Hanna Barker
Staff Reporter
There have been rumors circulating that foretold the end of Sodexo at McDaniel College. To find out the truth, I talked to Dr. Ethan Seidel, Vice President of Finances and Administration.
Q: Is Sodexo’s contract up for renewal?
A: The contract is structured in a way that either party can discontinue the relationship at relatively short notice. We have had a long standing and good relationship with Sodexo, but the contract is not a long-term contract. So in a sense, the contract is always up for renewal, but there are not plans to discontinue the relationship between us.
Q: What factors influence the decision of whether or not to continue the relationship?
A: We review quality of service, cost, customer satisfaction, et cetera on an ongoing basis.
Q: Who is involved in this decision? Can students be involved, and if so, how?
A: The evaluation process is ongoing and students are continuously involved through the SGA committee, and through the opportunity to submit napkin board comments and to participate in web-based surveys from time to time.
Q: How long has the college had contracts with Sodexo, and to what expense?
A: We’ve had a contract with Sodexo for around twenty years now. It’s probably not a good idea to divulge financial terms of the relationship for competitive reasons.
Q: Are other companies being considered at this time?
A: No.
Q: Why has Sodexo been chosen over other companies in the past?
A: Extent of experience, large market share in high education, purchasing power, large management pool from which to select, and responsiveness to client requests.
