This document summarizes a systems thinking analysis of the Chartwells food service system at a university. It identifies gaps between actual and perceived food quality, and frames the issues around stakeholders, budgets, and factory models of food production. It explores causes like perceptions and standards to understand the problem. The document proposes designing solutions like leveraging tipping points and alternatives. A prototype solution incorporates more local and organic foods. The conclusion notes biases that need addressing for long term solutions and how immersion improves overall understanding of subjective vs objective food quality issues within the system.

1. SYSTEMS THINKING: A CONCRETE
EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE CHARTWELLS
FOOD SERVICE SYSTEM
Including:
Results
The Issue: An Introduction
Framing
Gaps Understanding
Solutions
Designing
Prototype
Causes
Conclusion
By Mary Perotti

2. INTRODUCTION
The Issue: Actual and Perceived Food Quality

3. FRAMING THE ISSUE
The American Lifestyle
The Budget
Factory Model
Stakeholders

4. RBGS – DRAFT 1
Student Opinion of Food Quality Over Time
Present
F
O
O Desired Outcome
D
Q
U
A Current Situation
L
I
T
Y
SEMESTERS

5. Actual Food Quality Based Upon Health/
Nutrition Standards
Desired Outcome
RBGS – DRAFT 2
Actual Food Quality (Nutrition/Health Benefits)
Present
Current By implementing more local food Student Opinion of Food Quality over
Situation and organic foods into the system,
the goal is that there will be more F
Time Present
nutritional and health benefits Desired
associated with them, and O
Outcome
therefore the desired outcome will O
be higher.
D
Q Current
Sept Oct Nov Dec Situation
U
Months in Semester at Green Mountain
College A
L
I
T
Y
SEMESTERS

6. UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Perceptions
Students Standards

7. DESIGNING A SOLUTION
Leverage
Tipping Points
Alternatives
Nudges
Jumping Fences

8. PROTOTYPE Core Courses
CUA 1211: Introduction to Culinary Arts
CUA 1011: Fundamentals of Food
CUA 1075: Restaurant Intensives (1 credit each)
CUA 2011: Food Policy
CUA 3054: Nutrition and Health
ENV 3093: The Environmental Professional
CUA 4090: Internship in Culinary Arts
CUA 2025: Satellite Restaurant Block Course
CUA 2023: Cerridwen Farm Participation
CUA 2031: Entrepreneurship
Choose one of the following lab courses:
CHE 1021: General Chemistry I
ELA 1017: Introduction to Environmental
Chemistry
Electives
CUA 2060: The History of the Culinary Arts
CUA 2061: The Legal System: Food and Policy
CUA 2067: Wine and Beverage Studies
CUA 2070: Pastry and Dessert Studies
CUA 2073: Sustainability Studies
SFS 2002: Food Preservation
CUA 3023: Accounting
CUA 3055: Marketing
CAU 4056: Mixology Class (Bartending)
CUA 3058: A History of Agriculture
CUA 3075: Food Ethics
CUA 3057: Plating and Serving
CUA 4025: In the Kitchen
CUA 3013: Local Food Sourcing
CUA 2045: New Venture Creation
CUA 3025: Food Ethics
CUA 3040: Composting Management
CUA 2075: Food Justice

9. CONCLUSIONS
Band-Aids Vs Long Term Solutions
Biases and Heuristics
Immersion
Food Standards are Ever Changing
Subjective Vs Objective Food Quality
Overall Understanding

10. REFERENCES
•
• American Heart Association. (2012). Statistical fact sheet. In Nutrition & Cardiovascular Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-
public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_319591.pdf
•
• Berger, W. (2010). CAD Monkeys, Dinosaur babies and T-shaped people: Inside the world of design thinking and how it can spark creativity and innovation. New York: Penguin Books.
• Brown, T. (2009). Change by design: How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation. New York: Harper Business.
• Gladwell, M. (2002). The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
• Meadows, Donella H., Thinking in Systems: A Primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2008.
• Mitroff, I. (1998). Smart thinking for crazy times: The art of solving the right problems. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
• NECI. (2012). New england culinary institute (neci) academic programs. Retrieved from http://www.neci.edu/academic-programs
• Richmond, B. (2005). An introduction to systems thinking: Stella software. Lebanon, NH: isee Systems, Inc.
• Sterman, John D., “Risk Communication on Climate: Mental Models and Mass Balance,” Science 322 (24 October, 2008), 532 – 533.
• Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2009). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New York: Penguin Books.
• Ulmer, G. (2011, February 23). Caloric intake of a normal person. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/389267-caloric-intake-of-a-normal-person/
•
• Zagorsky, J. L. (2012). The freshman 15: A critical time for. Wiley, Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2011.00823.x/pdf
•
• Images in Farm to Table Section:
• (2008). Gmc cerridwen farm. (2008). [Print Photo]. Retrieved from www.greenmtn.edu
•
• (2010). Culinary Student Image (2010) [Print Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.seattlecentral.edu/wp/seattle-culinary-academy/program-parent-cularts/culinary-arts/
•
• (2011). Chartwells food system (2011). [Print Photo]. Retrieved from www.greenmtn.edu
•
• Interviews/Discussion Information:
•
• Interview with Dave Ondria 11/27/12
• Meeting with Center of the Plate Club 12/03/12