To the editors:

This is in response to the editorial on Sept. 22 (“Goodbye to Cheerios”). As a self-sustaining division of the University, Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) is vigilant in its fiscal responsibility. Daily we balance issues of taste and nutrition, customer satisfaction and cost. One such decision was the recent move to change cereals, which represents a $50,000 annual savings. This is a balance we manage every day as we endeavor to meet the very diverse needs of Harvard’s 6,600 undergraduates.

HUDS’ most significant programmatic change was last year’s introduction of seasonal menus that greatly improved variety and quality, and which rely heavily on more expensive but worthwhile local and seasonal products. As a result, the student satisfaction survey showed a 12 percent improvement in areas of both taste and freshness between the Spring 2003 satisfaction survey and that of Spring 2004.

Other programmatic enhancements in the last year include fair trade coffee every day; greater variety in the deli, salad and pasta bars; make-your-own waffle stations daily; more offerings at Fly-By; more community-driven Brain Breaks; fair trade bananas every Friday; and an expanded grill menu, including grilled chicken, which was highly demanded. The addition of the chicken option at the grill costs an estimated $60,000 annually. Fair trade bananas cost an additional  $7,000 a year.

Further, we have renovated 10 dining halls in seven years, and will complete the final two, Dunster and Mather, next summer—all of which is HUDS funded.

As The Crimson Staff notes there is “nothing wrong with keeping costs down.”  We do this to return that money to the program and to fund the continuous enhancements that come out of feedback on such tools as the satisfaction survey, conducted twice per year.

Harvard’s House system provides an unparalleled community and dining experience. We are proud to be part of it, and HUDS will always act with unwavering diligence in extending your board dollars as far as they can go.

TED MAYER

September 23, 2004

The writer is executive director of Harvard University Dining Services.