BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Hungry students at Lynn University are never hungry for long, thanks to the school’s relatively new 24-hour dining system. Cramming at 3am doesn’t mean you have to be without food and drink — and you don’t have to leave campus to get it.
From Lynn University:
Lynn University recently made national news after it decided to keep its cafeteria open 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. Inside Higher-Ed reported on Lynn’s dining changes and says, though the move isn’t unheard of, it is rare for a university its size. Lynn made the changes in part because administrators saw that it was difficult for some students – athletes, working and international students – to eat at the scheduled times. Many needed to eat later in the evening. Since the 24/7 schedule, it has become apparent that students use Elmore Dining Commons not only for meals but to study and socialize with friends.
LATER HOURS, DIFFERENT CLASSES
The 24-hour dining option not only provides students with an opportunity to eat at later hours, but it allows about 25 new courses to be offered in new time slots. According to Inside Higher Ed, a two-hour 5 p.m. class would have been unthinkable previously, but with the new hours it’s now an option – and a popular one among students.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Gregg Cox says students are more engaged and awake in their evening classes, rather than an 8 a.m. class. “It’s our role to meet students where they are and find a time that works best for them educationally,” he says.
According to Brian Bowser, general manager of the dining services, Lynn University appears to be one of the first institutions of its size to make such a transition. Although the 24-hour dining concept took a few weeks to catch on, the dining hall has become a popular late-night destination on campus frequented by up to 300 visitors. These changes came to light after Lynn renovated and reopened Elmore Dining Commons last summer and contracted with food provider Sodexo.
