Pete Cleveland, general manager
Ext. 3703
Marbeck Center Commons
Bluffton provides dining facilities in Marbeck Center. The Commons is operated primarily for boarding students, but also serves non-boarding students and others on a per meal basis. Faculty and staff are invited to join the students at any meal.
Students seeking employment should contact staff in the financial aid office who in turn will work with dining services for student placement.
All food and most beverages with the exception of entrees are available to boarding students in unlimited amounts during the regularly scheduled meal times.
General food service policies:
1. All food served in the Commons with the exception of unpeeled fruits and ice cream cones must be eaten in the Commons. No beverages may be taken from the Commons.
2. No one may eat after posted meal hours without special permission granted prior to the particular meal. No one is allowed behind the cafeteria line or in the kitchen without permission.
3. Boarding students who are sick may receive a carry-out tray by contacting the campus nurse. The nurse will inform the food service director or assistant director; only with the nurse’s notification may a friend pick up a tray for a sick student. If the campus nurse is unavailable, the hall director or resident advisor may call food service with this information.
4. Sack lunches are available to boarding students only when campus organizations plan activities that occur off-campus over a regularly scheduled mealtime.
5. Plates, bowls, silverware, glasses and other related items are not to be taken out of the Commons.
Meal plan options
Bluffton dining services currently offers residential students a choice of three meal plans. An additional plan is available only for commuting students.
Full Value 20 Plus
Our best value meal plan provides students with personal access to 20 meals per week in the Commons throughout the semester. Plus, students receive $50 in Beaver Bucks per semester that can be used for purchases in Bob’s Place or to pay for meals for students or guests in the Commons.
Students may eat up to three meals a day (excluding Sunday.)
Premier 15 Plus
This plan provides students with access to 15 meals per week in the Commons. Plus, students receive $100 in Beaver Bucks per semester that can be used for purchases in Bob’s Place or to pay for meals for the student or guests in the Commons.
Basic 10 Plus
This plan provides students with access to 10 meals per week in the Commons. Plus, students receive $150 in Beaver Bucks per semester that can be used for purchases in Bob’s Place or to pay for meals for the student or guests in the Commons. This plan is only available for upperclass students for the fall semester.
Commuter 5 Plus
This plan provides commuting students with the option of five meals per week in the Commons. Plus, commuting students receive $100 in Beaver Bucks that can be used for purchases in Bob’s Place or additional meals in the Commons. This plan is only available for commuting students.
General meal plan
information
• Meals are offered on a per week basis and do not roll over from week to week.
• The meal week runs from Monday breakfast through Sunday dinner.
• Only two meals are served on Sunday.
• Students are permitted to use available meals on their meal plan for family, freinds, or guests to eat in the Commons. This option is not available for meal exchange in Bob’s Place.
• Residential students who do not select a meal plan during the room draw process or during summer orientation will have the Premier 15 Plus plan selected for them. Changes must be made before the start of classes.
• First year students must select between the Full Value 20 Plus of the Premier 15 Plus meal plans for the fall semester. First year students may select the Basic 10 Plus meal plan beginning in the spring semester. Changes may be made before the start of spring semester classes.
Meal plan changes
Residential students must select a meal plan for the fall semester during the room draw process or during one of the summer orientation sessions. Students may change meal plans for the upcoming semester at any time before the start of classes for that semester. A student may not change plans for a current semester. Students should notify the business office of any meal plan changes. The business office will notify dining services of the change. Exceptions to this policy can only be made by the dean of students.
Meal plan selection
Returning students will select their meal plan during the room draw process in April. Returning residential students who do not select a meal plan during the room draw process will have the Premier 15 Plus plan selected for them. New students will select their meal plan during their summer orientation session. Commuting students and students who do not select meal plans at summer orientation may do so at the business office. This should be done prior to the first day of classes.
Meal plan cancellation
Meal plans may only be cancelled when a student withdraws from the university or at the request of the dean of students.
Lost ID card
Students who lose their ID card should obtain a new card from the business office. The replacement cost for a new card is $10. Should a card be lost when the business office is closed, students may report it to food service. A temporary card for meals can be issued at the cost of $10. This fee can be paid in cash or charged to the student’s account. This fee will be applied to the cost of the replacement ID provided that the temporary card is returned at the time of ID replacement. Any meals taken on a temporary card that are in addition to those allowed by your meal plan will be deducted from your Beaver Bucks account or charged to your account at the casual rate. Bluffton University is not responsible for any loss, theft or misuse of the ID card. It is the student’s responsibility and should be safe guarded at all times.
Entrance to the Commons
A valid student Bluffton University ID is required in order to enter the Marbeck Commons for meals or for students to use Beaver Bucks. Students without a valid Bluffton ID will not be premitted to enter. They may pay the casual meal rate to gain access to the dining area. The ID is non-transferable and can only be used by the student to whom it was issued.
Unregistered students
Students who have not yet registered for classes after the start of the semester will not have their meal plan selection authorized. If they wish to eat meals in the Commons, they must pay the casual rate until they have officially registered for classes. There are no refunds for meals purchased during this time period prior to the authorization of the meal plan.
Beaver Bucks policies
Beaver Bucks are equvalent to cash and can be used to purchase any of a wide variety of food, snack and beverage items served in Bob’s Place. They can also be used in the Commons to pay for additional meals for the student, parents, friends or guests. While all of Bluffton’s meal plans include Beaver Bucks, all students or their parents have the option of adding Beaver Bucks to the ID card regardless of the meal plan chosen ($10 minimum).
Beaver Bucks that are part of a meal plan will be applied to the student’s ID at the beginning of each semester. Unused meal plan Beaver Bucks from fall semester will roll over into spring semester, but will not be available after the end of the academic year.
Beaver Bucks may also be added to any student ID in any amount ($10 minimum.) Beaver Bucks added by students not only roll over from fall to spring semesters, they also roll over from year to year for as long as the student is enrolled at Bluffton.
Unused Beaver Bucks cannot be refunded.
