The class of 2021 at Indiana Wesleyan University will eat food made by Pioneer College Caterers. That’s the plan, at least.

IWU and Pioneer entered into a new 10-year contract, effective Aug. 1, 2011, that will keep Pioneer as the school’s food service provider until the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

Brad Sheriff, IWU’s associate vice president for business affairs and compliance, is pleased with the deal and said it is an extension of an already-successful cooperation.

“We’ve got a partner that we’ve worked with and come to know over the past 11 years, and Pioneer College Caterers knows us and they know our market,” Sheriff said. “They work really hard to help Indiana Wesleyan create the image that it wants to create for its students and its parents, faculty, staff, other constituencies, of really first-rate quality, and yet at the same time being really mindful of cost and stewardship.”

Pioneer Resident District Manager Chris Lampson said the new contract is a reflection of the kind of service the company provides, and he is encouraged by the length of the deal.

“It’s exciting for us to know that the school has enough confidence in us and our abilities to want to have a 10-year contract,” Lampson said. “That really speaks highly of us and of the school. It’s a great partnership.”

One of the new main aspects to this agreement will give Pioneer more of IWU’s catering business outside the regular services in Baldwin and the other venues, according to both Lampson and Sheriff.

“[It] is more of a clarification than a change,” Sheriff said. “As I reviewed the language of the prior contract, that was really the intent … that they be our exclusive food service provider. That really wasn’t happening on the catering side, so in this contract, it’s more explicit.”

Another advantage to signing this deal is an extended guarantee of prices, according to Sheriff. Sheriff said Pioneer held costs down in the contract an extra year than originally planned. As for student meal plans, however, he could not make an estimate concerning what those costs will look like.

Student body President Aaron Morrison (sr) said he initially had concerns about the deal, as he expects many others will too.

“After initially hearing it, I had the same reaction as a lot of other students, in the sense that, ‘Why are we signing a long-term contract knowing that, within 10 years, a lot of things can change?’” Morrison said.

After talking with IWU officials, Morrison said he is not as apprehensive but still encourages students to keep quality expectations high.

“The administration is very well aware of the prices with Pioneer,” Morrison said. “I think from the student side we just need to put pressure on the administration and on Pioneer to keep their prices low. It’s better, but it’s something we need to remain vigilant on.”

Some students, like Amanda Howard (fr), remain unconvinced, with mixed feelings on the issue.

“I like all the variety we have. I’ve been to other colleges, and their food has not even come close to our food, so I don’t think I have any room to complain,” Howard said. “I do think the contract maybe shouldn’t be 10 years. That’s kind of a really long-term commitment for food. If they start going downhill, you’re stuck with them for the next 10 years.”

But Lampson said the length of the deal will allow Pioneer to improve in the long term on what it already does.

“It also gives us an opportunity to grow,” Lampson said. “There’s all kinds of good stuff on the horizon for us. Chick-fil-A was one, but there’s so many good things we can be doing as we partner with the school in the years ahead as we grow.”

As for this semester and this year, Sheriff said there will not be any noticeable changes.

“For the students,” Sheriff said, “really you should see essentially the same things you’ve been seeing in terms of quality, service, cost.”