Sustainability

We believe in feeding people healthy and delicious food, but we also take seriously our responsibility to make a positive change in our community and environment. With a focus on food, planet, people, and wellness, we’re committed to changes that create a better dining experience. So far, this commitment has led to the following improvements.

• Composting all preconsumer fruit and vegetable scraps from all our kitchens and exploring options for postconsumer composting. We estimate that come Fall 2023, we’ll be diverting approximately 600 lbs. of waste every week. That waste turns into compost through a partnership with Landscape Services and the SOU Farm, for use in supplementing the soil both at the Farm and around the campus grounds.
• Free reusable to-go containers are offered to all students living on campus at the beginning of the school year which can be freely exchanged for another one, dramatically cutting down on the need for disposable containers.
• Fall and Spring Surveys: Each year SOU Dining administers two surveys to gather feedback from students, faculty, and staff  on what they like, what they want to see more of, and what they want to see changed. These surveys have led to things like:
  • A new smoothie bar at The Hawk
  • More ethnic cuisine offerings
  • Making allergen information more visible
• Holding a biweekly Food Committee with open forum discussions between management and anyone and everyone to come and speak directly with managers in SOU Dining about their experiences on campus. Free samples of new recipes and potential products are offered at every meeting, and being a Food Committee member makes you eligible for the…
• Secret Shopper Program: As part of our efforts to continuously improve the dining experience for our guests, our Secret Shopper program allows us to get accurate “temperature checks” on our customer service and food quality. We get good data on our operations, and the Secret Shopper gets a free meal!
• Donating meals to food insecure students through the Raiders Helping Raiders 
• Making weekly donations to the Student Food Pantry in the Stevenson Union.
• Using produce from the SOU Farm in our daily menus at the Hawk and other locations as much as possible, often on a weekly basis!
• Donating our used cooking oil for conversion into sustainable biodiesel fuel, which significantly reduces net carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional petroleum.
• Reaching for the STARS: Dining management regularly meets with SOU’s Sustainability Director to advance our efforts on purchasing food that is certified as sustainable through the AASHE STARS reporting framework. SOU recently received a Gold ranking for the university’s continued efforts!

We’re proud of the accomplishments we’ve made so far, but we won’t stop here. Use the Contact Us link at the top of our website to learn more, and follow us on Instagram for the latest news and updates.