Associate Vice Chancellor, CFO for Student Affairs
TCU is contributing to a national conversation about an essential part of the student experience: campus dining. Dr. Jude Kiah, Associate Vice Chancellor and CFO for Student Affairs, has been selected to serve on the advisory board for a new year-long research partnership between The Princeton Review and Sodexo. The initiative brings together higher education leaders from across the country to explore how dining programs and campus dining spaces influence student engagement, connection, and retention.
The year-long initiative will explore how campus dining operations and services influence student engagement and retention. A key part of the project is a national survey of college administrators, examining areas such as dining space design, food service operations, sustainability practices, and how campuses gather and respond to student feedback.
Dr. Kiah joins a select group of university leaders helping guide the project, which will include a comprehensive national survey of college administrators. The study will examine dining operations, space design, feedback systems, and how campuses listen to students and continuously improve their services.
For TCU Student Affairs, the work reflects a long-standing focus on the full student experience. “I’m very honored to be asked to serve in this Princeton Review study on how dining programs affect student success,” Kiah said. “At TCU, these outcomes are our entire focus in dining, and I’m hoping sharing this research and discovery will help others in the academy as well.”
Dining is one of the few touchpoints that impacts nearly every student on campus. At TCU, it is viewed as more than a service, it is a space where students connect, recharge, and build community in their daily routines. National research continues to reinforce that impact. Recent findings show that students increasingly prioritize dining options when choosing a college, and that dining spaces play a meaningful role in overall campus engagement.
The Princeton Review and Sodexo partnership aims to build on that understanding by identifying actionable strategies institutions can use to strengthen student connection and success. Findings from the study will be released this fall and shared throughout the year across higher education forums and conferences.
For TCU, this work highlights the university’s leadership in shaping the student experience. Through this partnership, TCU is helping contribute to a broader understanding of how dining supports student connection and success across higher education.
