Campus Initiatives

As a guest, it is easy to make smart environmental choices when you dine at a Ursinus College. We know today's college students want to do the right thing for the planet and we also understand you lead busy lives, so your Ursinus chefs and managers do a lot of the work for you behind the scenes!

From purchasing local seasonal produce whenever possible to reducing inorganic and organic waste, your campus team is dedicated to providing you with an exceptional dining experience that is good for you and good for the planet.

Conducting business with high ethical standards is fundamental to Sodexo. In light of this, we have formalized this Supplier Code of Conduct to articulate our expectations of those with whom we conduct business including those businesses with which we have continuing supply relationships.
 
This Supplier Code of Conduct (“Code”) sets forth Sodexo's expectations of suppliers, vendors, contractors and others with whom Sodexo conducts business (including their affiliates and collectively referred to as “Suppliers”) with respect to sound and responsible ethical, social, labor and environmental practices. Sodexo recognizes that Suppliers operate in different legal and cultural environments throughout the world. Regardless, this Code sets forth the minimum requirements that we expect our Suppliers to meet or to ensure such requirements are consistent with their own business principles, to do business with Sodexo. Consequently, Suppliers are expected to communicate the principles of this Code throughout their supply chain.
 
To uphold the critical priority of this approach, Sodexo reserves the right to carry out the controls that it deems reasonably necessary to ensure that this Code is respected throughout its Supply Chain. This may include self-assessments, Sodexo audits, and third-party audits of Suppliers. 
 
Sodexo realizes that Suppliers may need time to address areas in which they may not be in compliance. We believe that compliance is best achieved through a process of continuous improvement over a period of time, which includes dialogue with Sodexo. With this in mind, Sodexo has developed the Sodexo Supplier Code of Conduct - Supplier Guide which seeks to provide Suppliers with guidance on how they can implement the Sodexo Supplier Code of Conduct. Sodexo invites its Suppliers to keep us regularly informed about their actions and their improvement plans concerning the Code of Conduct and welcomes evidence where exceeding the minimum is achieved by our supply chain partners.
 
Sodexo encourages its Suppliers to support the achievement of the commitments set out in the “Better Tomorrow 2025”, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to the signature of the Sodexo Supplier Code of Conduct which is applicable to all Sodexo Suppliers whatever the product or service that they provide to Sodexo, Suppliers will be asked to sign the Sodexo Sustainable Seafood Supplier Charter, the Sodexo Animal Welfare Charter and other documents as appropriate to the products and services that they provide. 
 

Conducting all aspects of Sodexo’s business with the highest standards of ethics and integrity is essential to Sodexo’s mission to improve the Quality of Life of our employees and of all whom we serve and to contribute to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries where we operate. Business Integrity is therefore a pillar of our Responsible Business Conduct commitments. 

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Respect for human rights is essential to Sodexo’s mission to improve the Quality of Life of our employees and of all whom we serve and to contribute to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries where we operate. Respect for human rights is therefore a pillar of our Responsible Business Conduct commitments. Sodexo makes the following commitments regarding human rights: 
  • Sodexo respects human rights wherever we do business.
  • Sodexo seeks to conduct its business in a manner that will not infringe upon the human rights of others, and we will address adverse human rights impacts that result from our business activities.
  • Through human rights due diligence, Sodexo will seek to identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights impacts that we may cause or contribute to or to which we may be linked directly by our business relationships.
This commitment is informed by international human rights principles. These principles are set forth in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Bill of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the United Nations Global Compact, to which we have been a signatory since 2003. 
 
As part of our longstanding pledge to improve animal welfare in the countries where we operate, Sodexo announced in December 2016 a set of new and broad commitments to improve the humane treatment of animals in our U.S. supply chain.
 
In a move lauded by the Humane Society of the United States, Sodexo will:
  • Source all of our liquid and hard cooked/boiled eggs from cage-free hens by the end of 2020
  • Eliminate the use of veal crates from our supply chain by 2017
  • Implement a phased approach to sourcing poultry, beef and veal from suppliers with improved animal well-being practices
  • Sodexo is now ready to implement these changes in advance of our targeted timelines.
 
Eggs
Following our transition to cage-free shelled and liquid eggs, Sodexo is moving to cage-free pre-cooked and frozen egg products with a carefully phased-in approach that will begin in February 2019 and be complete organization wide by the end of 2020.
 
Pork
Five of our most high-volume pork products – in the bacon, pork butt and pork loin categories – have transitioned to open sow housing in 2018. Open sow housing allows the sow to roam more freely after the pregnancy is confirmed.  Planning for additional products is underway and will be announced at a later date.
 
Key Facts Regarding these Transitions:
  • There is an average cost increase of 43% on the raw materials for the cost of cage free pre-cooked and frozen egg products.
  • Pork pricing is commodity-based and changes on a continual basis. Commodity programs are a formula-based reflection of continual market fluctuations and will often follow a seasonal pattern. While the pricing changes reflect the impact of the transition to group housed, additional pricing changes may occur based on market fluctuations
  • Once your segment begins the transition to cage free pre-cooked and frozen egg products, your order guides will automatically be updated. The egg products will be automatically mapped to the new cage free product alternative.
  • The transition to open sow housing for bacon, pork butt and pork loin will be automatic. The existing products will be automatically mapped to the open sow housed product alternative.

As part of our longstanding pledge to improve animal welfare, we offer cage-free shell and liquid eggs throughout our operation at Ursinus College.

Sodexo is committed to ensuring healthy fish stocks are on the menu for many years. This commitment will help our health, our global communities and our environment. Fish is an important part of healthy diets and constitutes 17% of the global population’s protein intake. Fish and seafood also support the livelihoods of 10-12% of the world’s population, most of them in the developing world. Many of the global marine fish stocks today are threatened or depleted, making the way we source seafood critically important to the health of the ocean and the survival of marine fish stocks. 

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We've discontinued the use of straws in Wismer Center Dining Hall as part of our commitment towards our Plastic Reduction Plan.

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We are committed to providing fresh local products throughout our operation at Ursinus College.  Over the past several years, we have worked hard to increase the number of local vendors who provide food items to the campus.  Local products are sourced from within a 200 mile radius of campus.  We also offer produce from the Ursinus Farm, when available.
 
We are committed to purchasing 100% Fair Trade Coffee on Campus. Our coffee outlet, catering department and Resident Dining platform purchase fair-trade product lines.
Trayless dining is a strategy to reduce food waste. Not having a tray limits the amount of food patrons can carry at one time. Without trays, patrons are less likely to serve themselves more than they can eat, which significantly reduces food waste. Trayless dining also decreases the amount of water and energy used for washing trays.
Contact our Catering Department for information on Eco friendly disposable ware.
Learn more about campus recycling initiatives here.