SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA) — A private Christian college in Springdale, that has been in legal trouble in the past, is making headlines once again.
The biscuits they give us could be dropped on the ground and it wouldn’t crumble, it would just stay the way it is.
Wyatt Moss, Sophomore at Ecclesia
Ecclesia College in Springdale, is now getting back lash for failing to feed its students.
Students are claiming that the cafeteria food is old and scarce.
I’ve had food poisoning that I think I got from the burgers.
Mack Carver, Freshman at Ecclesia
One student said he recently left the school due to the food conditions and current students said they are upset about the same issues.
Below is a video taken from inside the school showing food offered:
It’s not like day old food, it’s more like 3 to 4 days old.
Wyatt Moss, Sophomore at Ecclesia
Sophomore Wyatt Moss said he pays $1,500 a semester for food he barely gets.
“Half the time the baseball team comes back from practice with little to no food,” he said. “It is more like crumbs and all that stuff or it is not even a full meal.”
There have been times where my sugar has been low and high and it’s just been hard on me, diabetes wise, and all around.
Mack Carver, Freshman at Ecclesia
Freshman Mack Carver, who has diabetes, said he also experiences the same problem.
“There would be times where we would come back from practice and not be able to eat anything at all,” he said. “It’s terrible for us because we are paying all this money for the food that we aren’t getting.”
Another student, Coy Fox, said he left the school because of these conditions.
Fox’s sister, Ansley Fox, said she has been trying to inform the college about the food issues since October 25.
I had been informed by several students, including my brother, that the dining facility at Ecclesia was running out of food often. There were several occasions where they were unable to eat due to lack of food or being served expired food. I attempted to reach out to the faculty at Ecclesia and was promptly shut down and even blocked by their Facebook page. I have sent many emails to Liz Newlun, the Dean of Students. I have yet to receive an answer to my most recent questions. When I call to speak to her, she rejects my calls and when messages are left she does not get back to me. They are charging students $5,310 a year for room and board but do not utilize those funds appropriately or the students would be fed regularly. Since students are not being fed in the dining facility, they should at least be able to prepare their own meals. However, they are not allowed to use the kitchen in the dining hall and the dorms do not have kitchen appliances. One of the dorms does not even have a kitchen sink.
Ansley Fox
Below are screenshots sent by Fox between her and Ecclesia’s Dean of Students, Liz Newlun:
After KNWA investigated, both Moss and Carver said Newlun met with them on Thursday, October 31, to talk to them about solutions.
We reached out to Newlun, she said in a statement:
We have had a series of positive meetings with several of our students and have listened to their concerns. We have been, and continue to be, committed to working with them, within our well-established procedures, to identify and resolve student life issues in a timely manner.
Liz Newlun, Ecclesia’s Dean of Students
