Norwich adjusts schedule for less crowded mess hall

More classes are being scheduled over lunch because of the lack of classrooms, according to Norwich University Registrar Linda Yeomans.

The changes implemented actually started last fall. The university started offering course sections on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon and there are some Tuesday and Thursday classes at noon as well, according to Yeomans.

Yeomans states that the choice came down to having classes at noon or at 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., when it is more of an inconvenience to students.

"We are out of classrooms," Yeomans said. "The problem that comes with it is that we have part-time instructors that can only come certain days of the week and certain times of the day. A lot of them may not be available at times."

The base of the problems is that there are absolutely not enough classrooms and that the school is completely loaded, Yeomans said.

"Instructors miss having five open days a week when they can count on getting people together (to take certain classes)" Yeomans said.

Faculty members are having difficulties finding time periods where all the students that need to take certain classes are available. This is due to the amount of time that clubs and sports, as well as other activities, take up, according to Yeomans.

"We were told to investigate all possibilities of scheduling by the Board of Trustees," Yeomans said. "That was passed from the president down to the Calendar Committee, which is a faculty committee (in charge of scheduling)."

Yeomans explained that sports and extra Corps activities can sometimes cause time conflicts, so placing classes at noon was really the only option that the school had.

"This situation is not going to get better until we can afford to put up additional classrooms and additional classroom space," Yeomans said. "And it is not in the 2019 plan for Norwich University."

Yeomans stated that the school is set on rebuilding, but that this will not guarantee more space, because rebuilding still allots the same amount of physical space.

"To take a building down is very costly and to put a new one up, you're better off just getting brand new construction at a different location on campus than trying to do something with the building you have," Yeomans said.

Renovating buildings means gutting them, or taking everything out. It's not a matter of putting up a few walls or other things.

"It is very complex," Yeomans stated. "I can honestly say between the Board of Trustees and the cabinet, they worked very hard to (consider) every option. The bottom line was we had to move classes to some other time."

According to Yeomans, the school is trying to maintain a certain sized student body and the large freshman class this year pushed the school to its limit.

"Next year's class will be smaller," Yeomans said. "Now we are looking at what (times are) reasonable to put in (the schedule) now that we are at our seams. There are not many options."

Even though students do not get to sit down for lunch, there are ways to get around having classes all through their lunch breaks, according to Jason Moore, a 20-year-old junior and double English and history major from Aberdeen, N.J.

"I could have left myself a lunch break," said Moore, "but I chose to have my classes end at one and have one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

According to Moore, students should not have a problem with classes because they make their own schedules, stating that if they had a problem with it, it's their own fault.

"The chow hall provides boxed lunches," said Moore. "It takes a minute to get in, show them your card and get your lunch. There are 10 minutes before classes so there is plenty of time."

The faculty knows that there are scheduling issues and that not every student has time to sit down and enjoy lunch in the mess hall, stated Moore.

"Teachers are understanding if you do not have a lunch break," Moore said. "They are not going to give you a hard time about eating a sandwich during the first 10 minutes of class."

Grab-and-Go lunches is a program introduced by Norwich's Sodexo food services to ensure that if students do not have enough time to get lunch in the mess hall they can come and get a to-go lunch, according to Peter Perrault, a Sodexo employee and the person who makes the to-go lunches.

"(Lunches include) fresh vegetables, fruits and other foods," Perrault said. "All the sandwiches are made fresh every day. I have a menu that I go by and it changes every day, (so it's never) the same."

Students can enjoy a large variety of entrees, side dishes and even desserts with the large menu that is provided by Sodexo, according to Perrault.

"We have many varieties for to-go." Perrault said. "Some people think it is the same thing every day. It's the run of the mill and that it is not made fresh, which is not true."

Food temperatures are taken every day so that students do not get sick. Meats and cheeses are also rotated. Everything is fresh and brand new, stated Perrault, who cuts all the vegetables by hand each day.

"I am here every day from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and I make sure that every item is rotated and fresh," Perrault said. "If a customer has a request or a question about the to-go program, they can talk to me at any time."

Perrault said that he tries to meet the needs of the students, and if they have a favorite item, he tries to incorporate it into their lunch.