UB Buzz

URide to Safety: Getting Students a New Way Home

The University of New Haven has teamed up with Metro Taxi to be the first school in Connecticut to provide students with safe rides through the University Ride “URide Safe” program. Students and parents can put money on a special debit card to be used exclusively to pay for cab fare. Originally conceived as a means for students to get home safely from nights out and to discourage drunk driving, these passes can be used any time—from bar hopping to grocery shopping.

As a student at another Connecticut institution, at first glance I felt that the idea of parents seeing a record of their son or daughter consistently coming home from bars at 2 AM and asking them to pay for it is laughable. But after learning more I think it makes sense.

It seems that many at UNH agree. “This fall is the first time we’re offering the URide program and it seems freshmen parents and students in particular love the idea,” says Fredrick Baker, assistant dean of students at UNH. We think upperclassmen will start purchasing them more as well over the course of the semester.” Metro Taxi helps Connecticut universities keep track of the number of cards purchased by students. Students and parents can log onto the company’s website to purchase cards and to see a log of activity showing departure and arrival destinations as well as the date and time of each trip.

Metro Taxi and the University of New Haven have decided to give students the choice to authorize parents to view the log if they wish to. “This is meant to be very student-friendly, not a tattletale log to parents,” says Isabelle Scalzi, co-owner and head of marketing and business development for Metro Taxi. I think this is a particularly important feature of the program as parent access to this log could easily defer students from participating. However, the ability for parents to log in and add money is invaluable. Should a student accidentally exhaust his or her funds before getting home, a quick call to Mom and Dad could be all that’s needed to get more money put on the card.

From the university’s perspective, the program’s benefit is a no-brainer. “It’s part of the bigger goal of creating a safe environment for students, especially with regards to alcohol use,” Baker says.

Other companies nationwide offer a similar service. For example, Taxi on Demand allows students at the University of Tennessee to use a “TransCard” at any taxi nationwide that accepts Discover cards, though these TransCards are non-reloadable. More than 50 higher ed institutions have chosen University Cab Cash, a nationwide company that allows universities to team up with their local cab company; like Metro Taxi, it provides reloadable debit cards and a user log accessible by anyone who has the log in information. A university can participate in either of these programs at no cost.

Jason Willoughby, president of University Cab Cash, says, “Parents love the idea of the peace of mind that this brings. The students like the ease of use and the ability to always have isolated funds for a safe ride.” With the ability of students at any institution to get a card, I can tell you that I will absolutely be putting one in my wallet.

Students Create "Burger Studio" Dining Concept

As a prelude to the Dining Halls of Distinction winners being announced until next week, here's a concept with some bite: Burger Studio, the first brand created entirely by students for Aramark.

Using electronic touch-screen ordering kiosks, students can design their own made-to-order burger by selecting a "meat" (Angus, chicken, or veggie) and then add-on's—from a list of more than 30 toppings, cheeses, and special sauces.

Hundreds of students from campuses served by Aramark helped create the concept, design, name, use of technology, and even the staff uniforms (organic cotton t-shirts, painter's hats, and jeans). Then the company conducted online focus groups and sponsored chat rooms to capture student feedback about all elements of the brand, from conception to delivery. The Burger Studio name was selected from more than 1,200 entries submitted in an online contest. Finally, student taste testers reviewed all menu items under consideration to ensure that the type of burger, fries, and buns would have mass student appeal (even if most creations are likely to have massive calorie counts, too).

Each Burger Studio is constructed with "green" in mind -- with sustainably-sourced materials and energy-efficient equipment and lighting, including countertops made from bamboo and laminate made from coffee beans and recycled fibers. Biodegradable packaging is made from 100% recycled materials, and take-out bags are made with non-chlorinated pulp.

Students at the University of Delaware, the University of Hartford, Middle Tennessee State University, Missouri Western State University, and Springfield College (Mass.) are the first to open Burger Studios, this fall. Additional locations will open early next year.

September Stories

Remember our web exclusives in the month of September as four pieces accompany the current issue of University Business magazine.

- Time to Cover Higher Ed Like Sports Teams
Mel Schiavelli, president of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (Pa.), wonders about the possibility of institutions receiving the same media coverage as professional sports get. In his piece, Schiavelli welcomes this kind of coverage for his institution. Pointing to recent discussions in higher ed circles about STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – Schiavelli argues that regular media scrutiny would have let the public know Harrisburg administrators started developing what he refers to as the “West Coast offense’’ of STEM education several years ago. Schiavelli, also a chemistry professor, sums up his article by explaining that Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania "have already fielded the kickoff and are moving the ball down field" by creating a new education model.

- The Art of Getting Press Coverage
The more positive press coverage an institution gets, the greater the likelihood it will be successful in achieving its overall growth goals. Gerri Knilans, president of Trade Press Services, highlights key areas that administrators can choose to address to aid in achieving this goal.

- Managing Environmental Compliance Can Be Easy – With the Right Tool
Reputation management has great importance to institutions in their continuing pursuit of students and research dollars, encompassing aspects such as the business of maintaining environmental compliance. Frank X. Schaefer and Mary House write about their views on how The Rockefeller University (N.Y.) strategically implemented tools to maintain environmental compliance and how departments across the campus are enjoying the benefits. Schaefer is the university's associate director of laboratory safety and environmental health. House is a senior project manager and vice president at Woodard & Curran.

- Public Safety: Deploying AEDs to Save Lives on Campus
Anastasia Mironova, director of defibrillation for North America for Cardiac Science, highlights how institutions are proactively developing AED (automated external defibrillators) programs. She talks about schools such as the University of Michigan-Flint and Providence College (R.I.) that already have taken the lead in doing so.

New Law School Buildings Open Their Doors

Newly completed construction projects at two law schools highlight how new digs can be a big boon to an institution.

As reported in a July 2007 University Business news story, New York Law School actions got honored as "Most Ingenious Deal of the Year" by the Real Estate Board of New York. The deal involved selling the most marketable building of the institution's five-building complex, using those funds to increase the endowment, securing favorable fiscal ratings to obtain low-interest, tax-exempt bonds, and then constructing a new building over an underutilized campus parking lot. This allowed the school to stay in its Tribeca neighborhood, rather than moving downtown, as officials had originally wanted to do to fulfill space needs.

Located at 185 West Broadway, the new building is open for this fall. It's a glass-enclosed, 235,000-square-foot structure extending five stories aboveground—doubling the size of the campus. The new building features The Mendik Law Library, lounge areas with WiFi, and an open-air terrace with a view of Manhattan on the fifth floor.

Meanwhile, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University (N.C.) is completing its move from the main university campus in rural Buies Creek to Raleigh, previously the largest state capital without a law school. Officials took an existing downtown office building and renovated it to create about 109,000 square feet on four floors, 40 percent more space than in the Buies Creek facility. The new location is within walking distance to state and federal courts, the General Assembly, government agencies, law firms, nonprofits, and corporations. Through summer 2009, total applications to Campbell Law were up 25 percent over the prior year while applications to law schools nationally were up just 6 percent.