Audience

In order to do research I will need to collect data from the target audience. This will ensure that whatever plans I come up with, to propose in my campaign, will be effective.

My target audience at this current moment are commuters. According to Shepherd University Statistics from 2014-2015, Shepherd University is primarily a commuter school with 71% of students as commuters and 29% residents.

Commuters are not here on weekends which is the time that only the dining hall is open. Rams Den is also the center of East campus which makes it an easy place to stop for food, whereas the dining hall is a farther walk. So some ways to get either students to dining hall or bring the dining hall to them ....

some options are such:
- food trucks
- booths
- moving more events to the dining hall

The interviews I will do will be like focus groups and will be able to allow me to get an understanding of what may impact students decisions.

updates as of Wednesday March 1st

This project has certainly had its ups and downs. The original direction in which I wanted to take it had to be scratched due to lack of funds. I was then offered to write a grant proposal in the hopes to receive the WISH grant. Unfortunately the timing was not right  and I didn't have enough support in my favor, as well as, the money would not have been granted till next year, when I will no longer be in the area.

So what am I doing now?

Upon meeting with dining services I learned that they are low on funds and that they needed to increase their revenue by increasing student consumption of the food at the dining hall.

I will be taking my campaign in the direction of increasing student attendance at the dining hall.

Latest Update, negative turn on capstone

Upon meeting with Dining Services I have come to the conclusion that my plan for my capstone, although good on paper, is impossible due to lack of funds. The company they get their food from is U.S. Foods. This company provides food for the dining hall based on what is requested and what brands are in stock. Seeing as the goal was to provide nutrition information to the dining hall, it was brought to my attention that as these brands may change, depending on what’s in stock, the nutritional information is also subject to change. In order to combat this issue I suggested changing our food company to either Aramark or Sodexo. The problems they gave me with accordance to this change was: lack of funds, change in staff (employees losing their jobs), and a static menu. Personally I still believe that our school would benefit from this change, but without the directors of dining services behind me there isn’t much I can do, unless I were to bypass them and go to the President directly, but again this is a monetary issue.  

Second Semester Capstone: Things are looking up!

It's only the end of the second week and things have taken a positive turn! Last semester I got in touch with the President of SGA, mainly because I was concerned SGA would complete my capstone before I got too. Well I certainly am glad that I reached out to the her because she put me in contact with President Hendrix!

After I wrote a formal email to President Hendrix expressing what I wanted to see come from my capstone project, I received a response from her saying that she would love to follow through with my project and put me into contact with all of those who could help me make this project a success.

I have scheduled a meeting with both the head of dining services and the nutritionist this week and look forward to the steps that we will take!