1:

Dining Service will be in compliance with the State of Michigan Food Law.

Strategy A: Dining Services will offer a ServSafe Food Handlers course and a state-approved food allergen course by September 2019 to AFSCME staff who elect to attend to further enhance their food safety knowledge.   

Objective 2:

Dining Services will provide appropriate leadership and engagement in the New Student Center and Dining Facility project.

Strategy A: The Director of Dining Services will participate as a project leadership team member.

Strategy B: Dining Services team members will engage in the planning process to incorporate initiatives regarding Diversity and Multiculturalism into the new Dining Center.