University Dining Services

We will continue receiving student applications through August 22nd. We will review all the applications and hire students according to experience, availability and preferences. We should have this completed by the beginning of September. We usually have enough openings to offer every qualified applicant a job. However, depending on how many applications we receive, it may not be possible to hire every student who applies. We intend to notify every applicant, by email, with a decision one way or the other.

Applicants who have relevant food service experience are given priority. Other work experience is also considered.

This year, University Dining Services plans to offer employment to about 400 student applicants for the beginning of fall quarter. This number is in addition to about 200 existing student employees who are continuing work with us.

Student employees who have the most relevant experience will have the greatest likelihood of working in their preferred choice of dining service locations. However, you may be offered a position in a location other than your top choice for other reasons. For example, we may have more qualified applicants than we have positions to fill. For some positions such as barista, we only need to hire five people, while for general dining hall workers need to hire over 300 new employees.

Applicants who are hired will be assigned a unit, but may not necessarily be assigned to a specific job within that unit. At Student Employment Day, on September 20th, you will learn about your unit and will be able to sign up for the position and shifts that you are able to work. Returning student employees will be able to choose their positions first because of seniority. Each unit is different, so the jobs vary from location to location. At the Resident Dining locations, employees may cashier, stock shelves, maintain the food servery or assist with food prep. At Retail Dining locations, employees may do everything from making espresso to cashiering to stocking shelves to food prep. Catering is a little different. Scheduling of employees will be based on actual catering events. When you are hired, you will submit your availability to the Catering supervisors, and then you will be scheduled accordingly.

Applicants who are hired to work at a dining hall, cafe or market will be assigned a unit, but not a schedule. At Student Employment Day, you will learn about your new unit and will sign up for the times and days of the week (shifts) that you would like to work. Returning student employees will be able to choose their shifts first because of seniority. Each unit is open at different hours, so the schedules will vary from location to location. When you sign up for a shift, you will be responsible for that shift the entire quarter. If you are hired to work in catering, you will provide your availability to the supervisors and then you will be scheduled to work when there are catering events to staff.

Entry-level student employees working in the dining halls or catering unit will start at $8.50 per hour. Entry level retail employees will start at $8.25 per hour. You can expect to receive a performance review at the end of fall quarter, with the potential for a merit increase. We then plan to do student performance reviews annually, each year at the end of fall quarter.

Yes. It is required that all student employees attend Student Employment Day in order to receive the required annual training, to be assured a job with a particular unit and the opportunity to sign up for shifts. If you are unable to attend due to pre-existing travel plans, you will need to get in touch with our HR Coordinator (360-650-4991) in advance of Student Employment Day to make arrangements for hiring after you arrive to campus. You will have to make up the missed training and will likely face fewer options in terms of open shifts.

If you are a new hire you will receive $50 of Employee Dining Dollars (Aux Points) for your participation in Student Employment Day. The requirements to receive this compensation are: 1) You attend the entire orientation day on September 20th, 2) you work the majority of fall quarter and 3) you have all your employment paperwork signed and up to date. The $50 of Employee Dining Dollars will be awarded to your account during the first week of November. Current (continuing) student employees will be paid at their current hourly wage for the time spent in meetings and training (less a lunch break). Employee Dining Dollars (or Aux Points) can be used to pay for any purchase at any of our on-campus cafes, markets or dining halls.

Yes, in accordance with Washington State law and company policy, every employee must provide us with a copy of a valid Washington State Food Handler's Card. You should get a Food Handler's Card before you attend Student Employment Day. You can get this at any Washington State county health department during the summer, or go to the Whatcom County Health Department offices in Bellingham. For your convenience, we plan to have the Whatcom County Health Dept come to Western Washington University on the afternoon of Friday, September 19th for on-campus testing. This will be held at the Ridgeway Commons. Check our web site for exact time and other details on this after August 31st.

The day will start with check-in at 7:30 am at the WWU Performing Arts Center plaza. Next, the management team will present an orientation and training session inside the Performing Arts Center in which we%u2019ll discuss our goals, philosophies and operations with you. A variety of short training presentations will inform you about important aspects of high quality food, safety and customer service. You will end the day with a unit-specific orientation and shift scheduling. Depending on the length of your unit-specific meeting, you should be finished sometime between 3:30 pm and 5:00 pm. A snack break will be provided mid-morning and we will also provide you with lunch at approximately 1p.m. when you leave the PAC and go to your unit-specific meetings.

