In mid-September 2023, concerns about poor hygiene at two student cafeterias at Kyung Hee University (KHU) in Global Campus surfaced on Everytime, a school-specific community platform. The issue quickly garnered attention, prompting various stakeholders, including cafeteria staff and the General Student Association (GSA) of the Global Campus, named Running, to take action. Their dedicated efforts have led to noticeable improvements in cafeteria hygiene and sparked recommendations for further measures to enhance student welfare. 

The Emergence of the Hygiene Issue

A well-known issue emerged shortly after KHU contracted with a new dining company, Riaeni La Matinee, which has been providing meals in the Student Center's and 2nd Dormitory’s cafeterias since January and September 2023, respectively. In mid-September, hygiene concerns came to light after a post on Everytime showed photos of foreign objects found in meals, including screws, plastic pieces, cable ties, and even insects. This incident quickly gained widespread attention among students, leading to significant backlash against the cafeterias. In response, Running posted a wall post holding Riaeni La Matinee accountable for the problem. 

Yeon Yeo-hyeok, a student from the Department of Chemical Engineering at KHU, expressed his concerns: “I used to visit the cafeterias occasionally because it is affordable and conveniently located near the dormitory. However, I stopped going there after the hygiene incident.”

Addressing the Concerns

The cafeterias took significant steps to address the hygiene issue. First, they submitted an improvement proposal and convened the Cafeteria Management Committee to discuss better management practices. This committee, which has met three times since the issue arose, consists of 11 members, including representatives from Riaeni La Matinee at KHU, the labor union, the representative of the graduate school, and the representatives of Running.

Park Gi-yeong, who had managed Riaeni La Matinee in the cafeterias until August 2024, detailed the internal measures that were taken: “We have implemented several changes, such as using a special knife instead of scissors to prevent plastic fragments from falling when opening bags and reinforcing worker education. Since our investigation pointed to worker carelessness as the most likely cause, our primary focus has been on maintaining vigilance when preparing meals.”

To further analyze the causes and enhance customer satisfaction, Running organized a student monitoring team. From April 8 to June 7 this year, the team conducted two types of investigations: an ordinary investigation, where 20 students analyzed the meals, and an internal investigation, which assessed the cooking environment over four sessions during the period of activity by the monitoring team and a few members from Running.

Impact of the Improvement Efforts

With the proper and steady responses, students’ perception of the cafeterias has improved. This positive shift was reflected in a student satisfaction survey conducted by the General Affairs team, where the total score increased from 57 in November 2023 to 69.5 in May 2024. Students rated hygiene, service quality, and meal quality on a scale of five points, and their intention to revisit on a scale of 10 points. Notably, the meal quality score saw the most significant improvement, rising from two to three points on average.

Park commented on the improved score, emphasizing that their efforts extended beyond just hygiene, encompassing all aspects of welfare provision. He added, “Our goal is not to achieve higher scores but to provide better services to the students.”

The final report from the monitoring team highlighted meaningful changes. It noted that the cafeterias have accepted and implemented their feedback, showing a commitment to hygiene. Additionally, the occurrence of foreign objects in meals decreased during the investigation period. This suggests that the cafeterias have successfully established a system to prevent hygiene issues and are expected to continue improving student welfare in the future.

Ongoing Challenges and Future Plans

Although the hygiene issue has somewhat improved with various commitments, there are still challenges ahead in enhancing welfare provision. The student monitoring team identified improving meal quality as the biggest challenge that cafeterias are facing. In their final report, they highlighted several factors contributing to dissatisfaction, including repetitive menus, poor nutritional composition, and low meal quality. These findings suggest that the cafeterias need to focus not only on maintaining hygiene but also on enhancing meal quality to boost student satisfaction.

Lee Han-jun, a student from the Department of Applied Physics at KHU, noted that meal quality is a key factor behind the negative perception of the cafeterias. He said, “I do not usually eat at the cafeterias because the quality of meals often does not meet my expectations. My friends and I prefer the nearby restaurants, where we can get better quality food by paying just 2,000 or 3,000 won more. Students might be more inclined to eat at the cafeterias if the prices were lower or the quality of the meals were better.”

In response, Riaeni La Matinee plans to improve both meal quality and the cooking environment, aligning with students’ demands. Park added, “We have decided to dedicate 70% of our efforts to improving meal quality. While we will continue to manage hygiene issues diligently, we also plan to repair outdated facilities to prevent food contamination. With financial support from the school, we aim to enhance the environment, providing students with a pleasant dining space and a clean, safe cooking area.”

The student cafeterias at KHU Global Campus have made diligent efforts to improve hygiene and have seen notable progress. However, hygiene is just one of many factors that influence student satisfaction. To provide better services, it is crucial for all stakeholders to continuously support cafeteria management, maintain a focus on addressing hygiene issues, commit to enhancing meal quality, and sustain ongoing interest in overall improvements.