The role of dining in colleges and universities is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, dining facilities provide students with essential nourishment to fuel their bodies and minds for academic success. A well-balanced diet is essential for maintaining good physical health, which in turn can have a positive impact on mental health and academic performance. By offering a variety of nutritious meal options, dining services can help students maintain a healthy lifestyle and promote overall well-being.
Additionally, dining facilities play a significant role in creating a sense of community on campus. Shared meals provide students, faculty, and staff with an opportunity to connect and socialize outside of the classroom. These interactions can foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie, which are essential for creating a positive and supportive campus environment. Furthermore, dining areas serve as gathering spaces where students can come together to study, collaborate on projects, or simply relax and unwind after a long day of classes.
Moreover, dining services have come to serve as a platform for promoting sustainability and environmental awareness on campus. By sourcing local, organic, and ethically produced ingredients, colleges and universities can support sustainable farming practices and reduce their carbon footprint. Additionally, implementing waste reduction and recycling initiatives in dining facilities can help minimize the environmental impact of campus operations.
With that responsibility on their proverbial plates, the nation’s college & university food service directors are set to convene this month in Louisville, KY. The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) will host it annual NACUFS 2024 National Conference, July 17-20 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY.
The NACUFS 2024 conference theme, “Distilling Knowledge, Crafting Community,” underscores a commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration among dining professionals in higher education. Attendees can expect a robust program of educational sessions, keynote addresses, and networking opportunities designed to enhance skills, deepen knowledge, and strengthen community ties across campuses nationwide.
“Through this conference, we aim to create an enriching environment where leaders and innovators in collegiate dining can come together to share insights, inspire creativity and drive the future of campus dining,” said NACUFS Board Chairman Kory Samuels, associate vice president of auxiliary services, finance and administration at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “We are thrilled to welcome our members to Louisville, where we will blend tradition with innovation to redefine excellence in our field.”
A variety of educational sessions tailored to address pressing issues and emerging trends in collegiate dining will cover topics including the integration of artificial intelligence in dining services, enhancing food allergy awareness, strategies for achieving zero carbon emissions, and best practices for workforce engagement and retention. Additional sessions will focus on elevating women in the culinary field and effective food waste prevention. Alongside these enriching discussions, the NACUFS 2024 National Showcase, taking place Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19, will provide attendees with the opportunity to explore the latest trends, products and services from a diverse array of vendors, expanding their professional toolkit to apply on their campuses. Also on Thursday, July 18, the thrilling Culinary Challenge will bring together collegiate chefs from across the country to compete for the national title.
Workforce strategist and award-winning keynote speaker Greg Offner will open the conference with, “The Tip Jar CultureTM: Creating an Engaging Workplace,” a musical presentation that melds his unique experience as a dueling pianist with practical framework for boosting employee engagement. In addition to informative and enlightening learning sessions, attendees will enjoy dynamic roundtable discussions, experiential learning opportunities, inspiring awards presentations and engaging networking events. Award-winning futurist Bryan Alexander, Ph.D., a senior research scholar at Georgetown University, will present the closing keynote presentation, “The Future of Higher Education,” exploring how demographics, macroeconomics, geopolitics, and emerging technologies are reshaping academia.
“The collective success of our industry in meeting its diverse challenges hinges on the ability to collaborate and build a strong community across the spectrum of collegiate dining,” stated NACUFS President and CEO Robert Nelson. “This conference serves as a pivotal platform for sharing knowledge and innovation that not only enhance services but also shape the future of campus dining. Together, we are setting new standards in the industry, driven by our shared commitment to excellence.”
The event also serves as a backdrop for leading college & university dining programs to be recognized. The Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards named after a NACUFS founder, past president and highly regarded innovator will be presented a the Louisville conference.
The Horton Dining Awards celebrate members’ innovative ideas and program implementation. Member institutions across North America submitted entries in 12 dining categories, covering retail sales, catering, special events, renovations, new facilities, employee development programs, outreach and education, and more.
The NACUFS Nutrition Awards will also be presented at NACUFS 2024. These awards recognize the outstanding nutrition and wellness programs implemented within collegiate foodservice programs to meet the needs of a dynamic student population. Member institutions across North America submitted entries in three categories – Wellness and Nutrition Program of the Year, Special Diet Program of the Year, and Special Diet Recipe of the Year. In addition, NACUFS will present top honors for sustainability. The NACUFS 2024 Sustainability Awards recognize the pivotal role dining services has in the overall environmental sustainability and social responsibility of a campus. Member institutions across North America submitted entries in these categories – Sustainable Procurement; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion/Social Justice; Carbon Neutrality; and Waste Reduction.
The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) was founded in 1958 by a group of college and university foodservice professionals from across the United States. Since its inception, NACUFS has focused on its mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.
NACUFS institutional members range from private colleges to large public universities, including two-year and four-year institutions, spanning the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and beyond. Industry members include food and equipment manufacturers, distributors, brokers, foodservice support companies, councils, boards, trade associations, advisory commissions and other professional groups. Learn more at https://www.nacufs.org/
