EagleBuck$ will now be accepted at more vendors across the District, according to Chris Moody, executive director of Housing and Dining Programs.
Two CVS locations - in Tenleytown at 4555 Wisconsin Ave. N.W. and in Spring Valley at 4851 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. - and Booeymonger are among the vendors that will now accept EagleBuck$ as payment. Both vendors are waiting for the new telephone lines to be installed, but they will be functioning participants by the end of October, according to Moody.
EagleBuck$ machines work the same way as credit-card machines, but the system doesn't work on regular credit-card machines. The EagleBuck$ system requires the installation of a separate machine and telephone line to the university, according to Student Government President Joe Vidulich.
Other recently added vendors include Chicken Out, Hungry Tiger, Morty's Delicatessen, Snap Crepes and SuperCuts. The university is also working with several other prospective vendors, Moody said.
EagleBuck$ will also continue to be accepted at the existing vendors. The vendor expansion was a response to feedback from an SG-initiated survey, Moody said.
The SG sent an e-mail survey on the issue to 758 randomly selected students over the summer. It also sent e-mails to all students, asking for additional suggestions. Students who responded with comments on EagleBuck$ indicated they wanted to see more convenience stores included in the program rather than restaurants, Vidulich said.
"The students wanted more places to spend their EagleBuck$, so we responded by working with consultants to expand the vendor list," he said.
Heather Kryzak, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she looks forward to diversifying her monotonous campus meal plan.
"I think eating in TDR gets really old," she said. "It will be good to be able to use EagleBuck$ in more places for a change."
Jonathan McCluskey, a freshman in the School of Communication who frequently uses a debit card for purchases in Tenleytown, said the added vendors will make EagleBuck$ a more sound payment option and will allow him to avoid fees he might incur from his home bank.
"It's much easier to add money to EagleBuck$ than to worry about using my debit card," he said.
The new vendors were chosen based on student polls, and students will be polled again toward the end of the semester. Housing and Dining may consider adding Tenleytown grocery stores to the list of vendors, Vidulich said.
"It's your money - you should have as many options as possible," he said.
In addition to the vendor expansion, Blackboard will be modified so students will be able to access their EagleBuck$ accounts through the Web site. The new feature will allow students to check their EagleBuck$ balances, view all transactions and temporarily freeze their accounts. Presently, if a student wants to temporarily freeze their EagleBuck$ account because they've lost or had their AU ID stolen, the student has to report it to Public Safety and it will freeze the account, Vidulich said.
In addition, guests will be able to log on and add funds to students' accounts immediately, bypassing the current system that takes days for added money to be confirmed, he said.
"The new Blackboard system is something students really care about," Vidulich said. "It will make their lives a lot easier."
The expedient way to add funds is exciting, said Meghan Flake, a sophomore in the School of International Service.
"My parents are more willing to give me money for EagleBuck$ than they are to give me cash," she said.
Lauren Eilola, a freshman in SOC, said she is skeptical of the online expansion, citing concerns over identify theft and computer hacking.
"When you have more information on the computer, you really have to worry about getting ripped off," she said.
The new system will have security measures in place to safeguard the students' funds, Moody said.
"The online functions would be through the AU's student portal application, so the same security measures would be in place," he said. "If fraudulent charges are believed to be on an account, the student will be able to freeze their account themselves"
