POTSDAM -- Potsdam Auxiliary and College Educational Services recently announced that SUNY Potsdam has once again been ranked No. 1 in the State University of New York system for dining services. This is the third consecutive time PACES Dining Services has received this ranking, said a press release from the organization.

PACES Executive Director Daniel J. Hayes credited the PACES Board of Directors for their leadership, and the students for their continued support. To celebrate, PACES will host a Customer Appreciation Day on Wednesday, Oct. 17 in the Barrington Student Union lobby, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 2018 SUNY Student Opinion Survey rates the 27 state-operated colleges and university centers in the SUNY system. The SOS project collects information and opinions every three years, and uses the information to assess and study quality of life issues on SUNY campuses.

"PACES Dining Services deserves heartfelt congratulations for offering our students, faculty, staff and visitors the highest quality meals and service. I am proud to be able to say that SUNY Potsdam has once again been recognized as offering the very best dining experience in the State University of New York," President Kristin G. Esterberg said.

"We are so proud of our staff. This is a wonderful testament to their hard work over the years. To receive the ranking three consecutive times is wonderful: Our staff is always thinking about new ways to improve what we do and how we do it, and our customers appreciate their efforts. We have an amazing team of cooks, managers, servers and cashiers," said PACES Director of Dining Services Pat Gray.

In the 2018-19 Best Campus Food Survey by Niche, SUNY Potsdam received a Grade A, and ranked 110th in the country out of 1,382 public and private institutions. SUNY Potsdam's dining services were also recognized in Niche's 2019 Best College Food in New York list, where the campus was ranked No. 8 out of 105 universities across the state. Niche's top-ranked colleges offer outstanding on-campus dining -- meaning students can easily access healthy, quality food across a wide range of cuisines and dietary preferences.