Computerizing Dining Halls

Technological advances have not gone unnoticed in the college food services industry.

Dining service officials across the country say that they have been using computerized access systems in their dining halls, and many say they have been doing so since the early 70 s.

Most of these systems use student identification cards with coded magnetic strips on the back. As students get meals, they slide the cards through special readers which are connected to a central computer that maintains records for every student.

Officials at many colleges say that they are using some sort of computerized system to help manage their dining halls. And several officials say that Harvard's system of using grids and stickers is outdated.

In fact, University administrators say they are considering implementing this type of system at Harvard.

Officials from Griffin Technologies, which handles these computer I.D. cards for most area colleges, say they recently met with Harvard administrators to discuss using computer I.D.s at the University.

But administrators at Harvard Dining Services say that such a computerized access system would have to be a standardized University effort, not just a departmental one.

Dining service directors at other schools say the computerized systems allow students to get their food faster, increase efficiency and provide more accurate information. The errors which are inevitable in manual card checking can be eliminated and it is more difficult for a student to sneak into the dining hall.

In addition, the systems can generate reports on the number of people eating, how much they are eating, what they are eating, where they are eating and when they are eating.

"Most colleges are moving toward the [computer systems]," says Clark E. DeHaven, executive director of the National Association of College and University Food Services. "It gives you a better feel on what is eaten and can help predict costs. In the end, I think it's worth it."

And these computer I.D. cards can be used in many areas of a campus. Students at some universities can use the cards to pay for items at bookstores and some colleges are even using the cards to control access into dormitory buildings.