U Of L Hopes To Cut Meal Plan Cost

The University of Louisville hopes to cut the price of a mandatory meal plan.The plan takes effect next fall and charges all full-time undergraduate commuter students $250 each semester. It's part of the school's contract with food-service provider Sodexo to improve dining options on campus.Students and administrators are now hoping to have the school renegotiate the contract,  under which the meal plans would cost $175 per semester. Dean of Students Michael Mardis says the discount has strong support, but would change the proposed dining improvements."What we aren't doing that we previously would have done is make enhancements to the student activity center," he says. "Within that original plan we were going to bring online a completely new, all-you-can-eat food service option in the student center," he says. "That would have cost a few million more dollars."The matter goes before the Board of Trustees next month.