UF entered the fourth round of the Most Vegan-Friendly College Contest on Tuesday and could make it to the final round.
The contest, sponsored by PETA, began with 32 institutions in the large U.S. schools category. It has tapered down to UF and three competitors for the title of Most Vegan-Friendly.
A vegan does not eat any animal products.
The round winners are determined by the number of votes received, the quality and variety of vegan foods offered, the schools' enthusiasm for promoting the food options and student feedback, said Ryan Huling, manager of College Campaigns and Outreach at PETA.
Last year, UF made it only to the third round, but in November 2010, one student collected 2,000 signatures and petitioned Gator Dining Services to introduce Meatless Monday.
"My goal was not to have an entirely meatless campus but to set aside Mondays as a meatless day in the two dining halls," said Jared Misner, a 21-year-old public relations senior and the campaign director for UF's Meatless Monday.
Gator Dining controls the all-you-can-eat menus in each dining hall.
Misner is a former employee of the Alligator.
More vegan options were introduced on Mondays with signs attributed to Meatless Monday to encourage student participation, said Jill Rodriguez, marketing program manager for Gator Dining.
"Feedback from both students and faculty has been positive," Rodriguez said.
A vegan guide was also created, featuring all locations on campus serving vegan options.
Huling encourages students to vote for UF to show support and encourage the campus to continue to expand vegan options.
Students can vote for UF by "liking" the Gator emblem at features.peta2.com/Vegan-Colleges-2011.
Voting closes at 5 p.m. Monday. Results will be announced Nov. 21, and all nominees will receive a framed certificate to display on campus.
"We already have an enormous offering of vegan food at each dining hall," Misner said. "But through this contest, UF has the unique potential to set the standard."
