The university outsourced its dining services function in 1996 by awarding a contract to food service provider ARAMARK, to begin in 1997. Vice Chancellor for Administration and Student Affairs Philip Scheurer indicated in a Daily Beacon article that he had chosen ARAMARK as UT’s food service provider because of the quality of services they were able to provide and the financial return of the services. ARAMARK also made a $2.5 million commitment to improve campus dining facilities.