Student Assembly

R.10 Resolution Regarding Mann Library’s Decision Not to Choose Cornell Dining for the current “Manndibles” Location

Whereas, the selection committee of Mann Library and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences chose a vendor that can provide local/organic foods, as well as an environment that provides the feel of a local/organic foods eatery,

Whereas, Cornell Dining wished to attain the bid for the Mann Library eatery location (currently called “Manndibles), and proposed to said selection committee an eatery that incorporated any sort of concept (including food and aesthetic control) chosen by said selection committee ,

Whereas, because the bid was not awarded to Cornell Dining, the current operator of the “Manndibles” location does not accept Big Red Bucks, a proprietary Cornell Dining payment product, and Cornell Dining does not wish to allow the current eatery to accept Big Red Bucks because it would cut into their revenue without contributing anything to their overhead costs,

Whereas, many Cornell Students are on a meal plan through Cornell Dining, which includes Big Red Bucks, and many students cannot use their meal plan to make purchases at the current “Manndibles” location,

Whereas, 99.4% of undergraduate first-year students are enrolled in a meal plan , which means that approximately 25% of the students within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are not able to make full use of their meal plan at “Manndibles”,

Whereas, the Student Assembly Committee on Dining Services voted 6–0−0 on November 13th, 2007, to express their grave dissatisfaction with said selection committee’s aforementioned choice because Cornell Dining was willing to operate the exact same venue, only operated by Cornell Dining, and this would allow more students access to the eatery because of its then-acceptance of Cornell Dining’s proprietary payment products,

Whereas, members of the Committee on Dining Services wish to further pursue this issue with Mann Library/College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and wish to use this resolution as a signifier of general student dissatisfaction with the current “Manndibles” eatery not accepting Cornell Dining’s proprietary payment products,

Whereas, Mann Library/the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences contends that some of their constituents are satisfied with the current choice, they fail to take into account that their constituency includes all Cornell students and not only students within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students of all colleges use eateries located within certain colleges, for example Terrace Restaurant and Mac’s Caf� within Statler Hall, and further use eateries located within university-wide libraries, such as Mann Library.

Whereas, a successful example of an eatery that incorporates local products and recipes but is operated by Cornell Dining is the newly-opened Moosewood Caf� at Anabel Taylor,

Be it therefore resolved, that the Student Assembly recommends and strongly encourages that Mann Library/the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences reconsider awarding the current “Manndibles” bid to Cornell Dining, to be structured however the said constituents choose in collaboration with Cornell Dining, once the current contract for the space expires, or as soon as feasibly possible,

Be it further resolved, that the Student Assembly strongly discourages the university administration from allowing non-Cornell Dining locations, in which Cornell Dining can meet the prescribed needs of the space owner, from opening on any university property in the future,

Respectfully Submitted,

Mazdak Asgary ‘08
International Student Representative
Vice-Chair, Committee on Dining Services

Joshua A. Tabak ‘09
Voting Member, Committee on Dining Services