Developing Primary Data: Collaborative Survey 

Team The dining facilities on campus have again ignited a controversy among students but also faculty and staff. The students are mainly unhappy about what they perceive to be high prices, whereas professors and campus employees seem to want more healthful food choices. The dining facility managers claim their prices are competitive with outside eateries. They also point to a few available low-fat, high-fiber options, such as boxed salads and "lean" sandwiches.

Task: You are one of several student representatives on the Campus Food Committee consisting of administrators and Associated Students staff. Associated Students is a for-profit campus organization that runs all dining facilities at the university. At your monthly meeting you are discussing several faculty, staff, and student complaints. The criticism seems to center on food pricing and its healthfulness.

In teams of three to five, design a questionnaire to probe the opinions of faculty and staff to be distributed by the campuswide e-mail network or posted on the campus intranet. Learn which specific choices this particular population would like to see in campus cafeterias and how these options should be priced to be considered profitable by administrators. Investigate the price ranges for comparable food items off campus.

As a team, write a memo for the Campus Food Committee comparing food choices and their cost on campus and outside. Be sure to consider how the results will be tabulated and interpreted. Complete this activity as a report assignment. If so, write a report for the Campus Food Committee and be prepared to interpret your survey results. You will also be expected to issue recommendations to the committee.