Students can continue to expect longer lines at the dining halls as the university attempts to increase its smaller-than-normal staff.
“We’re not quite up to where we were last year, but we’re getting closer,” said Jon Lewis, director of Campus Dining Services.
As of Sept. 2, the university had 86.1 percent of dining shifts filled, which is 2.4 percentage points less than the same time last year.
The decline has had effects on current dining services so far including the replacement of custom stir-fry dishes by pre-made combinations at the Woodworth Complex.
Employees have also felt a shift in the workload.
“We have been strained a little especially with the noon insanity,” said Peter Clark, senior public relations major and dining employee at The Atrium.
Noon shifts are also one of the slots that are the least-scheduled time of day.
“The more difficult shifts to fill are at lunchtime,” Lewis said. “Students are eating or going to class and they just can’t typically work many lunch shifts.”
Even with the rush that student employees are feeling during lunchtime, Clark said most of the burden is falling on food service employees.
Some full-time dining employees are having to pick up overtime shifts, Lewis said, but the situation is not uncommon for the beginning of the school year.
The current gap in employment is still small compared to the beginning of the year. On Aug. 21, 29.2 percent of shifts were unfilled.
Despite the progress so far, Lewis said he’s looking into methods to prevent understaffing in the future including recruiting and beginning the hiring process earlier than usual.
“We have a little ways to go,” he said. “We are still hiring and there are still shifts available, so students that are interested should go to the Career Center and get a reference."
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