Many students have approached us and complained about the current supply situation with food, drinks and snacks at the South Campus. The food on offer, especially outside of canteen opening hours (weekends and evenings) and during the exam period, does not currently meet the necessary demand.
We are aware of the situation and want to discuss the issue with the relevant departments at the university. We are currently working with the Studierendenwerk to find solutions to expand the range of snack vending machines. Updates on the progress of this project can be found on this website.
Update 20.07.2024
Second meeting with the head of university gastronomy at StudiWerk Erlangen-Nuremberg, summer semester 2024
Following the meeting on 15.03.24 (see below), the representatives met again to discuss the current supply situation at FAU’s south campus. The most important findings from the meeting are summarized below. It is not intended to be exhaustive and only reflects the impressions of the student representatives. Any questions can be sent by email to fsv-tech@fau.de.
Snack/drink/food vending machines:
Students expressed a strong desire to have food and beverages available outside of the catering opening hours. This was passed on by FSV Tech. Great progress has been made in this area:
According to Studiwerk, there are plans to even purchase a food vending machine at the end of this year that can provide over one hundred portions of food per day. It will be possible to pay for chilled food using a FAUCard. A microwave function will also be available so that hot meals can be served.
The installation location and final plans have yet to be decided. At present, however, it is hoped that this will be implemented soon. The student representatives very much welcome these plans and are eagerly awaiting further developments in this area. If this idea is realized, it would be a big step towards the further development of the supply offer on the south campus and thus a success for the well-being of the students, initiated by the FSV Tech!
The current snack vending machines should be filled with more substantial snacks. Dried fruit, protein and muesli bars are being discussed. Sandwiches are not possible with the current vending machines due to shelf life and labeling requirements. There are no plans to replace these vending machines in the short term.
The vending machines next to the cafeteria are now accessible 24/7. On request, a handle has also been installed on the outside of the door. Their availability will be re-evaluated in the course of new arrangements/acquisitions.
South canteen
A new meal plan has been developed in recent weeks and will soon be used in the Südmensa. The key aspects are above all a diversification of the offer, i.e. fewer repetitions in the selection and more possible combinations. This includes the choice between meat-free and meat-based versions of the same basic dish. Some surcharges, e.g. for sauces, will also be removed. This concession is intended to provide more choice.
Food quality
We have been approached by an increasing number of students who have noticed an improvement in the seasoning of their food in recent weeks. Although often only in waves, the trend is clearly towards an improvement. Due to the amount of food that is produced, it is difficult to achieve uniform and sufficient seasoning after feedback with the chefs, but we are continuing to intensify this.
Salad bar
According to StudiWerk, the selection at the salad bar is difficult to expand. The individual “ingredients” have to be prepared by the staff, which requires a lot of manpower. This is difficult to achieve when there is a high demand. Availability after 1 p.m. is also a problem. Medium-term solutions such as automated kitchen assistants are currently being considered.
Automated checkout systems
Two checkout terminals have been converted to automatic recognition in recent weeks. This test phase is almost complete. According to StudiWerk, the results are positive after initial difficulties. Acceptance is increasing. At the moment, queuing still takes a while, but this should be reduced once guests have got used to it.
Signposting when queuing
Many guests queue directly from the stairs. To create clarity, route markings should be introduced. This should ease the congestion somewhat.
Price marking
Prices are still not clearly recognizable on the Internet. Further improvements are to be made there. This has already been done on the displays in the canteen. FSV Tech’s suggestions have been implemented here.
Opening hours
The café bar now has shorter opening hours. However, as the cafeteria is already open from 07:30, this does not represent a deterioration in the view of the student representatives. Cafe Südblick has a chance of extended opening hours. A budget should be planned for the examination phase of the next winter semester (February 2025) to provide a Saturday offer. This will help students who use the Tech Library as a place to study to take a coffee break in the popular café.
The representatives of the FSV Tech thank Mr. Müller for his willingness to take the students’ wishes into consideration. This is reinforced by the promise to hold a supply meeting once a semester from now on in order to further improve the study conditions at the South Campus.
