By Kevin Fitzsimons

Junior Erin Dean buys a drink with her BUCK ID card.

BUCK ID card opens many doors

Cumbersome wallets and fumbling for keys are so last millennium at Ohio State.

Today's students can buy burgers, books and baseball hats and get into their residence halls with one swipe of their student identification card. Known as the BUCK ID, the card serves as a debit card, bus pass, library card, meal ticket, long-distance calling card, dorm key and convenient depository for funds from Mom and Dad.

The BUCK ID had been in existence for six years at Ohio State, according to Valerie Shafer, director of information systems and services in the University's Housing, Food Services and Event Centers."Each year we add a little to it, trying to make it more and more convenient for our students to use," she says.

One of the most recent refinements to the BUCK ID now allows students living on campus to gain access to their residence halls. As of last September, card readers have been added to the exterior doors of all campus residence halls as a heightened security measure, although students still need to have a key to their own room. The card also must be used to get into some academic buildings and computer labs.

"Ohio State is definitely in the vanguard in the number of ways students can use their identification cards," Shafer says."For example, a lot of other schools restrict the use of student cards to on-campus use.

"We're way out ahead in the number of off-campus locations where students can use their BUCK ID. The BUCK ID is required for the campus meal plan, but some 50 to 60 off-campus merchants now accept it for everything from clothing to pizza. Those merchants have seen an increase in sales and a decrease in the number of bad checks. And the stores that don't accept credit cards are freed from the hassles of handling money."

Looking to buy beer on credit or get some quick cash? Not a chance, Shafer says. The BUCK ID is strictly a debit card, and it cannot be used for alcohol purchases or as an ATM card. But she points out that it can be used as a sort of ATM in reverse. Students can put cash into one of the seven BUCK ID deposit stations located around campus if their card is running low.

"It certainly gives students -- and their parents -- more control over their finances," Shafer says."Since money must be in the account before it can be spent, it's a good way to control the spiraling credit card debt that students can fall prey to."

The BUCK ID Web page, www.buckid.com, allows students to check their accounts and make credit and debit transactions online."Again, we are in the forefront of online account management for students," Shafer says."I know Harvard offers it, but there are very few other schools that do. This year, we've even added a way for parents to make immediate deposits directly into their student's account online. Students also can report lost cards on the Web, and their account is immediately deactivated and a temporary card issued."

The student card can be used for washers and dryers and vending machines in the residence halls, and there are plans to make it valid for copiers and printers in all the computer labs and libraries. The card can be used as a long-distance calling card if a student sets up an account with the campus phone system.

Monthly statements are issued to students -- not to parents -- and there is a service desk in Lincoln Tower to deal with lost cards, questions and account information. There are 700 card readers in the campus area, and some 75,000 BUCK ID cards in circulation, according to Shafer.

"About 25,000 students actively use their ID as a debit card, and last year we totaled $10.6 million in deposits to BUCK ID accounts, which places us as first or second in the country.

"The card has lots and lots of functionality, which makes it very popular with students," Shafer says.

Laura Johnson, a senior from Westerville, agrees.

"The convenience is great -- no cash, checkbooks or multiple identification and credit cards," she says."One swipe -- you're done."

Ohio State selected as regional outreach center for WebCT software

WebCT, a leading software developer for Web-based learning, has selected Ohio State as one of 14 inaugural participants in its new Institute Program for colleges and universities that are frontrunners in using technology and expanding distance education.

WebCT stands for Web course tools, which is software used to deliver Web-enhanced and fully online courses. A national network of the 14 WebCT institutes will serve as campus-based regional outreach centers to meet the growing demand for faculty training on the use of the powerful WebCT course tools.

At Ohio State, uses of technology in the classroom and distance education are the focus of the Technology Enhanced Learning and Research (TELR) unit within the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Steve Acker, director of TELR, said the Institute Program will be beneficial to faculty in a variety of ways.

"The ties between research and training are excellent, and we look forward to using the WebCT Institute Program to systematically gather faculty experiences and contribute to the research literature on online pedagogy," he said."We'll also be providing WebCT workshops and other training opportunities to other colleges and universities in Ohio."

Benefits include early access to new software still in the alpha and beta -- or test -- stages. Acker said this means Ohio State can influence the features included in the software by providing feedback to developers, and can develop training early in anticipation of the release of new software. Additional benefits for Ohio State will include fast-track training in the newly announced WebCT trainer certification and content development certification, preference for hosting training sessions on software upgrades, and access to a variety of WebCT training materials.

There are also benefits to the state of Ohio, Acker said, citing a joint effort led by the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) and joined by TELR and WebCT. Together, they have established a collaborative site license for WebCT software training.

Twenty-seven Ohio schools are members of the cooperative. Membership carries a discounted license for WebCT software administered through OSC and two to three days of training at the Ohio State WebCT Institute.

"I think OSU should learn quite a bit from our sister institutions and have quite a lot to share, also," Acker said.

Distance learning conference set for campus Aug. 3-4

Ohio State will be the site for a distance learning conference to be held Aug. 3 and 4 in the Pfahl Hall Executive Conference Center."Kick IT Up A Notch" is the follow-up to the popular"Dancing Web" conference held in November that focused on dynamic Web content creation for instruction. Sponsors are WebCT, Apple Computers, Technology Enhanced Learning and Research (TELR) and McGraw Hill Publishers.

TELR Director Steve Acker suggests registering early for the conference.

"Mark your calendar now, because it will be sold out," Acker said.

For details, watch the TELR Web site at http://telr.ohio-state.edu/ or contact Acker at acker.1@osu.edu.

Acker also said faculty enthusiasm over online courses has increased since"The TELR Way: Distance Education from Start to Finish" conference was held Jan. 20.

"In the last two months, we've had 75 new courses begun in WebCT," he said.

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