In a corner of the Quincy House Dining Hall yesterday evening, two members of the Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) Advisory Council sat conspicuously with pen in hand, elbows on table, and eyes on student plates.

A girl approached them. “The garden burgers have kind of become a staple of my life,” she complained.

The advisory council arrived in Cambridge yesterday afternoon to offer HUDS a third-party review of its performance, according to HUDS spokeswoman Crista Martin. This year, the council has focused on sustainability issues.

The council, which annually surveys HUDS’ operations for a three-day period, is made up of parents, food service operators, and chefs.

The council is divided into three subgroups: residential dining, campus restaurants and catering, and marketing, according to council member and Director of Tufts University dining services Patti L. Klos.

The advisory council examines HUDS’ performance as a whole and also provides feedback on a “specific charge” each year, wrote HUDS Executive Director Ted Mayer on the HUDS blog.

This year, HUDS asked the advisory council to “review how we manage and communicate our sustainability efforts and their appropriate place within our programs,” Mayer wrote.

According to council member and Harvard parent Karen R. Cosgrove, sustainability is a “hot topic” nationally, even beyond the dining halls. The council’s task is to understand these issues as they specifically relate to HUDS, she said.

Last night, council members dispersed into designated dining halls to survey general HUDS operations and to interview students.

“What are students’ perceptions of sustainability as a whole?” Cosgrove said when asked about the council’s inquiries. “What do they view as priorities? What are they willing to give up and get? What’s important to them?”

In response, many students emphasized the importance of food taste, quality, nutritional value, and appearance—leaving sustainability as a lower concern, said council member Dean A. Wright, director of Brigham Young University dining services.

Wright added that the council seeks to bring together individuals from a diversity of backgrounds who can offer the widest range of perspectives on student dining.

“We all care about you having a great experience, and we all bring different perspectives,” Klos said. “I’ll take ideas back, as well as try to offer some suggestions.”

Wright said that the advisory committee serves as an example of how seriously HUDS takes its responsibility.

According to HUDS Director for Human Resources Judith R. Della Barba, “We open ourselves up to hear what we need to change.”

—Staff Writer Esther I. Yi can be reached at estheryi@fas.harvard.edu.