Faculty/Staff Meal Plans

Meal Plans

Purchase or Manage your Meal Plan

Step By Step Process to select a Meal Plan

Choosing a Meal Plan

• What does BLOCK mean?
  These are meals which can be used throughout the semester and can be redeemed at the Dining Café. Once you enter the café, it’s all-you-care-to-eat. Block meals for faculty and staff will not expire, they will carryover to the next semester.
• What are Dining Dollars?
  Dining dollars are a part of the meal plan and loaded onto the meal plan card. Dining dollars can be used at the café, any of the USU eateries or Starbucks in the library. Whenever a patron makes a purchase, they can simply present their card to the cashier and the amount will be deducted from their balance. Dining dollars left over at the end of the fall semester will roll over to the spring semester, and will not expire for faculty and staff. Sales tax is applied to dining dollar purchases.
• What is Cougar Cash?
  Cougar Cash is a cash equivalent which can be loaded onto your Declining Balance account through the campus app. Cougar Cash can be used at the café, any of the USU eateries or Starbucks in the library. Whenever a patron makes a purchase, they can simply present their QR code in the campus app to the cashier and the amount will be deducted from their balance. Sales tax is applied to cougar cash purchases.

Paying for or Changing a Meal Plan

• Where do I purchase a meal plan?

  Meal plans can be purchased online through the Dining Page in the CSUSM app. You may also visit Dining Services to make your purchase.

  Meal plans for spring will become available November 1st.

• Can I or someone else add money or meals to my meal plan?

  Yes, cougar cash can be added to meal plans by you or someone you know through the website or the Dining Page in the CSUSM app at any time. 

  You cannot add more Block meals during the semester because it will change the meal plan type. You will, however be able to change your meal plan during the inter-semester period.

• Can I change my meal plan if it does not fit my needs or cancel it if I am leaving CSUSM?

  No, meal plans for faculty may not be changed once they have been purchased.

  Should a faculty or staff member leave employment with CSUSM or any CSUSM Auxiliary, they should contact dining services to be issued a prorated refund. 

  Refunds will also be granted under appropriate circumstances. Please contact Dining Services at dining@csusm.edu for additional questions.

• What will happen to my Declining Balance Card If I Get a Meal Plan?
  Your previously purchased Declining Balance card will not be effected! The Declining Balance program is a separate, parallel system. Your Declining Balance will roll over and be accessible as usual. You may spend them at any of the dining locations (except campus coffee), as well as in the Campus Way Café.
  
  In the future, further purchases to load money onto the Declining Balance card will not be available. However, cougar cash can be added to meal plans by you or someone you know through the Dining Page in the CSUSM app at any time.

Using a Meal Plan

• How can I check how many meals I have left in my plan?
  Faculty/Staff may check their remaining meal and other balances through the Dining Page in the CSUSM app.
• Where can I use my meal plan?

  Meal Plan Locations

  Location	Meal Plan Payment Options Accepted
  Campus Way Café	Block Meals, Dining Dollars, Cougar Cash
  Market at USU	Dining Dollars, Cougar Cash
  USU (Panda, Hilltop Bistro Grille, QDOBA, Crash's Cafe, Get Fresh)	Dining Dollars, Cougar Cash
  Starbucks	Dining Dollars, Cougar Cash
  Coffee Cart	None

• What forms of payment are accepted in the Campus Way Café?

  The Campus Way Cafe accepts the following: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cash, Dining Dollars, Cougar Cash, Declining Balance Cards, and Meal Swipes (MPW meals and Block meals).

  Anyone using Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cash, Dining Dollars, Declining Balance Cards, and Cougar Cash for entrance into the all-you-care-to-eat facility will be charged the meal rate for their transaction. See rates below.
  
  Breakfast:                $9.50
  Lunch/Brunch:        $11.00
  Dinner:                      $12.00

• Can I still eat at the dining café without a meal plan?

  Yes! There will be a walk-in rate available to those interested in dining in the facility. Price does vary by meal time and are more expensive than the price-per-meal of the meal plan.

  Breakfast:                $9.50
  Lunch/Brunch:        $11.00
  Dinner:                      $12.00

• How many meals can I redeem within one day?
  Faculty can redeem up to their remaining meals per week, or their remaining block number of meals in one day. There is technically no daily limit to number of meals redeemed, however every meal takes from the count of remaining total meals.

Eating in the Campus Way Cafe

• Can I use my meal plan for guests in the Campus Way café?

  Block meals are only allowed for the faculty/staff on the meal plan. Faculty/staff can use another form of payment (i.e. credit card, dining dollars, cougar cash, etc) to purchase meals for guests.

• What items are prohibited in the dining café?

  Skateboards, bikes, scooters, to-go containers (i.e. tupperware) and outside food will not be allowed in the dining café. 

• What are the rules of the dining café?

  All patrons of the dining café must follow all CSUSM, CSUSM Corporation, and Sodexo policies, rules and regulations. Shoes and shirts must be worn at all times and only food in the appropriate To-Go container is allowed to leave the facility. Failure to comply with all policies, procedures and rules, may result in a suspension or revocation of the meal plan and or access to the dining café.

• What are the hours of the dining café?

  Use the CSUSM app to view hours or visit Sodexo My Way and see "What's Open Now" and "Hours of Operation" for current hours.

  Hours of Operation:	Mon-Fri	Sat/Sun
  Breakfast	7am-10am	---
  Lunch / Brunch	11am-2pm	10am-2pm
  Dinner	5pm-8pm	5pm-8pm
  Campus Way Market	7am-9pm	10am-9pm

• Will the dining café be open over breaks?

  Some type of dining option will be available for faculty/staff during part of Winter break, Thanksgiving break, and Spring break. Continue to check the Dining Hours website for hours of operation.

• Can we take food out of dining café?

  If you are on the run and unable to enjoy a meal in the café, you can purchase food from the Campus Way Market area using dining dollars, cougar cash, declining balance cards, cash, credit cards, etc.

• Can I check what will be on the menu in advance?

  Yes. Visit Menus for additional information on menus.

• Can others join me at the dining café if they don’t have a meal plan?

  Yes, friends can certainly join patrons with meal plans at the dining café. They can pay the door price upon entering, or the faculty/staff with a meal plan can use their dining dollars or cougar cash to treat them to a meal. Door prices vary by meal time and are more expensive than the price-per-meal of the meal plan.