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December 2, 2015
Dr. Fayneese Miller
President of Hamline University
Hamline University
1536 Hewitt Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
Dear President Miller,
On October 24, 2015, I gained approval to study the feasibility of Hamline University creating
their food from scratch. I am pleased to inform you I have accomplished my objective and this
report will explain the feasibility of Hamlines dining services creating their food from scratch.
In this report I will cover the research I have completed, the results of my research, and my
recommendations for moving forward.
My interest in this topic began my first year at Hamline when I lived in the dorms and ate on
campus. I realized quickly that nutrition was a big part of my success in school. Since then, I
have been a New Student Mentor for a First-Year Seminar on the importance of nutrition. Many
of my friends have talked about how hard it is to eat at Hamline with required or specialized
diets. I chose this topic to research ways to improve the quality of students experience while
here at Hamline.
During this study I had to think of many options Hamline could do to improve their dining
services. The two best options are Hamline making all of their food from scratch, or partnering
with a new company that is dedicated to providing fresh and local produce. More research will
have to be done on Hamlines budget before a final verdict is made. It is feasible for Hamline to
make their food from scratch.
Thank you for allowing me to conduct research and finish my project.
Sincerely,
Adriana Anderson
English 1800 student

Enclosure: Feasibility Report

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Switching Hamline Universitys Dining Services:

A Feasibility Report
Adriana Anderson
English 1800
Intro to Professional Writing and Rhetoric
December 2, 2015

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Abstract

This paper summarizes a feasibility study of Hamline University creating their food from
scratch. In October 2015, 28 Hamline students from Krista Sorias Intro To Professional Writing
and Rhetoric class were surveyed about their thoughts on nutrition and Hamlines dining
services. Other secondary research contains peer-reviewed journal articles and studies. The
findings show nutrition is very important to the cognitive ability of students, and Hamline has
room for improvement. If is feasible for Hamline to make the food from scratch. More research
needs to be done into Hamlines budget and available funds for dining services to decide whether
working within Hamline or partnering with a different company will work best for the university.

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Table of Contents
Abstract..............................................................................................................2
Table of Contents..................................................................................................3
Introduction.........................................................................................................4
Methods.............................................................................................................5
Results...............................................................................................................7
Nutrition and Academic Performance......................................................................7
Is a Change Wanted....................................................................................................... 8
Budget..................................................................................................................... 10

Conclusions.......................................................................................................12
Recommendations...............................................................................................13
References........................................................................................................14
Appendix: Questionnaire...............................................................................15

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Introduction
Currently Hamline University is contracted with Aramark for their food supply. Aramark
supplies food to colleges, hospitals, prisons, as well as a few other industries (Aramark, 2015).
One way Hamline University can continue to improve as an institution is to make their own food
instead of using a private food supplier. Not being contracted with a privatized company will
allow Hamline to easily and quickly adjust to students dietary wants and needs.
Nutrition is an important part of cognitive function: diets high in saturated fat actually
reduce cognitive ability and can lead to mental dysfunction; however, diets high in omega-3 fatty
acids can improve mental function (Gomez-Pinilla, 2008). It is important for Hamline University
to provide the most nutritious food possible to its students, because of the effects shown between
food and mental ability.
Flexibility is very important for university dining. Many students are on diets because of
health problems such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, or because of personal beliefs such
as animal cruelty or religion. By having a large corporation running Hamlines dining services it
can be difficult for students voices to be heard and changes to be made quickly.
It is feasible for Hamline University to make their food from scratch. More research
should be conducted to determine if Hamline can operate alone or if they will need to partner
with a food management corporation more in line with the university. It is essential a new
company would be aligned with Hamlines values and focused on fresh, local, and sustainable
food.
In the following sections I will cover my methods used for my research including steps
and keywords, the criteria questions I based my outcome on, the results of the research
completed, my conclusions, and my recommendations of this study.

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Methods
The following is a summary of the research I have completed. This research gave me a
better understanding of how nutrition affects students and students satisfaction with dining
services.

