Clear and effective communication is the first of many challenges facing campuses across the nation as they gear up for a highly unpredictable fall semester. To get an inside perspective at what hurdles are presenting themselves, I touched base with two universities to see how they are building their communication strategies to reach students, their parents, and other concerned parties.

As July comes to an end, colleges and universities are still struggling to come to grips with how to pivot dining options and policies to best address the pandemic. While many institutions have announced fall attendance plans, it appears that specifics on student meal plans are still forming themselves to best fit the needs of a changing environment.

The impact of COVID-19 safety accommodations on menus is highly dependent on two things: a.) the campus’ resources, and b.) any changes in enrollment that cause services to be amended in the fall. Obviously, with unlimited resources, there does not need to be any impact on a campus’ menus.

With so much discussion surrounding how foodservice operators are planning new changes for the fall semester and beyond, we thought we’d take a brief moment to check into what current college students are expecting to find (if and) when they return.