Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is required to be on the Dining Plan?
- Where do students on the Dining Plan eat?
- When does the week begin?
- If I purchase a 19 Meals a week Plan but want to eat elsewhere on campus, how can I do this?
- Where can I use "Campus Cash " to purchase food?
- Do you have different types of "Debit Accounts"?
- Are there any limits to the amount of Campus Cash an individual can purchase?
- Do you have any plans for commuter students?
- How do people working in the food service areas know that I am on a Dining Plan or have Campus Cash?
- When and where do I purchase a Dining Plan and/or Campus Cash?
- I am a Freshman or Sophomore living in the residence halls and I have special dietary needs. Am I required to sign-up for a Dining Plan?
- What do I do if I'm sick and can't make it to Whitney Center?
- I have classes straight through the day and have a really hard time getting to Whitney Center. What can I do?
- What are "Guest Meals"?
- How can I get the most out of my Dining Plan?
- I'm really interested in learning more about the Campus Dining Service. What can I do?
- What are the Dining Service hours of Operation?
Who is required to be on the Dining Plan?
- Though any UW-L student may sign-up for a Dining Plan, according to University policy, "all students living in university-sanctioned residences are required to be on a traditional meal plan (either a Basic 19, Basic 14, 19 Plus, or 14 Plus meal plan option)." This policy also applies to all individuals living in Reuter Hall, but allows them the option of either signing up for a traditional dining plan (either a Basic 19, Basic 14, 19 Plus, or 14 Plus meal plan option), or the Reuter Block Plan.
Where do students on the Dining Plan eat?
- The Whitney Center is the primary location where people on the Dining Plan dine, the traditional dining plan can also be used at anytime in the Cellar. Campus Cash can be used in other dining locations.
- Block meals can be used in the Galley, Einsteins Bros, Murphy's Mug, and Centennial.
- The week for the Meal Plan begins with Breakfast on Sunday and ends on Saturday evening.
If I purchase a 19 Dining Plan but want to eat elsewhere on campus, how can I do this?
- In addition to the 19 meals a week you purchased with your Dining Plan, you also received $75.00 in Campus Cash. Campus Cash may be used at any of the food service locations on campus.
Where can I use Campus Cash to purchase food?
- Campus Cash can be used to purchase food in The Galley, The Cellar, Einstein Bros, Red Mango, Whitney Center Food Court Dining Room, Flying Star Diner, or the Convenience Store.
Do you have different types of Debit Accounts?
- There are two different categories of Debit Accounts.
- Campus Cash can be used to purchase items in the food locations, the University Bookstore, at designated vending and copy machines, and in the residence hall laundry machines.
- OneAccount can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
Are there any limits to the amount of Campus Cash an individual can purchase?
- The following limits have been established regarding Campus Cash purchases: Students with Meal Plans may purchase a maximum of $500.00 in Campus Cash each semester.
Do you have any plans for commuter students?
- Commuter students are welcome to purchase any of the 4 Dining Plans(Basic 19, Basic 14, 19 Plus, or 14 Plus), the Off Campus block meal plan, or they may sign up for Campus Cash. You can use Campus Cash to purchase meals in all dining locations. A minimum purchase of $10.00 is required. The block meal plan can be used in all dining locations.
How do people working in the food service areas know that I am on a Dining Plan or have Campus Cash?
- Your student ID has a magnetic strip that is encoded with your Meal Plan and Campus Cash information. The card readers placed by the food service cash registers read the encoded magnetic strip to determine how many meals or how much Campus Cash you have left in your account.
When and where do I purchase a Dining Plan and/or Campus Cash?
- During Freshman Registration periods, you can sign-up for Dining Plans and Campus Cash at the Dining Service Table in Cartwright Center. In September, you can sign-up in Cartwright Center in Room 223. You will be billed for your Meal/Campus Cash Plan at a later date by the University Business Office. "Campus Cash" can be purchased and added to your account any time during the semester.
I am a Freshman or Sophomore living in the residence halls and I have special dietary needs. Am I required to sign-up for a Dining Plan?
- The Meal Plan program has provisions for those students requiring special diets for medical reasons. Interested students should contact Dr. Mary Beth Vahala, (608) 785-8888, concerning their particular dietary needs. In most cases, the required foods can be prepared for you.
What do I do if I'm sick and can't make it to Whitney Center?
- Sick trays can be requested when you are bedridden. Please contact the Whitney Center Office at 785-8610. You will need to make arrangements for someone to pick-up the sick tray.
I have classes straight through the day and have a really hard time getting to Whitney Center. What can I do?
- Simply to Go meals can be provided to students with scheduling conflicts. There is a Simply to Go venue in Whitney.
- You can use five (5) meals per semester as part of your Dining Plan for visiting guests. Just inform the cashier that you are using a Guest Meal.
How can I get the most out of my Dining Plan?
- Eating all your allotted meals per week is the best way to get the maximum value out of your Meal Plan and that's easy to do. In fact if you don't plan right you might eat all your meals for the week in a few days! You don't believe this, read on. Get up in the morning and grab a quick breakfast (1) before you head off to 6 straight hours of class. Before you leave Whitney Center pick-up your sack lunch (2) Eat lunch between classes. After a day of classes go over to The Cellar for dinner (3). Later that night you're hungry and want to get out of the hall so, run over to The Sub Shop and pick up a late night snack (4). You just ate 4 meals in one day, do that for 4 days (16 meals) and you only have 3 meals left for the next 3 days (from the 19 Meal Plan). You also have the Campus Cash that came with your Meal Plan to use. They come in handy when you have a guest and want to treat them to a meal, you want to grab a bite to eat from The Galley or Einstein Bros. or you want to buy some food items from the Convenience Store.
I'm really interested in learning more about the Campus Dining Service.
- The Dining Service Committee (DSC) is a campus organization that meets to discuss the Dining Services at UW-L.
What are the Campus Dining Service hours of operation?
- Location and hours are listed below:
- Cartwright Center Dining
- The Galley
Monday-Friday: 10:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed - The Chef's Table
Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed - Erbert and Gerberts
Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed - The Cellar
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. - Cyber Cafe (Einstein Bros & Red Mango)
Monday-Thursday: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Murphy's Mug (Peet's Coffee & Simply to
Go)
Monday-Thursday: 7:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Nights Sunday - Wednesday 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Centennial Hall (Starbucks & Simply to Go)
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Whitney Center Dining
- Food Court Dining Area
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (brunch) 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. (dinner) - Flying Star Diner
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Badger St. Station
Sunday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. - Simply to Go
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.