Union Adventist University partners with Sodexo for dining services starting Fall 2024; Sodexo will provide a fully vegetarian program, aligning with the university's faith-based values

LINCOLN, Neb. (Aug. 15, 2024) – Beginning with the fall 2024 semester, Union Adventist University’s Dining Services will be led by Sodexo, a leader in food service and facilities management. Union joins 512 other colleges and universities who partner with Sodexo, including sister institutions La Sierra, Oakwood and Walla Walla. Through this partnership, Sodexo will provide Union Market, the dining hall, and Cooper’s Corner, the campus snack shop, with a fully vegetarian dining program, aligning with the university’s faith-based values and energizing students for peak academic performance.

When Denise Serack, Union’s former director of Dining Services, announced her retirement, the university decided to reevaluate its options. Kim Canine, vice president for Student Life, led the search. “At Union, we are in the business of serving students,” she said. “That’s what we do best, but as we spoke to colleagues at other schools, we realized the best way to serve our students was to stop trying to also be in the food service industry. With the challenges of inflation and staffing we have faced, we needed a partner who could provide a high level of quality and variety while keeping costs low.”

The committee spoke with four food service companies before narrowing the field to two. “As our surveys came in, Sodexo was the best fit,” said Steve Trana, vice president for Financial Administration. “They are a massive organization with a depth of resources, experience and buying power we can’t imagine, but we can benefit from.”

That depth includes human resources. Sodexo is retaining Union’s Dining Services staff and is currently hiring for new positions. During large events, such as athletic tournaments and alumni weekend, Sodexo is able to pull in staff from other schools in the area to better manage the temporary surge in demand.

For the time being, meal plans are staying the same as they have been for the last four years, and most other adjustments will be quite subtle. Though students may not see a change to their bills, they are likely to appreciate the new website and app that will be launching soon. The online service will include menus, nutritional information and meal plan tracking.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with Union Adventist University,” said Rafael Perez, district manager at Sodexo. “Our program is carefully designed to respect the cultural and dietary principles of this Seventh-day Adventist community, particularly its commitment to a vegetarian dining approach. Sodexo is dedicated to delivering an outstanding dining experience that surpasses the university’s expectations.”

About Union Adventist University

Founded as Union College in 1891, Union Adventist University empowers students and alumni to learn, serve and lead. The Seventh-day Adventist university offers more than 50 majors, minors and emphases in 27 fields of study, including graduate programs in leadership, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies and public health.

About Sodexo North America

Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 45 countries. Sodexo specializes in sustainable food service and valued experiences, in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. Additionally, the company indirectly supports additional jobs through its annual purchases of goods and services from small to large businesses. Sodexo North America is committed to meeting the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all.