Anytime Dining

 

Anytime Dining means that a residential dining plan holder can enter any Residential Dining Hall at any time, as many times as they would like, and eat as much as they care to eat.

  • (i.e., stop for a latte and a muffin in the morning, a mid-day snack, a full meal (with salad, appetizers, and desert), and/or a late study session with friends and snack.
  • Eat ANY TIME the Residential Dining Halls are open.
  • Go AS MANY TIMES as you like, every day.
  • Eat AS MUCH as you care to eat.

 Silver Gold and Platinum Packages:

  • You agree to pay UWM all applicable fees for your dining plan level as detailed in the approved 2022-2023 rate schedule. Applicable rates will also be posted to your PAWS Account.

The Gold Plan is considered the standard plan and will be used as a default plan whenever an alternate plan is not indicated by a residential student.

Residential Dining Hall(s)

are specific venues where the Anytime Dining Plan is used. Plan holders may dine during any operating hours at any Residential Dining Hall:

Dining Guest Pass

Bring friends & family to the Dining Halls by using the Dining Guest Pass and they can eat AS MUCH as they care to eat, too!

Dining Guest Pass(es)* allow dining plan holders to invite their UWM Housing-approved guests entry into the Residential Dining Halls for a predetermined window of time.

  • Guest Pass(es) are offered as a bundled package (with Dining Dollars) when purchased with the Gold or Platinum Anytime Dining Plans.
  • Additional Guest Pass(es) can be purchased individually or as a dining plan upgrade (Silver to Gold or Platinum/ Gold to Platinum).
  • All Guest Pass(es) must be purchased in advance of the guest’s arrival at the Residential Dining Hall and will be redeemed on site for entry into the Dining Hall.

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars* are funds purchased with your dining plan to be used outside of the Residential Dining Halls and are separate from the Anytime Dining program.

  • Dining Dollars can be used for food purchases on-campus at a variety of dining locations. When used at these locations, purchases are tax free and may include additional discounts for dining plan participants.
  • Dining Dollars can be used to make food purchases from any of our on-campus convenience store locations, called RESTOR and the Union Station. 

* Unused Dining Dollars and Guest Passes will roll-over from the Fall Semester to the Spring Semester.  Any unused Dining Dollars or Guest Passes remaining at the end of the participant’s Housing contract are non-refundable and will be lost.

On-Campus Dining Locations:

Taste Milwaukee

Dining Dollars provide residential students an opportunity to “TASTE MILWAUKEE” with nearly 20 vendors in the neighboring areas who will accept your Dining Dollars for meals in their restaurants or make deliveries to you.

Dietary Accommodations

Residential Dining works to ensure that dietary needs are met.

Why did UWM Change its Dining Plan?

This new system comes from a collaborative process by UWM’s Retail Services, the Student Housing Administrative Counsel, University Housing, the Division of Finance and Administrative Affairs and the Division of Student Affairs.

For many years UWM Residential Dining offered students a declining-balance, a-la-carte meal plan system.  These declining-balance plans will no longer be offered.

While indicating a need for a newer, more contemporary plan, students and staff identified a list of common issues that required correction. A new plan needed to address:

  • Ongoing food insecurity within the residential student population
  • Limited accessibility to food options
  • Limited dining variety
  • Limited and unstable hours of food service operations
  • Low perception of food value

This group of students, staff and administration reviewed dining and meal plan systems from many campuses both in and outside of the University of Wisconsin System before selecting the Anytime Dining Model as the best choice to address the items of concern and position UWM Residential Dining for success in the future.

While this group acknowledges that the current campus dining infrastructure is not ready to implement Anytime Dining in its complete form, immediate changes in the Fall of 2022 were needed.  This immediate restructure will be followed with improvements to the preparation, cooking and service areas in coming semesters to fully realize the Anytime Dining plan soon.

Dining Plan Requirement:

University Housing residents are required to participate in an Anytime Dining Plan.

  • At the time of Housing contract submission, residential students must:
  • Select a dining plan level preference (Silver, Gold or Platinum)
    • If a student makes a dining plan-related selection that does not the meet the criteria of their Residence Hall assignment, they will automatically be enrolled in the Gold Plan.
  • UWM Housing locations exempted from Dining Plan requirements: Purin Hall, Cambridge Commons’ upgraded suites, Sandburg Hall’s East Tower as these suites/apartments have kitchens built into the units.

Plan Changes

After applying for a Housing assignment and indicating a Dining Plan level, there are opportunities to change the requested Dining Plan level. Note: Increases (or upgrades) to one’s Dining Plan level can be done at any time.

  • Prior to Contract Preference Deadline
    • May 31, 2022 – For student beginning in Fall 2022
    • December 31, 2022 – For Students beginning in Spring 2022
  • After Contract Preference Deadline
    • To make changes to Dining Plan Level effective for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
      • No later than September 30, 2022
    • To make changes to dining Plan Level effecting for Spring 2023
      • No later than February 20, 2023
    • No refunds will be granted for unused Guest Passes or Dining Dollars credited to an account prior to the term of change.
    • Participants will not be credited for used Dining Dollars or Guest Passes before changing their plan.

Other Questions?

Please check our FAQ document.