To ensure the safety and health of students and staff, new technology and services have been added to EMU’s dining services. Be mindful of these changes when the start of Fall semester begins!
To accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic, Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is introducing a number of new technologies and services to ensure the safety of staff and students.
Of course, mobile ordering, contactless payment devices, and new cleaning procedures have been established to keep students and staff safe, but EMU has also added quite a few new services and tech to ensure the health and safety of everyone. All the changes that have been established adhere to recommendations of the Center of Disease Control, the World Health Organizations, and the EMU Public Health Work Group. All new changes align with the Chartwells Higher Education Path to Open Plan.
New technologies that are to be integrated into EMU’s campus dining this fall include:
- Transact Mobile Ordering, an app that allows you to order and pay right from your mobile device will be used in nearly all dining locations on campus so students can order food ahead and skip the line.
- MRD5, or contactless payment devices, will be placed at all registers so guests can swipe their own campus cards to pay, decreasing interaction/touching of cards.
- OZZI, a reusable container vending machine, will be installed at The Commons, which is a great sustainability initiative that allows guests to take food to-go!
Additionally, EMU is changing some of the services to add more safety to the dining area. This will help to ensure proper social distancing, and follow health and safety protocols. These changes include:
- Streamlining menus to increase speed of service
- Limiting the amount of seating to allow for distancing
- Mapping dining areas for one-way traffic and 6-foot physical distancing
- Installing plexiglass barriers at points of sale
- Implementing new cleaning techniques and conducting wellness checks for our associates upon arrival to work to ensure they are healthy to work on campus
- Creating new to-go style menus that will be associate-served and packaged for carryout
“We’ve worked closely with the University and the University’s Public Health Work Group to ensure we are following all policies and guidelines when we return to campus in the fall, including mandatory face coverings, and proper and frequent hand-washing,” said Allison Duceatt, director of dining services at EMU. “We’re committed to providing a safe, expedient and delicious dining experience to each and every one of our guests.”
