This article was originally published in the September 2024 print edition.
Smith College announced the closing of Cushing/Emerson dining hall on April 25, 2024, effective in the 2024-25 academic year, which has led to dissatisfaction and complaints among students and staff. The decision resulted from a routine assessment in Dining Services that primarily focused on evaluating student dining experiences and usage levels.
The closing of Cushing/Emerson was part of a larger strategic mission influenced by the dining hall’s performance, according to Andy Cox, Executive Director of Auxiliary Services and Patricia Hentz, Director of Residential Dining.
“In recent years, we noticed a decline in usage of Cushing/Emerson, which provided breakfast and dinner but didn’t have a kitchen that supported special dining needs,” they said via email.
Currently, the college operates nine residential dining halls, with three located in the Quad. King/Scales continues to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with brunch on weekends, while Comstock and Haynes provide dinner Sunday through Thursday.
Some full-time dining staff members working in the Quad dining halls voiced frustration regarding how Dining Services has managed these recent changes.
“[The closure] has caused King to become very busy,” said one employee, who will remain anonymous. “We run out of food and we run out of steam from all the running around we do […] We just hear, ‘you aren’t that busy’ or ‘you made it through.’ They expect us to feed the extra students with no extra help.”
Additionally, the menus and student traffic at Comstock and Haynes were described as “unsustainable” by another anonymous employee located at the Quad.
Dining Services highlighted their commitment to environmental sustainability, an essential factor in their decision to close Cushing/Emerson.
“[We] make every effort to ensure that we are good stewards of resources,” said Cox and Hentz. “Shutting down walk-ins, cooking equipment and hood systems will reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to our campus environmental goals.”
By shifting attention from Cushing/Emerson, the team said they have instead focused on improving other dining locations. This year, Comstock and Haynes have extended their hours to accommodate higher student traffic and existing menus have also been refined.
Comstock now exclusively serves Pan Asian cuisine, while Haynes continues to host a stir fry bar. One employee recalled the eight-hour shifts they experienced with no breaks during the beginning of the semester, working at the shared kitchen between Comstock and Haynes. They are now unable to cook for students who require specific dietary needs, a service they were able to provide at Cushing/Emerson.
Students have also expressed dissatisfaction with their dining experiences this fall, including longer lines and food shortages.
“They said that they were going to be opening more late night dining options and things like that, when they’ve actually shortened hours at the Campus Center,” said a member of the United Smith Student Workers (USSW) who requested to remain anonymous. “It just seems like they’re not taking any responsibility for the consequences of this decision.”
Prior to Cushing/Emerson’s closing, staff attempted to increase usage with menu changes by offering popular meals such as “breakfast for dinner,” a dining employee said.
He also noted that students were experiencing confusion regarding how to enter the Cushing side of the dining hall, a factor that heavily impacted Cushing/Emerson’s usage. Staff asked for reconfigurations for the entire dining hall to be made more accessible, but these concerns were not answered.
Cox and Hentz told The Sophian that they have managed the reassignment process smoothly for both affected full-time staff and student employees. They encouraged students to pursue vacant job opportunities across campus.
The USSW member noted that student dining workers were informed of the closing through the all-student announcement on April 25. Full-time staff were notified 10 days earlier.
“We heard that we might be getting some news that might affect our jobs,” they said. “But we didn’t actually find out until everyone else did.”
The student also mentioned the consistent need for student staff in dining locations. “They need coverage all the time, and they’re basically begging people to show up,” they said. “But it just doesn’t work like that.”
“I worked at [Cushing/Emerson], and now I have nowhere to work because it’s the most accessible dining hall to me personally,” said Augustina Alapa ’26. “[Cushing/Emerson] for me was the most welcoming dining hall space to work at.”
The USSW member reported that student dining shifts have become increasingly demanding. “If you’re in King/Scales washing dishes during the weekend rushes where there used to be a whole other dining hall open, it’s totally different now,” they said.
Full-time dining staff also shared concerns about transparency and preparedness. “Many members will tell you that they are having a hard time keeping up with change and that management tells them to just give it a little more time,” said one employee.
Another staff member noted growing discontent due to understaffing and student over-enrollment. “I will say that there has been a wave of unease that has become stronger than it even was during COVID,” they said. “Staff members put up with so much during the height of the pandemic, and now we are being squeezed even more.”
Some staff reported being forced to accept positions with lower skill requirements and pay due to Cushing/Emerson’s closing, regardless of personal preference.
“I wasn’t able to bid on a position as I always had in the past,” one person said in an email to The Sophian. “Job bidding” is a process where a union employee can apply and transfer to another open position, if qualified. “I was FORCED to accept the new position that was created, which even if I had the opportunity I would have NEVER bid that position.”
Another worker observed an increasing reliance on “floaters” to cover shifts at dinner times, showing concern for potential long wait times for students during colder months. Additionally, an employee who requires medical accommodations said that their needs were not considered in the reassignment process.
“This certainly caused a ton of stress and nights of little sleep and worry,” they said. “Something of which the individuals making these decisions I feel doesn’t truly understand.”
One dining employee also shared an appreciative perspective. “Smith College is an amazing place for a food service employee to work,” he said. “We have rights that in an at will state like Massachusetts most people in this industry would never dream of.”
“It doesn’t mean that we deserve to get worked to the bone though,” he continued. “One of Smith College’s Core Values is that it strives to provide exemplary service and model leadership in its field. Our dining program should also represent that.”
The employee also emphasized the impacts of these changes on students. He said the burden of Smith having to “make up shortfalls” has fallen on the students and can negatively affect their college experience if it continues.
In the past, Gillett dining hall was reopened after students took consistent action against the decision to close it, according to a staff member, who expressed hope that a similar outcome could be achieved again.
The Dining Services team invited students to engage with the strategic planning process, a community-based feedback approach described in President Sarah’s most recent letter to the Smith community.
“Strategic planning will serve as a guide for the college community, including dining services,” said Cox and Hentz. “By participating in the process you can make a lasting impact on life at Smith!”
Smith will host focus group conversations on Sept. 26 and 27. Virtual (suggestionbox@smith.edu) and physical suggestion boxes are also available to students on the first floor of the Campus Center near the café.
The closure of Cushing/Emerson was abrupt for many students who miss the dining hall and remember it fondly.
“It just felt like there was more community,” said Abby Ball ’26. Madina Tall ’26 added, “It was nice kind of just joining other people’s conversations, that forced proximity of a connection.”