No, you will need to apply online for Early Arrival so that University Residences can expect you. Make sure to indicate that you will be moving in early because of Dining Services employment. We will pay for your early move in charges provided that you sign-in and attend Student Employment Day, and that you work for Dining Services through the majority of fall quarter. If you are not able to work through the majority of fall quarter or if you do not sign-in on Student Employment Day, your student account will be charged for the early arrival. If you do not plan on working for us, please plan to pay for your early move-in as an individual.

Yes. First of all, if you are not offered a job with University Dining Services right away, keep in mind that we may have additional student staffing needs throughout the academic year. These positions will be filled on an as-needed basis at each of our dining locations. If you are looking to find another type of job on campus, a good resource is the WWU Center for Student Employment.

The District Manager of University Dining Services reviews petition to insure that University Catering has first right of refusal to serve food on campus. Most exemption requests are granted. In the event an exemption is denied the sponsoring department head may request an additional review by an appeals panel. The District Manager will convene a panel drawn from the Campus Dining Committee.

Outside restaurants and small private food providers need to operate from properly inspected facilities when serving food at a campus location. Events in private homes off campus are exempt.

Safety precautions must be followed to prepare, transport, hold, reheat and dispose of potentially hazardous foods. Safe food handling procedures help to protect against potential food borne illness outbreaks. The University Catering staff will advise the sponsoring department of safe practices by which outside providers must abide.

University Catering will attempt to offer alternatives that will meet the budget.

Pepsi has an exclusive campus contract that prohibits the sale and serving of non-Pepsi products.

Your Flex Points are allocated over the whole quarter. So, if you leave in the middle of a quarter you're only allotted half of your points. If you spend more than the allotted amount you must pay the difference.

Unlike Flex Points (which are affiliated with meal plans), Munch Money does NOT expire at the end of each quarter. Munch Money balances roll over year to year as long as you are enrolled or employed at WWU! Unused balances may be returned to the student or employee upon written request for the following reasons: leaving WWU or termination of employment. However, the balance will first be used for any outstanding University debts.

To find your current Flex Point or Munch Money balance, go to the Dining Balances page. You can also ask any Dining Services cashier on campus or inquire at University Dining Services main office in Eden's Hall 109, call the University Dining Services Office at 360.650.2970 or the Housing Cashier at 360.650.3744.

Students, faculty or staff of Western Washington University may purchase Munch Money. You will need your W# at time of purchase. Your purchase options include:

1. Pay by phone with Visa or MasterCard by calling the Housing Cashier at 360.650.3744
2. Mail payment to:
   Office of University Residences
   Western Washington University
   Edens Hall 108
   516 High Street
   Bellingham, WA 98225-9195
3. Pay by cash, check or credit card by visiting the Housing Cashier in Edens Hall.
4. An on-line Munch Money payment option is being developed. When this is in place, you will no longer be able to purchase Munch Money by telephone.

Munch Money is a way to create a Dining Services debit account on your Western Card. You will be able to use it at any Dining Service location - Resident Dining or any of our Retail Eateries, Espresso Bars and Markets. With each swipe of your card, your Munch Money balance will decline. Purchasing food and beverages using Munch Money is very economical.
A new Munch Money program debuting in late-July will enable customers to save even more! Detail will be available here soon.

Flex Points are not sold independent of a meal plan; in other words, they cannot be purchased directly. However, if a student runs out of Flex Points and wants a similar type of flexibility and convenience, the best thing to do would be to purchase Munch Money.

Flex Points are a feature included with some of the meal plans. The benefit is added flexibility. Flex Points can be used as a form of payment at any Western Washington University Dining Services location. One Flex Point is worth $1.00. Just like meals, Flex Points are associated with the student W#. In order to use Flex Points, the student simply presents their Western Card to the cashier at time of purchase. Flex Points expire at the end of each quarter. For example, the Platinum plan includes $170 worth of Flex Points each quarter. If a student has $2 worth of Flex Points remaining at the end of the quarter, those remaining Flex Points will not carryover to the next quarter. However, if the student is continuing on the Platinum meal plan in winter quarter, a new balance of $170 of worth Flex Points is available at the start of winter quarter.

After your meal plan is adjusted, any refunds will be credited to your student account and will apply towards current or future charges.

When you increase your meal plan your WWU student account will be billed.

To change your meal plan you must visit the University Dining Services Office in Edens Hall, Suite 109. You can increase your plan at anytime during the year. You can decrease your plan within two specific time periods each quarter (found below). This information can also be found in the Residential Community Handbook.

