When the new student union opens in 2008, both a new campus life and a new way to eat will come along with it. TCU Dining Services is replacing the present a la carte plan with a buffet-style program.

Rather than using an ID debit card at all of the dining facilities, students will swipe their IDs to gain access to the residential dining hall in the new Brown-Lupton Student Union, said Rick Flores, the general manager of TCU Dining Services.

Students will then choose their meal from a buffet of choices.

TCU is gathering ideas for this membership-type program from some neighboring universities, Flores said.

Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Tech University and the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio all provide a similar plan.

SMU offers seven different meal plans, ranging from $200 to $2,035 per semester, that include both membership entries and additional “Flex” dollars.

“Flex” dollars, like the current TCU meal plan, are used like a debit card on campus, according to the SMU Dining Services Web site.

The membership-style plans at SMU allow for several choices. Some give the student an unlimited amount of buffet meals in campus dining halls. Other, lower-priced plans allow the student a certain number of on-campus meals.

Because of the change in meal plans, a change in price is also in the near future.

The new plan will cost students more because of operation costs and product prices, but the exact increase has not been determined, Flores said.

The number of on-campus restaurant options will stay about the same after the new dining halls open, he said.

A retail-style restaurant, a residential dining hall and a convenience store will replace the four existing dining options.

These facilities will open when the new student union construction is finished.

If the building goes up on time, the new dining plan will go into effect fall 2008, said Legia Abato, the marketing manager for TCU Dining Services.

After the new dining halls are operating, the current Brown-Lupton Student Center will be renovated into classrooms, offices and meeting rooms.