NEW HAVEN Conn. Yale University officials said the school would return to a self-operated dining program when a 10-year contract with Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp. expires on Jan. 1.
Students and union leaders have criticized the university’s foodservice during the 10 years it was managed by Aramark. University officials, however, said the decision to self-operate the facilities had nothing to do with the contractor’s performance. They said that Aramark was originally hired to improve the quality and finances of the program, and that “the need for outside management has disappeared” now that those goals have been met, said Ernst Huff, Yale’s associate vice president for student financial and administrative services.
The menu, which was redesigned last year, will remain mostly untouched, Huff said, though he noted that Yale’s dining services department plans to improve the quality of the offerings. Also remaining intact is the university’s renowned Sustainable Food Project, an in-house program that has grown significantly since it was introduced four years ago.
Yale is conducting a national search for a new executive director to lead its dining services department, a post currently held by an Aramark employee.