Aug. 19, 2003

UClub Has New Plan on the Menu

New Arrangement Geared Toward Making Membership Less Expensive, More Flexible and More Service Oriented

By Thomas Kohout

GW’s University Club (UClub) has embarked on a new mission that promises to make the four-year-old club more accessible to the GW community. On Aug. 1 the University cut ties to ClubCorp, the management company responsible for running the 1918 F St. facility since doors opened in August 1999.

In an effort to entice faculty and staff to utilize the UClub’s line-up of food, facilities and programs, GW cut membership dues, plans to offer a more affordable lunch menu and will adjust service to reflect a greater appreciation of lunchtime work schedules.

“We’re going to reexamine all aspects of club operations and where necessary make modifications to better meet the expectations of the membership,” said Senior Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services Robert Chernak, whose office oversees UClub operations. According to Chernak, “The type of food, the price at which it is offered, the need to be responsive to the service and program needs of a community on the go and who want to be in the know are all examples of expected points of emphasis in the new management concept.”

He added wryly, “The new UClub will pay more attention to appetites, pocketbooks and watches.”

The UClub evolved out of President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg’s desire to create a “living room of the University.” Housed in a pair of original pre-Civil War town homes, the UClub answered this call with an elegant dining room, pub, lounge and library. According to Chernak, the original plan for the UClub was “to provide an upscale, affiliated club concept that extended benefits for members beyond the services customarily offered at a university club.”

“Initially the idea was very successful,” said Chernak, remarking that memberships quickly approached the 1,000-member mark. But changes in economic conditions — especially since Sept. 11, 2001 — have had an impact on all private clubs within the city. “The GW Club certainly is not an island to itself and immune to these conditions.”

According to Chernak, the UClub was not maintaining sufficient membership or generating the level of business necessary in food and beverage operations to continue under the previous arrangement. By switching to owner-operator management of the UClub, GW will save significantly in overhead costs associated with the previous ClubCorp management arrangement.

What does this mean to the University community? For one thing cheaper membership. The cost of enrolling at the UClub will drop to just $65 per year with no initiation fee. Members in good standing will not be assessed additional dues until September 2004. The University also is working to ensure that any events scheduled at the UClub this August, as the transfer of management takes place, will go on without a hitch.

An agreement was reached with several of ClubCorp’s associate clubs to extend membership to those UClub members who wish to continue their association. Of the 900 members currently in good standing fewer than 70 took full advantage of the associate club membership, according to Chernak. From a financial perspective the cost of providing these extended benefits to such a small number of UClub members far exceeded the advantages for the vast majority of the membership whose main interest was to use the facilities right here on campus.

“Except for the annual cost of membership, we’ve essentially not reduced any benefits for more than 90 percent of the current UClub members,” Chernak said. “And for those individuals who wish to maintain the associate club priviledge we have made arrangements with ClubCorp’s cooperation for them to do so.”

As part of the process of reassuming management of the UClub, GW will look to make it more valuable for members. The University will send members a letter later in August introducing some of the new dining options and membership benefits.

In another move toward economy, the UClub will accept cash, major credit cards and the GWorld’s colonial cash program for students beginning with the reopening in September. The old GW Club membership accounts are being discontinued.

One aspect of the UClub that won’t change is the variety of programs offered. University programs such as “Jazz Night,” an evening of music and relaxation each Thursday night, and the “In the Know Series,” a luncheon conversation with prominent leaders in politics, the arts and civic life, such as Rep. Marty Meehan (D–MA), Gloria Borger, a contributing editor at US News & World Report, and Washington Redskins great Brig Owens, will continue to be staples of the UClub experience. Effort also will be placed to engage prominent members of the GW community in round table discussions. Plans also are being evaluated to establish an exclusive dining and meeting space for faculty. Facilities will continue to be available as well for departmental use for luncheons, meetings and special events.
Chernak added, “As the UClub is owned and operated by the University, we’ll be able to do more to generate that GW feel and flavor and, where appropriate, better accommodate the interests and needs of different populations. For example, starting this fall, the Riverhorse Lounge will offer late-night dining options for student members, making the UClub the after-hours place to eat and meet.”

The new UClub concept will be experimental for the 2003–04 academic year, and its continuation or modification will depend upon the participation and response from the GW community.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu