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Students at Bowie State University will see expanded food service hours on campus after conducting a rally last week in which they demanded improvement in a variety of services offered on campus.

On Oct. 28, approximately 100 students gathered outside the Wiseman Student Center to voice concerns about inconvenient food service hours, unhealthy food choices, poor wireless Internet connections and a lack of necessary materials at the school library.

The cafeteria closes at 6:30 p.m., said freshman Brishay Corbin, leaving her only 15 minutes to get to the cafeteria to eat after her softball practice ends at 6:15 p.m. Corbin and others also complained of what they called the lack of healthy food options available in the cafeteria.

"We are not getting the healthy food that we need," she said.

Thanks to a meeting between the cafeteria's food vendor, Thompson Hospitality, and university officials, the cafeteria's hours of operation will be extended beginning Monday, BSU spokeswoman Tammi Thomas said in an e-mail response to questions from The Gazette on how officials were addressing the students' complaints.

She did not respond to a follow-up request for more specific information on how long the cafeteria would remain open by The Gazette's deadline. Officials from Thompson Hospitality of Herndon, Va., did not return a call for comment by the deadline.

The university also will create a Web-based survey to determine student preferences on meal offerings, Thomas said.

The Student Government Association planned to hold a meeting with university administrators on Wednesday, after The Gazette's deadline, to explain their concerns, SGA treasurer Jamin Gallman said.

Artie Lee Travis, the university's vice president for student affairs, deferred questions about student complaints to Thomas.

A spotty wireless Internet connection that cuts out frequently during the day leaves students without access to e-mail or the ability to do class assignments on campus, students said at the Oct. 28 rally. Senior Bryant Stewart said he has begun driving to the library at the University of Maryland, College Park, to study and use computer labs because there he gets a better connection and can use labs 24 hours a day.

"That's not right; that's not the Bowie State University I came here for," Stewart said.

Last semester, the university's wireless Internet service was unavailable for two weeks, causing problems for students who were unable to complete homework, said Janay Carpenter, president of the Commuter Student Association.

Hours in computer labs were recently extended until midnight and three new computer labs are in the process of being set up, Thomas said. The college operates five computer labs, according to information on its Web site.

She added that a new campus e-mail system was implemented this year to give students upgraded e-mail accounts that require less downtime to upgrade and provide larger storage.

To address complaints by students about services, the university meets with student leadership on a regular basis, Thomas stated in her e-mail.

Students also complained that they often find it difficult to locate books they need in BSU's library. Books that are supposed to be on reserve for certain classes often cannot be found in the library, Stewart said.

A lack of resources in university libraries is not a common problem for Maryland schools, said Mike Lurie, a spokesman for the University System of Maryland, which oversees public higher education in the state.

"The USM does have a system-wide library holdings sharing system and students are encouraged to make use of a wide range of available resources," he wrote in an e-mail response to questions from The Gazette.

Students should be able to obtain books through the sharing system within five days of a request, Thomas wrote in a follow-up e-mail. However, many students are beginning to rely on electronic databases rather than printed resources in the library, she added. To accommodate students and staff, BSU tries to maintain a balance of electronic and print resources, she stated.

E-mail Andrea Noble at anoble@gazette.net.