Freshmen and sophomores at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design are required to live in on-campus housing, and every student in that housing barring religious/cultural/health exemption is now required to subscribe to a $1,400 meal plan at minimum, with a $2,000 maximum.

While there will be a new cafe at MCAD, the cafe historically hasn't had many options for students and is a small kitchen where cross contamination is heavy, such as chicken tenders/pork/fries going into the same oil fryer. Students have access to Kitchenettes in their dorms where they can cook their own meals.

A staff member at MCAD explained that the meal plan is happening to help the expansion of the cafe, essentially trapping students into this plan, whether it meets their needs or not. Another explanation for the plan was that students run out of money and the school needs to help them budget, and this meal plan reflects the exact opposite of that reality. 

The meal plan is non-refundable and students are pressured to spend as much money as possible at the cafe even if the food is unhealthy for them. There should be a lesser meal plan option and/or a general and transparent ability for students to opt out of the cafe's required meal plan. Please sign this petition and get your voices heard to help future MCAD students.