Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct course of action.

Some students of girls’ hostel are protesting against the charges on food which are levied on them even if they do not have their meals at the hostel mess. They claim that such charges are unreasonable as they are being charged for the services that they do not use. Their contention is that the hostel food is unwholesome and unpalatable and they are spending more money outside to buy food which they like. In such a scenario, charging them for meals not had is like double jeopardy. The hostel mess in charge, however, contends that the girls have to pay as they had given an undertaking at the beginning of the year that they would use the hostel mess facilities and his entire operations are geared towards fulfilling those obligations. Also, he says that if students do not use the hostel mess, it will become financially un-remunerative to run the mess. As the Dean - Student Affairs, how will you ethically handle the situation?

  1. Ask the students and the mess contractor to share the burden equally so that nobody is unduly penalized.

  2. Ask the students to eat two meals at the mess till the end of the session. This way they can still have one meal outside and get value for the money they are charged towards mess expenses.

  3. Give the contractor one month to streamline his operation depending upon the number of students who actually have meals in the mess. After that period, only students who have meals in the mess will be charged and students who opt out will not be allowed to have meals in the mess.

  4. Give the contractor a fixed time frame to downsize his operations as per the students’ requirements and allow the students to still use the hostel mess on a pay per use basis.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

It will the contractor the necessary time to streamline his operations, make changes and win back the confidence of the students. It will also give students the time to think and act accordingly without holding onto the grudges.

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