Created survey regarding Hamline Universitys dining services and the impact nutrition
has on students

Gathered 28 responses for my survey from Hamline students in Krista Sorias Intro To
Professional Writing and Rhetoric class

Analyzed the data from the surveys and created graphics showing the results

Started searching through Hamline Bush Memorial Librarys Summons using keywords
such as academics, nutrition, and students but only information about elementary
schools breakfasts and lunches

Began to add college and young adult into my searches and found studies about
multiple health factors and their impacts on college students academics

Searched college and nutrition but mostly found majors based on nutrition

Searched for Aramark specifically but was not successful and only found articles on
information about the whole company.

Studied the peer-reviewed articles found researching the effects of nutrition on the brain
and college students nutrition habits

Researched other food management companies such as Bon Appetit and their values and
objectives

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After I evaluated the information, I made my recommendations based on the following

questions:

Does better nutrition improve academic performance?

Do Hamline students want food and nutrition improved on campus?

Will it be cheaper or more expensive to make the food from scratch and does Hamline
have the budget if it is more expensive?

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Results

Nutrition and Academic Performance

I analyzed results found after surveying 28 students about dining at Hamline University. I
wanted to know the impact dining has on students nutrition and diets and how they felt about
their experience. To know how much of an impact dining has, I had to find out how many
students actually eat at Hamline. Figure 1 shows the percentage of surveyed students who eat on
and off campus. Out of 28 students only 11 eat on campus; that is less than half. Those who do
eat on campus listed eating at Subway, Bishops Bistro, Leos Corner, and the Piper Grill.
Eating on or off campus actually impacts students dietary habits. According to Small,
Bailey-Davis, Morgan, and Maggs (2012), Living off campus exacerbated declines in both fruit
and vegetable consumption and moderate physical activity (para. 15). Ghosh and Saha (2013)
found that, Of the various vitamins, Vitamin C has the strongest correlation with academic
status, followed by Vitamin A Riboflavin and Thiamine respectively (p. 51). By living off
campus, students are missing the most impactful vitamin for mental cognition available. We
know that nutrition greatly impacts mental cognition. Gomez-Pinilla (2008) states, We now
know that particular nutrients influence cognition by acting on molecular systems or cellular
processes that are vital for maintaining cognitive function (p. 11).

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On Campus
Off Campus

Figure 1. Percentage of students surveyed that dine on Hamline Universitys campus.

One of Hamlines values is, the development and education of the whole person
(Hamline University, 2015). A person must receive the required nutrients to develop and grow
academically. A study by the University of Michigan showed that when a school used an outside
source for their food, there was more access to high-fat and high-sugar foods. It also found that
the money saved using an outside company to prepare food is used in contractor fees and
supplies (Zullo, 2008).

Is a Change Wanted
In the survey I asked, How important is nutrition to you? Figure 2 shows the results
from very important to not important. The graph shows that many Hamline students care a
lot about nutrition. Seventeen out of twenty-eight students believe nutrition is very important and
are concerned about what they are putting into their body. Some of the complaints I received

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about dining services include not enough fresh fruits and vegetables, wanting healthier options,
and a better selection for vegetarians and vegans.

Figure 2. Hamline University students value on the importance of nutrition.

I also asked the students surveyed how satisfied they feel about Hamline Universitys
dining services. In Figure 3 it is visible that students are evenly distributed on how they feel. Not
one person replied that they like it, but the rest are evenly spread between passive and hate it.
When one student wrote there were not enough options, the next wrote there were plenty.
Hamline will not be able to please every student, but there is obvious room for improvement.

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Figure 3. Students rating of Hamline Universitys dining services.

Nutrition is deeply individual. According to the Food Allergy Research & Education
Organization, about nine million adults in the United States have food allergies (FARE, 2015).
Not only do many Americans have food allergies, but they also have special diets including
vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, and more. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, if an
adult is a vegan they have to get 5.5 ounces of protein from beans, nuts and soy, which are foods
that are not as readily available. (USDA, 2010). These are items not as frequently served as
different meats. It is important to provide a large range of nutritional food so Hamline is easily
including all students in its dining services.
A diverse student population means there will be many different diets that must be
catered to, and flexibility becomes very important. Students may have strict diets due to health or
beliefs. By having a large corporation in charge of dining services many students do not get their
voices heard and change can take longer to happen. It is much more difficult to talk to the head
of dining when they are in an office building states away.