The dates to decrease your meal plan for the 2007-2008 academic year are:
Fall Quarter - September 24-28 & October 22-26, 2007
Winter Quarter - January 7-11 & February 4-8, 2008
Spring Quarter - March 31 - April 4 & April 28 - May 2, 2008

In order to cancel your meal plan you need to go to the Housing Assignment Office, in the main lobby of Edens Hall, and fill out a cancellation form. You can also mail a cancellation form or e-mail the Assignments office (assignments@wwu.edu) indicating which meal plan you have and would like to cancel. If you are due a refund for unused meals, your WWU student account will be credited. Housing Assignments can be reached at 360.650.6565 (open 8:00a-5:00p Mon-Fri).

You will need to fill out an Academic Year Agreement and sign a Housing Signature form at the Housing Assignments Office in the Edens Hall main lobby (8:00a - 5:00p, Mon - Fri). Quarterly meal plan rates are available for off-campus students. Housing Assignments can be reached at 360.650.6565.

If you live in a University Residence Hall you will be required to purchase a meal plan. A meal plan is usually purchased at the beginning of the school year or the beginning of an academic quarter, and remains in effect until the end of the school year. If you live off campus you may purchase a meal plan but it is not required. Munch Money can be purchased at any time throughout the year. Munch Money can be purchased by any WWU faculty, staff, or student with or without a meal plan. Unused Munch Money rolls over each quarter and stays on your card until you leave Western.

Each meal plan was designed with certain lifestyles in mind. It's best to pick one that fits your routine and eating habits. Review a complete description of our meal plans to help you decide. Notice that each meal plan varies in the number of meals, meal time access, and number of Flex Points and guest meals it offers.

During Western's academic session (Fall, Winter, Spring), Fairhaven Commons, Ridgeway Commons, and Viking Commons are all open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and will have their own hours of operation for each meal. Light lunch and late night dining may also be available at specific locations.

To make arrangements for a large group prior to a meal you will need to contact the University Dining Services main office in Edens Hall 109. We can be reached at 360.650.2970, 8:00a - 5:00p, Mon - Fri or by using our online questions & comments form.

To find out if space is available in a dining facility, please call University Dining Services at 360.650.2675. When you call to reserve a space you will need to answer the following questions:

• When are you planning on having the event?
• Where do you want the event to be held?
• How many people are there going to be attending?
• What is the event that you need the facility for?
• Is the event catered?
• What times will you need the facility?
• How will the reservation and the use of the facility be paid for?

Yes, there is a link on our menu that takes you to where you can find nutrition facts. This will help you know what you're eating and enable you to plan ahead.

Yes, right now we have four Markets on-campus that offer you an array of different toiletries and products that any other convenient store might offer. The Haven Market & Lounge is located just below the Fairhaven Commons, Miller Market is located in Miller Hall in Red Square, Ridgeway Market is inside Ridgeway Commons and BT Market is located inside Buchanan Towers.

The Cafés & Markets offer a variety of selections, including fresh baked goods, coffee and espresso beverages, sandwiches, pizza, salads, soups, snacks and non-food convenience items. A few of our locations also offer grilled selections such as hamburgers, waffle fries, chicken sandwiches, and chicken strips.

Each of our locations have different hours of operation. Some open earlier and some stay open later. Each location will also have special hours on holidays and during academic breaks and intersessions.

We have several dining locations that are open after dinner hours and are available to meet your late night snacking needs or studying habits. For a complete list of locations open late please visit our Late Night Dining page.

There are four locations on-campus where cash machines are available. Cash machines can be found at:

• Viking Union 6th floor
• Red Square, next to Miller Hall
• Arntzen Lecture Hall
• Behind the Rock's Edge Café

Contact the Western Card Office immediately, 650-7414. A replacement card may be purchased ($8) at the Western Card Office (The cost of a replacement card can be charged to your student account; otherwise cash, credit, and checks are accepted at the Housing Cashier).

Temporary arrangements can be made through the individual services:

• Library privileges: Wilson Library Circulation Desk (650-3084)
• Dining Services: see the Dining Hall staff at any of the dining halls or contact Dining Services (650-2970).

Cash, Munch Money, Flex Points and University Dining Services Gift Cards are all acceptable forms of payment at all of our dining locations on-campus. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, and Discover Card are accepted at all retail locations. Checks are not currently accepted.

The University Dining Services main office located in Edens Hall 109, is open 8:00a - 5:00p, Mon - Fri during the regular academic session. Office hours may vary during intersessions and on holidays. The office is generally open Sunday afternoon (12:00p - 4:00p) the weekend just before the start of each quarter.

You can call University Catering directly at 360.650.3933, fax them at 360.650.3078 or visit them on the web at http://catering.wwu.edu/.