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Contributors include:
Emily Arkin
Carlos Santos
Daniela Mapeso
Josie Lee
Kayla Dyson

April 21, 2015

Extended Inquiry Project
Research Plan

Introduction:
Mandated by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, freshman students
living on campus are required to choose one of the two meal plans offered that
consists of meal swipes and declining balance. These two meals plans include
(1) 175 meal swipes with $300 declining balance which can be used at any food
location on campus and (2) 7 day unlimited meal swipes with $200 declining
balance. Assumptions are made that male and female eating habits differ based
on preference and level of physical activity performed throughout the day. We
unanimously agreed upon the topic that the convenience of eating on campus
depends on the locations of dining facilities, residence halls, and classrooms,
thus impacting how and when we eat.
We are focusing on completing our research on three residential buildings from
the North and South Villages; Moore Hall and Sanford Hall, which are freshman
inclusive dormitories located in South Village, and Miltmore Hall, which houses
all grade levels, located in North Village. With intensive research, our intention
is to use this information to infer how our choices are hindered by the location
of dining facilities on campus. In the future, with expansions on campus, UNC
Charlotte/The North Carolina School system can use this information when
determining where new residential halls should be built so they are in close
proximity to dining facilities. Resurfacing questions regarding location of
dining facilities include: (1) Why are dining halls always located on the
perimeter of campuses as opposed to the center where the most traffic is? (2)
Does location of dining facilities in relation to classrooms reflect where
students eat and why? (3) Are locations of residential halls forcing students to
conform to one dining facilities as opposed to another?

Hypothesis:
After this experiment, we predict that SoVi, compared to any other dining
facility, would be the most popular dining location simply because the
buildings were focusing on (in the South Village) were purposefully made for
freshmen students. However, students who stay at Miltimore are more prone to
eating in a diverse number of places as they are closer to the campus and their
classes.

Specifications / Method:
Sample Size

Participants

Number of Survey
Questions

Time Allotted

60

30 Males/ 30
Females

20

2-5 minutes

On March 25, 2015, each member tested the survey on one student from their
building. We received feedback from students and are now aware of what needs
to be altered to have our survey deliver the best results. The decision was made
after the practice surveys were administered to four individuals that example
answers were a necessity to narrow down the possible responses.
The sample population consists of 60 students (30 male and 30 female; 20 from
each building) with meal plans including both swipes and declining balance. We
will focus primarily on freshman living on campus, considering of the
buildings we are sampling from are oriented to them. Exceptions will be made if
necessary.
Answers should be organic without a lot of thought put into each question. We
are adjusting our survey questions to display example answers but suggest
participants to contribute their answers that pertain to them specifically.
Optional comments are encouraged at the bottom of each survey.

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The main component of the survey is location of dining facilitiesfast food or
traditional dining halls. Fast food options include multiple fast food restaurants
(ex: Chick-fil-a, Bojangles, Subway, etc.) with one centralized place to pay for
food items. We decided to focus on location because everyone's definition of
healthy is significantly different, in that we must avoid any
miscommunications in order to receive effective feedback from the UNC
Charlotte community. Questions vary from multiple choice to free response.
Students schedules are taken into consideration when suggesting the most
popular locations at certain times out of the day. Between 12:15 PM and 3:30
PM, observations were made that Prospector and the Student Union have a high
level of student presence during these hours. Students are asked to base their
survey answers on the past week. Habits change based on what time of the year
it is. For example, during finals, students may opt for fast food and takeout
because it is convenient and faster than cooking an entire meal. We will
administer the surveys on a Monday so students have a clear recollection of
where they ate in the previous week.
Due to Charlottes high population of international students, specific questions
on food habits and limitation due to allergies, religious views, and
vegetarian/kosher options were asked as optional questions. Everyone may not
have dietary restrictions but taking these limitations into account will suggest
popular locations for such needs that other students do not concern themselves
with. By receiving all perspectives we can limit our bias when conducting our
research analysis.
We felt that a survey would be the most suitable form of research because it
serves to heighten our investigation as compared to solely depending on online
research. The survey is first-hand evidence and hence giving us no excuse to
plagiarise our work or to be reliant on others investigation online.
For further analysis, we will all be keeping a
food journal
for three days. This
will begin March 24, 2015, and end March 26, 2015. These results will help us
reflect eating habits from students living on campus (Emily, Kayla, Daniela,
Josie) versus off campus (Carlos), pertaining to lunchtime for fair comparisons.
The rationale behind this decision was based on how although we are all
freshman (either living on campus or off) we take advantage of the dining
facilities on campus- locations most often altering from person to person.

Materials:
We will be using the prior knowledge we have on conducting surveys found in
the article sent to us titled Survey Research. A hardcopy of the survey will be
handed out to participants and collected upon completion. Maximum time
allotted to complete the survey should not exceed five minutes. A map will be
used to pinpoint the different locations of dining facilities (either fast food or
traditional dining hall) in retrospect to residence halls and buildings.
Campus Map
Survey Research:
http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/43589_8.pdf
Food Journal
Dining Hall Locations and Hours of Operation
APP on Campus

Timeline:
See
group activity log

Survey
Thank you for participating in our survey. Our group is focusing on the location of
dining halls in comparison to residential halls and classrooms. This survey will help
us to understand how the location of restaurants/dining facilities affect our eating
habits, in terms of how satisfied we are with our choices. Please ensure that
only
people living on campus and with meal plans
are taking part in this survey. And only
reflect on your habits within
this past week
.
What year are you currently in school?
Freshman
-
Sophomore
-
Junior
-
Senior
What resident hall do you live in?
Miltimore Hall
(North Village) -
Sanford Hall
, or
Moore Hall
(South Village)
Within the last week, where most often did you eat?
Cone
Student Union
Prospector
SoVi
Crown Commons
Other
Why?
(Check one or more option)
Convenience*
Location of Residence Halls to Dining Halls
Location of Classrooms to Dining Halls
Preference
*It only refers to how quickly food can be obtained and paid for.
1. Between the time of 7AM and 12:15PM, what buildings are the majority of your
classes in? (If no classes designate where you normally reside at this time)
- Denny - CHHS - Fretwell - Reese - Smith - Belk - Cameron - BursonWoodward
a. During this period of time, where did you usually eat?
(ex. SoVi, The Den, Einstein Bros. Bagels, etc.)

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2. Between the time of 12:30PM and 4:45PM, what buildings are the majority of
your classes in? (If no classes designate where you normally reside at this
time)
- Denny - CHHS - Fretwell - Reese - Smith - Belk - Cameron - BursonWoodward
b. During this period of time, where did you usually eat?
(ex. Subway, BoJangles, etc.)
3. Between the time of 5PM- 10PM, what buildings are the majority of your
classes in? (If no classes designate where you normally reside at this time)
- Denny - CHHS - Fretwell - Reese - Smith - Belk - Cameron - BursonWoodward
c. During this period of time, where did you usually eat?
(ex. Crown Commons, Wendys, etc.)
Are there
factors
that prevent you from walking to a dining hall? (ex.
weather, time
of day, distance
)
Does the number of swipes you receive on your meal plan at the beginning of the
semester help
determine
where you eat?
Optional Questions:
Do you have any
allergies / religious limitations / health issues
? (Ex: Peanuts, Soy /
Kosher / Diabetes)

Does this affect

where you eat and when
? Explain.