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Budget
I was unable to find information about Hamline Universitys budget because it is a
private institution. Further research is required to see how much budget is available and if it
would cover making all the food from scratch or if Hamline should partner with a different
company such as Bon Appetit, a food management company focused on fresh, local products.
Hamline should make sure that a future partnership will involve a company whose values and
objectives align with Hamline such as healthy, local, and sustainable foods and practices.
Hamline University has the opportunity to improve the quality of its students lives. By
changing dining services to making food from scratch, they can improve nutrition quality,
academics and cognitive function, students satisfaction, and flexibility. Depending on the
budget, Hamline may have to partner with a food management company to assist with the food
preparation.

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Conclusions
Hamline University is currently contracted with Aramark for their food services.
Unfortunately Aramark may not be the best fit for Hamlines students. Through my research I
discovered that many students are dissatisfied with dining services and less than half of the
students surveyed eat on campus. According to studies, when students eat off campus they tend
to eat less fruits and vegetables which are the main sources of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is the one
vitamin most correlated with academic performance because nutrition has a direct impact on
cognitive ability.
It is feasible for Hamline University to create their food from scratch. Depending on the
budget they may have to partner with a food management company to help with food
preparation.

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Recommendations
Based upon the research, the following recommendations can be concluded from this
study:

Conduct more research on the budget Hamline University dining services has
Survey a larger group of students on what they want out of dining services
Terminate the contract with Aramark
Analyze the cost of making all food from scratch against the budget
Research food management companies if budget requires a new partnership
Partner with a new company focused on fresh, local food if making food from scratch is
not feasible

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References
Food Allergy Research & Education. (2015). Food allergy facts and statistics for the U.S.
Retrieved from https://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=194
Ghosh, S., & Saha, H. (2013). The role of adequate nutrition on academic performance of college
students in North Tripura. Tojned, 3(3), p. 41-53.
Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brain foods: The effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews
Neuroscience, 9(7), 568-578.
Oregon State University. (2011). Study: College students not eating enough fruits and veggies.
Retrieved from http://oregonstate.edu/
Small, M., Bailey-Davis, L., Morgan, N., & Maggs, J. (2012). Changes in eating and physical
activity behaviors across seven semesters of college: Living on or off campus matters.
Health Education & Behavior, 40(4). 435-441.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2010)
Dietary guidelines for Americans. 7th Ed. Retrieved from
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/
Zullo, R. (2008). Privatized school food service and student performance in Michigan: A
preliminary report.

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Appendix:Questionnaire
1. How many years have you attended Hamline University
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four
e. Five or More
2. What gender do you identify with?
a. Male
b. Female
c. Neither
d. Other
3. Do you live on or off campus?
a. On Campus
b. Off campus
4. Do you have a Hamline meal plan
a. Yes
b. No
5. Do you eat on campus?
a. Yes
b. No
6. Where do you eat on campus?
a. Bishops Bistro (Main Cafeteria)

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b. The Piper Grill

c. Subway
d. The C-Store
7. How often do you eat on campus?
a. Daily
b. A few times a week
c. A few times a month
d. A few times a semester
e. Never
8. How do you feel about Hamlines dining services?
Like it

Hate it

9. Is nutrition important to you?

Very Important

Not Important

10. Do you feel your health needs are met through Hamlines dining? Why or why not?
11. Would you support Hamline switching to a pay by the item system instead of a buffet?
a. Yes
b. No
12. What items would you prefer if Hamline switches to pay by the item?
a. Salads
b. Sandwiches
c. Burgers
d. Stir-fry
e. Pasta

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f. Other ___________
13. What is one thing you would like to change about dining services?
14. Would Hamline making their food from scratch influence your decision to eat on

campus?

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