In ‘08, Steele Runs on Transparency, Foodservice
This article isn’t available online for some reason, so I had to look in the University archives to find it. Tim Horton’s was mentioned breifly towards the end as something he would be looking into the option of. I’m disappointed that even from the getgo the ASU exec seemed pegged on bringing in restaurant chains seemingly without considering a community operated approach. Also note Steele’s pledge for transparency in the ASU. Since I had to type this up myself, there’s only two quotes. You’ll have to look in the university archives yourself (Volume 70 issue 14) to find more about his platform, including looking into Radio Acadia, a Mac Computer lab in the Michner Lounge and others.
Building on transparency, I propose the ASU President gives a monthly presentation to the student body at large. This would promote person to person interaction allow for students to ask question in person, and get immediate answers, as well as keeping the student body consistently informed on the issues that matter. These talks would be recorded and put on the ASU website for those who may have missed them.
…Chartwells has taken their monopoly on campus food service for granted, and I am committed to doing something about it. If elected, I will be looking into the option of a buy-out of Chartwells in the SUB, with ideas of replacing them with private retailers such as Tim Horton’s and a more popular restaurant chain.
Meeting with ASU Exec goes down not unlike a staring contest between two sheep
Do sheep blink? I’m not sure, but if they don’t, that’s about how the meeting went down.
We learned some new information, and I’ll try to summarize it the best I can. First, we learned what “legal issues” were preventing the ASU from telling anybody…anything? They articulated that in business contracts are generally confidential because companies give different kickbacks in different situations. The letter of intent contains financial information which can’t be disclosed. Since they’ve been talking to Tim Horton’s since August, they haven’t been able to say anything, including who they were negotiating with.
They reiterated their position that the process they used to make the decision was (Read on …)
Letter of Intent Mentioned in March 10th Email
This is our bad. Amy looked over some old emails, and Kyle told Amy in passing about the letter of intent on March 10, about two weeks before I wrote the letter to Kyle and the Ath (March 24). I first saw this email today, and I’m sorry to the ASU exec for claims that the they *never* talked with us about this. Amy emailed Kyle to setup a meeting about Bottled Water in the SUB, with a congradulatory note about the ASU buying out the contract. In his reply, along with information about the Pepsi contract, he mentioned a letter of intent from a “coffee shop”. Kyle has asked me not to post this email, although (Read on …)
Linda Lusby to Kyle Steele
Dear Kyle –
I have recently been made aware of the ASU’s decision to contract with Tim Horton’s for food services in the SUB. I feel compelled to register my disappointment and sense of despair that such a decision could be made at this point in Acadia’s history. I will leave aside the matter of participatory decision making as that is essentially a student issue and I will not interfere in that.
However as a member of the Acadia community and a resident of Wolfville for over 25 years, I do feel I have a right and a responsibility to comment on the substance of this decision. Over the years I have both observed and participated in Acadia’s (Read on …)
An Interesting Observation
ASU releases message concerning food services
The original copy can be found here.
The ASU has been, and continues to be a democratically elected body, that makes democratic decisions based on student feedback. Recently, it has been brought to the attention of the Executive that some confusion exists around the prospect of opening a Tim Horton’s in the SUB for the 2009-2010 academic year.
A year and a half ago, the ASU Executive created a (Read on …)
Kyle Steele’s Response to some of the information contained in the petition’s statement
Hi Dewey,
Petition: Stop Negotiation, Release Information, Facilitate Discussion, Consider Sustainability
If you would like to sign this, give us an email (aes@acadiau.ca) and tell us where we can find you to get your signature.
Background
It has recently come to our attention that a Tim Horton’s may be very close to moving into the Students’ Union Building (SUB). From the information we have (which is very little), there is a contract that is being negotiated between the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU) and Tim Horton’s, but no other alternatives are currently being considered.
The ASU Executive have explained to us:
Last year, the ASU conducted surveys on food service at the SUB, where students wrote in their first choice for coffee shop. Tim Horton’s came up first with more than 90% of the vote, and over 400 people filled out the survey. In focus groups, Tim Horton’s also came up as the overwhelming first choice over other options. Students were repeatedly told about these options by emails, posters and other media around campus. They also identified the major concerns with food in the SUB, which included student employment, price, and consistency. Corporatization of the SUB was surveyed and not found to be an issue by a vast majority of students (around 90%).
After the focus groups ended, we heard nothing regarding the foodservice in the SUB until over a year later when it was announced that the ASU bought out the contract with Chartwells, and would be self-operating a market and grille. The news release said it had received a letter of intent from a business to occupy the Perkin’s space, but could not discuss any details. It was rumored that Tim Horton’s was this business. Upon hearing this I wrote an open letter to Kyle Steele, ASU President, expressing my concern over the implications of a Tim Horton’s in the SUB. A response came a week later stating reasons that Tim Horton’s “will be the operation that opens in the SUB in September 09″.
Petition
We believe that survey results and focus groups are useful in guiding a selection of options, but those options and their proposals should have been made public so students, faculty, staff and the community could weigh in on the economic, social and environmental consequences of each choice. We believe that a survey and focus groups are no replacement for a consensus reached by public discussion, and that the ASU has made no motion to engage all stakeholders in this open discussion over a decision that has definite implications for the sustainability, image and culture of Wolfville (a fair-trade town) and Acadia University (a university with a genuine commitment to sustainability).
Therefore, we call on the Acadia Students’ Union and the Acadia University Administration to halt any negotiations or decisions regarding food service in the Perkin’s space until the Students’ Union makes a public release of all information regarding this decision that is legally allowed and moves to engage all members of the campus and greater Wolfville community in the selection of an option that benefits the sustainability, image and culture of Wolfville and Acadia University. Furthermore, as a fair-trade town and university with a genuine commitment to sustainability, we ask that an option at least be seriously considered that is consistent with the Acadia University strategic plan goal of creating “a deep appreciation of our natural environment and an active commitment to sustainability among all members of the campus community.”
Amy to Ray Ivany
Dear Mr. Ivany,
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your diligence in responding to student concerns about the water fountains on campus. I have since been notified that there is a work order at Physical Plant for fixing the fountains we suggested in the fountain assessment. I feel this is a critical step forward and very beneficial for Acadia and its sustainability initiatives.
My main reason for contacting you today is with regards to a new concern on campus: the situation with Student Union Building (SUB) food service provider. The Acadia Student Union (ASU) executives have been working on opting-out of the contract that binds the Student Union Building to Chartwells. They have done this successfully, which I feel (Read on …)
Alan Warner on Fair Trade to Kyle Steele
Dear Kyle