Update 24.04.2024
Below you will find the file for the “Report on the survey of the supply situation at TechFak, conducted by FSV Tech, 2024 for download as PDF (only in german): DOWNLOAD HERE (DE) -> Bericht zur Umfrage der TechFak Versorgung 03.24
Update 15.03.2024 Results from the discussion on the range of services at FAU’s south campus, WS 2023/24
Participants: Members of the student representation of the Faculty of Engineering (FSV Tech): Nils Montag, Jannik Lieb, Lars Wickel and representatives of the Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg, specifically the head of university catering & his colleague
This document serves as information on the topics discussed during the meeting.
A report by FSV Tech was presented to the representatives of the Studierendenwerk. This contains the results of a survey of all students and employees of the Faculty of Engineering regarding the current catering offer on the south campus of FAU. The survey was created and analyzed by FSV Tech. The report can be found on the FSV Tech website.
The most important findings from the survey are summarized below. It does not claim to be complete and only reflects the impressions of the student representatives. Enquiries can be sent by email to fsv-tech@fau.de.
Motivation and background to the pricing of catering facilities
As a public institution, the Studierendenwerk has the task of providing university students with an adequate and cheap lunch service in the Mensa. With just over 700,000 portions of food per year, the current capacity utilization of the Südmensa is around 80%. According to the Studierendenwerk, this utilization is not high enough to guarantee the economic viability of the Mensa. This has an impact on the (financial) possibilities of the canteen. The number of staff in the Mensa also depends on the level of capacity utilization. Accordingly, this has already decreased in recent years, as a few years ago there was significantly higher capacity utilization.
Price differences of equivalent meat-free dishes
According to the Studierendenwerk, the desire for standardized pricing for equivalent meat-free dishes such as currywurst cannot (always) be guaranteed by the current purchase prices. There is no subsidy or subsidization for meat dishes, but the required quantities of meat-free substitute products are comparatively more expensive or not available. It is in the interests of the Studierendenwerk to increasingly and in future adjust the prices of equivalent meals in favor of the guests. Consideration is being given to offering a fixed basic meal, which can then be topped up with meat or meat-free options.
Prices for FAU employees
According to the law, catering for employees is not a primary objective for this type of Mensa. The provision of funds is therefore only dependent on the number of meals served to students. The discount on the normal price for employees is capped at a certain minimum price. The sometimes-large price fluctuations between employees and students are due to different prices set by the legislator. The economic and legal details of pricing cannot be presented here. Therefore, please refer to the Studierendenwerk or the relevant legislation.
Price display & waymarking
The inconsistency of the price display, i.e. that some dishes are priced with or without a side dish, also has a business background. So-called “100% meals” consist of a main course with a side dish and are therefore sold at the price displayed. This contrasts with “66% meals”, where the side dish is excluded and can be purchased in addition.
The survey revealed that for some, the Mensa displays do not adequately show how much the meals with a side dish cost. This issue was raised and will be reviewed by the Studierendenwerk. The displays are provided centrally by a third-party company for all canteens in the catchment area, which is why changes are not so easy to implement for all facilities at the same time. However, the issue is being addressed. The same applies to the display of allergens and nutritional information. These can already be viewed on the Mensa website.
Problems currently arise when queuing at the respective queues mainly because it is not immediately recognizable which queue leads to which meal. This is to be optimized by installing signs and signposts.
Bringing your own food
Many survey participants would like to be able to eat food they have prepared themselves on university premises. As the general options are very limited, there were requests to lift the general ban on bringing food into the Studierendenwerk’s facilities.
According to the Studierendenwerk, it is responsible for hygiene on its premises. There is a risk that food brought in does not meet the statutory hygiene standards. This means that the Studierendenwerk can be held liable in the event of an emergency. For this reason, the provision of the house rules remains active, which can be referred to should legal problems arise.
The lack of seats is not an acute problem due to the declining capacity utilization of the Mensa. As the number of employees is decreasing, there is currently no capacity to carry out patrols and check whether the regulations are being adhered to. The Studierendenwerk therefore asks guests to adhere to this rule. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the cutlery provided is only available for cafeteria food. Any unauthorized use or theft is prohibited.
Expansion of capacities outside regular meal times
Apart from the library, the South Campus has few to no options for studying. The suggestion was made to open the Studierendenwerk locations for this purpose.
As the Studierendenwerk has rented the rooms from the university, it is responsible for this. The staff costs for opening outside of the current meal times cannot be afforded. The reason for this is that direct access to the kitchen is possible from the dining hall of the Mensa. The hygiene requirements do not allow this without supervision. The same applies to the cafeteria. The adjoining room (Medienraum) on the ground floor next to the cafeteria is at least not impossible to provide. However, the extent to which this would increase cleaning costs must be examined. The Studierendenwerk will examine this possibility. However, outside of the opening hours of the catering facilities, this is hardly feasible.
