UC Davis limits meal plan sharing, angers students

DAVIS, Calif. — This year, UC Davis Dining Services and Student Housing will implement new dining commons policies regarding guest meals and take-out food, amongst other changes to the three dining areas on campus, for all students with meal plans.

In response to these changes, a discussion was launched on the Facebook group titled “Sell/Buy DC Swipes” at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

The biggest change to dining commons policies this year, fueling the online forum, is a new limit on “guest” swipes available to students who purchase a meal plan.

“We will be limiting the number of guest swipes, a swipe that allows a student to bring in an outside guest, to 10,” said Office of Student Development Director Branden Pettit in an email interview.

Many students with meal plans that have been known to swipe others in are involved with larger on-campus organizations. Pettit explained that the limit was placed to protect these students from being pressured by their peers from clubs, sports teams and other extracurricular activities to swipe in groups.

However, the limit is a blow to online exchange groups like “Sell/Buy DC Swipes” which relied on previous policies allowing students to swipe in guests as often as they wanted.

“A year ago, freshmen could sell their swipes to other students, particularly upperclassmen and graduate students, if they had any leftover swipes at the end of their last quarter as freshmen,” said second-year design major Rachel Kreager. “Those students were then able to get the swipes at a much lower price than what [they normally cost]. This not only helps the freshmen get a few bucks back, but also lets [other] students eat and save money.”

The “Sell/Buy DC Swipes” page was made to facilitate the exchange of swipes into the DC, encouraging freshmen to use swipes