Val Dining Revisions Continue to Take Shape

Since stepping in as director of dining services on March 29, 2024, Bill Connor has wasted no time reshaping the student dining experience. In his profile with The Amherst Student, Connor viewed his role as an opportunity to “define a new era of dining at Amherst.”

Connor’s recent contributions include the self-serve model at most serving stations, the newly modified “Without-9” allergy station, the new software system that allows students to tap upon entry into Val, and extending hours of operations for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. to 5 to 8:30 p.m. Due to the longer dinner hours, Late Night now begins at 9:30 instead of 9 p.m.

However, Connor has been on leave since shortly after the semester began. His automatic email reply reads that he “will be out of office until further notice” and “will not be accessing emails,” with no marked date of return. All inquiries are currently directed to Ralph Johnson, executive director of campus operations.

Currently, Johnson plans to oversee and continue Connor’s contributions to the dining hall. There has been no formal statement regarding the reason for Connor’s leave.

When asked about Connor’s most recent dining hall changes, Johnson said, “Our Dining Services Team’s current plan is to monitor how newly implemented programs from this fall are performing, to see if any adjustments are needed.”

Some students, however, feel that these changes are too overwhelming. 

“From my perspective, the dining model seems to change too frequently, and I can’t help but wonder what impact that has on the staff —  I’m also curious about how much student input is guiding these decisions,” Shane Dillon ’26, the Association of Amherst Students’ president, said.

Dillon then recommended solutions for a stronger approach to receiving student feedback. 

“It might be helpful, for example, to poll students on preferences — whether self-serve is actually quicker or more desirable, how accessible the allergy station feels, or whether the current pasta offerings are meeting expectations,” he said.

There are, however, bigger fish to fry. With the new Student Center & Dining Commons (SCDC) set to open in Fall 2026, the dining leadership team is preparing for a major transition. 

“Some of the key preparatory tasks are naming the new stations, planning the hours of operation for the new pub, determining new menu items, and creating a new operating manual for the team, which is very important as we will be cooking with electricity as opposed to gas,” Johnson said.

Ralph emphasized the leadership team’s excitement for the new dining facility. He described how the SCDC will be a very different experience for students, offering more space, seating, and serving options. 

Despite Connor’s absence, Ralph reinstates the team’s positive and transparent approach to managing dining operations. 

“Our fundamental goals will not change: to keep offering excellent service, to serve great food, to continue our sustainability efforts, and to solicit feedback from the student body and Amherst College community for incorporation into our operations.”