Quality and menu
The quality of the food was a major issue for respondents to the survey. Preparing such a large quantity of food with consistently good quality is a huge challenge. Points that dishes with pasta and vegetables are often too soft, i.e. overcooked, were raised. This was noted and, according to the Studierendenwerk, will be reviewed and adjusted in consultation with the chefs. The same applies to the lamented “bland” seasoning of many dishes. More intensive seasoning is therefore being sought. The suggestion of seasoning dishes yourself is difficult to fulfil, as past experience has shown that guests often simply pack up the spice containers instead of leaving them out for everyone to use.
The Studierendenwerk is aware of the consistency of the sauces, which have often been described as slimy and unappetizing. As large quantities can only be managed with ready-made sauces given the current possibilities of the Mensa, their quality suffers as a result. Further possibilities to improve this are now being examined by those responsible. However, it has already been indicated during the discussion that it will be difficult to bring about an improvement in this area.
In general, the Studierendenwerk intends to update and improve the current meal plans. However, due to staff shortages, this goal can only be achieved in the long term.
Portion size
Small portions are not feasible due to the lower margin, the purchase of new crockery and the estimation of the quantity gradation. The automatic recording of food via cameras, which will soon be activated in some facilities, is also not designed for this gradation. It was pointed out that the food should be left or packed, as there is no economic alternative on the part of the Studierendenwerk.
Opening hours
The majority of survey participants were in favor of extending the opening hours of the catering facilities. It would be a great incentive to spend more time on campus and thus wake up university life a little.
According to the Studierendenwerk, the opening hours are also dependent on demand and the economy of the facilities. With the current number of employees, an expansion is only possible to a limited extent, which is why nothing is likely to change in the south Mensa. The cafeteria is working out whether an extension is worthwhile. At Café Südblick, the prospect has been raised that the opening hours could be extended and that an offer could even be presented on Saturdays. Compared to previous semesters, the café remained open during the lecture-free period of WS23/24, which is already an improvement.
Other services
Outside of the opening hours of the catering facilities in question, there are no external catering options available in the near or medium distance. Only the vending machines provided by the Studierendenwerk are available. In the survey, these were criticized for being very sugary and not very nutritious. The number of vending machines has also decreased in recent years. According to the Studierendenwerk, this is due to energy-saving measures taken by FAU in the wake of the energy crisis. The representatives have taken the criticism on board and will, according to their own information, ensure that the range of snacks and drinks on offer is expanded in the near future. Long-life snacks such as dried fruit or protein bars can simply be added to the range. Sandwiches and rolls will also be created on a trial basis. As the vending machines are provided externally by CocaCola™, any changes are limited by contract. An alternative or supplement is being sought. As some drinks such as ClubMate™ are already sold in the cafeteria, it may be comparatively easy to expand the range. The availability of beer from vending machines is also being discussed.
In the longer term, there are also plans to purchase a vending machine that can prepare or provide hot meals. This is linked to the availability of FAU IT interfaces, as this will ensure that only FAU employees can benefit from this offer. However, the prerequisites for this are currently difficult and slow to implement on the part of IT.
As it is not possible to provide stationary catering for external providers on and around the south campus, there was talk of ordering one or more food trucks to drive around the campus at certain times. This proposal is not welcomed by the Studierendenwerk. The argument here is based on the idea that the current capacity utilization of the Mensa would be further reduced by a counter-offer. This would mean that jobs in the catering facilities would be further jeopardized, as the current number is designed for high capacity utilization.
Update 05.03.2024
The survey was completed at the beginning of March 2024 and an appointment was made with representatives of the Studierendenwerk. We will take the results of the survey to the meeting and discuss its feasibility. If you have any suggestions or requests that we can/should include, please send us an email to fsv-tech@fau.de by 14.03.2024.
Update 31.01.2024
After the notice board was described a lot, we have started a larger “official” survey. The QR code was distributed throughout the South Campus and via an e-mail to all members by the TF-Dekanat. Students and university staff can vote again here and explain in more detail what currently bothers them and how the situation can be improved.
Update 14.11.2023
There are now notes next to the water dispensers where you can write down your wishes for an extension of the snack vending machines.