An administrator known for valuing student input will no longer serve as Duke’s dining director.
Jim Wulforst, who served as director of dining services since Fall 1996, will take a position as a special assistant to Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta, where he will work on undisclosed projects. The University will conduct a national search for a new director this Fall, with the goal of having a new director by Spring 2012.
“It was a personal decision on his part [to leave his current position],” Moneta said. “I can’t speak for his reasons.”
Moneta announced Wulforst’s resignation through an Aug. 12 email to deans and department heads in Student Affairs. Moneta wrote that Rick Johnson, assistant vice president of housing and dining, will oversee Duke Dining in the interim.
Duke Dining has experienced several significant changes in leadership over the past two years. In April 2010, Kemel Dawkins stepped down from his position as vice president for campus services. Dawkins led negotiations over the 2009-2010 academic year to reduce Duke Dining’s $2.2 million budget deficit that had accrued since 2007. Duke Dining and Duke Student Government ultimately decided to increase the student dining plan contract fee by $70.50 to help reduce the deficit.
In December 2010, Johnson was chosen to fill the newly created position of assistant vice president for housing and dining. Last year the University restructured the Office of Student Affairs, adding Dining Services and Event Management under its purview and doubling its budget.
Former student leaders in DSG said Wulforst’s role had been marginalized since Johnson began overseeing dining.
“I can’t imagine him ever wanting to leave,” said former Duke Student Government President Mike Lefevre, Trinity ’11. Lefevre worked extensively with dining services during his tenure at Duke.
Wulforst could not be reached for comment Wednesday and Thursday, but wrote in the Aug. 12 email to his colleagues that he “decided to pursue a new opportunity within the University outside of dining services.”
In his 15 years as director of dining services, Wulforst was responsible for shaping the majority of the dining scene as students know it today. He brought Chick-Fil-A, McDonald’s, the Armadillo Grill, the Loop and Subway, among others, to campus. He was also a key player in Duke Dining’s transition from former caterer ARAMARK Corp. to Bon Appétit Management Company in 2007.
Wulforst successfully balanced the dining budget for fiscal year 2010-2011, Moneta confirmed, after dining services experienced a $2.2 million deficit for fiscal year 2009-2010. Changes included eliminating staff and faculty discounts, upping the commission rate for non-contracted eateries and ending the refund of unused food points at the end of the year.
The next director will take the helm of dining services while the University prepares for major renovations to the West Union building, which houses vendors like the Loop and the Great Hall.
Gus Megaloudis, co-owner of the Greek Devil food cart, said he will always be grateful to Wulforst for giving him his start on campus.
“I owe my business here to Jim,” Megaloudis said. “We’ve taken off since [the cart’s opening two years ago].”
Wulforst implemented multiple measures during his tenure to ensure that students had a say in dining decisions. He served as the point person for the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee to further involve students in decisions to add new vendors or change menus.
Multiple student leaders have praised Wulforst for his openness toward student opinion about dining decisions.
Lefevre wrote in a Wednesday email that members of DSG worked more with Wulforst than with any other administrator, a testament to his commitment to students.
“You’re not going to see the same kind of eagerness to serve students coming from dining services without Jim,” Lefevre said. “His openness stood in contrast to some of the more agenda-driven people around him.... If you take a person like that away from the organization, we all lose.”
Alex Klein, former DUSDAC co-chair and Trinity ’11, also emphasized the difference between Wulforst and other administrators in terms of attention paid to student opinion.
“Unlike some other administrators, Jim was consistently honest and open with students about Duke Dining, including its problem areas,” said Klein, former online editor for The Chronicle. “Duke lost an administrator who actually valued the input and opinions of the students he served. Jim was able to find success with the dining program because of—not despite—student involvement.”
Sanette Tanaka contributed reporting.
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