Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

The UCard is useless

Editor’s Note: Bobby Hitt’s UCard was found on the National Mall Oct. 30. On Nov. 10 he was emailed by the person who found it, and he sent back his mailing address. His UCard will arrive in the mail in a few days. Hitt plans to move forward with the ZooCard, and continue to pursue changes to the UCard fee policies.

While I was covering the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” I unfortunately lost my UCard when it fell off my lanyard. So, today I went to the UCard office in the Whitmore Administration Building to get a new one.

The very nice receptionist was actually at the rally that weekend too, but she told me I could not use my debit to pay for a new UCard for $25. I was told to go to the OIT kiosk upstairs, but I had gone to that kiosk before, and it was so slow that a loading bar didn’t even show up for the minute I stood in front of it.

I then asked if I could use the computer in the office, but they told me it was office policy that they can’t let people use the computers.

So, I walked over to the library where I made a deposit on my UCard account for $25 so I could pay for the new card. When I returned to the UCard office I asked the other receptionist if I could have a discount for the inconvenience. Her first response was giggling.

When she realized that I was, in fact, serious, she told me they could not do that. In maybe a more flippant manner than I should have, I asked to see her manager.

The portly manager received me politely, and I explained my situation. However, he did not grant me my request either.

I responded in a justly flippant manner and asked him what the actual purpose of the UCard was.

He told me “identification.” I already have identification.

“Do you know what I think the purpose of the UCard is?” I began. “The purpose of the UCard is to force students to spend money at the University.”

“Well you seem to have all the answers,” the bald manager said, “but if you don’t have any more questions, then you are wasting your time.”

Then I went to various administrative officers until I talked to Jackie Watours. She basically told me that there was no policy in place to give discounts on the UCard.

Here’s the thing. You might think I am making a big deal out of nothing. Fine. But the fact that they don’t even have a policy for discounts or refunds is in itself alarming.

Also they used to accept debit cards. I am not sure when they stopped doing that, but I certainly wasn’t informed. Nor do I look at their website enough to know that this was the policy for the current semester.

Here are a couple suggestions for the UCard office. One: give me my UCard at a discount. Two: get a computer where students can deposit or go back to taking debit cards.

I will not be getting a new UCard if I do not get a discount. I will have to use little forms to get into the dining hall and wait for people to open the door for me to my building. I can live with that. Why not make the fat, bald manager’s computer available to students?

Bobby Hitt can be reached at [email protected].

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  • J

    jpSep 5, 2015 at 10:47 pm

    The fact that once funds go into the card and dont come out is a real problem. It is the roach motel for money. Someone gets to keep those funds. Look at where they go – restaurants. But the university goes on at great length to push students to pay for Umass food. – so why buy more from restaurants. Some arithmetic is instructive here. The University gets about 4000 new students. :Let’s say that 75% of them get a Ucard and post funds to it. Let’s say they post the recommended amount – $400. Arithmetic shows that is about $1.2M. Let’s say that the company CBORD makes 4% per annum, that’s about $12,000. Assume that the cards are used up in 6 months on average – thats $6000.

    But that does not end there. I’m sure that the merchants spend something to get the business. In addition just to get the money out of the account (you have to close it) costs $10. Somehow, the university has allowed CBORD because of its agreement to define the fact that since it is not a banking entity that they cannot return funds from the card. Interesting approach. So how can they accept funds ?

    Then there is the question that the web sites are incorrect.. This says http://www.umass.edu/ucard/content/ucard-accepted-here that Follett, Textbook Annex accepts the card. If you are new to the campus then you assume that you can still buy books there.

    It would be interesting to hear from those in the community (not the Ucard administration) what they think the benefit of the card is. Why spend more money on food in Amherst when you are already spending about $30/day on the meal plan. it really seems like a relic from the 90’s. Can anyone identify the benefits of the card ?

    Reply
  • A

    AnonymousNov 9, 2010 at 12:39 am

    Excellent article, I’m in a similar boat as you with my Ucard and I refuse to get mine replaced. However, DCs are cracking down and won’t let you fill out the little forms anymore. We need a new plan!

    Reply
  • G

    GrellskiNov 8, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    As a senior here at Umass, there have been several times over the past few years that I have been frustrated with seemingly backward policies instated here at the universtity, and I think its important for students to voice their opinions about matters which they find frustrating/wrong/in need of change, and in this respect I don’t think that you, Bobby, committed a crime by writing about what you saw as a frustrating experience.

    What I do have a problem with, however, is the manner in which you presented your frustrations and who you directed your anger towards. By describing managers as “portly” and “bald”- two characteristics that have nothing to do with the argument you are presenting, unless of course you seem to think that a slim manager with a full head of hair would have granted you a discount- you are undermining the point you are trying to make and alienating a lot of people who might have otherwise seen some validity in your argument. Resorting to insults also makes you look like the villian in this scenario, which might explain why you are the target of vitriol on many of the above comments.

    I find it interesting you only directed insults towards managers- people who do not make the rules but rather just enforce them- therefore punishing those who were simply doing their jobs.

    There are problems here at the university that certainly deserve attention, and the voices of students should be among the loudest when a call for change is made, but I’m afraid articles like yours Mr. Hitt only hurt the possiblity of students’ opinions being seen as rational and imporant as opposed to childish and immature.

    Reply
  • B

    Bobby HittNov 6, 2010 at 2:49 pm

    Thank you Brandon,

    That is the most reasonable critique of my column that I have seen.

    Reply
  • U

    UMass StudentNov 5, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    Wow are you people evil or something? What’s wrong with you? Who cares! You act like he’s committed a crime. I feel like 99% editorials, columns, lists, reviews etc. that are posted online almost always get crapped on by the most random internet “aficionados”, who think they’re opinion is almost a message sent from god. None of you people would ever have the balls to post anything like this.

    It’s a rant. Don’t take it seriously. If you do, to bluntly and rudely put it, you’re a loser. Get a life.

    Reply
  • B

    BrandonNov 5, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    In response, I would like to share my recent experience in replacing my Ucard. Unfortunately, I lost my Ucard. Not having $25 on my account, I read the sign plastered in visible sight all over the office. It informed me that I could use the upstairs computer kiosks, which I did. I waited about five minutes for the computer to load, made a deposit, went back downstairs, and had a new Ucard that took about three minutes to print out.

    Overall, it was a pleasant experience. It’s a shame you couldn’t wait a few minutes for the computer to load. Next time, don’t lose your card.

    Reply
  • B

    bobbyhittisabadwriterNov 4, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    So is this guy an actual journalism major? If so he is a disgrace to myself and all the other alumni. So you had a bad experience because you didn’t avail yourself to the facts/procedures? Then you use your power of the press to berate people who are trying to help you? You admitted that you were a jerk (flippant as you say) to the staff and you expected a DISCOUNT?!? I bet you five Ucard renewals you also tried to user you position with the press to get a discount but you conveniently left that out of your pompous narcissistic rant.

    Bobby: Cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it. Have fun waiting outside your dorm in January for someone to let you in.

    Reply
  • G

    GetOverItNov 4, 2010 at 11:50 am

    The kiosks were taking too long?

    GET OVER IT.

    Not everything happens as fast as we would like it to. Sometimes you just have to be a patient person and WAIT.

    Some of the computers in the Learning Commons take 7-8 minutes to log on, but hey, I still got my work done. I didn’t ask my professors for an extension because the computers “were going too slow.”

    GROW THE F UP

    Reply
  • U

    UMass StudentNov 4, 2010 at 11:23 am

    Bobby, good stuff. It’s funny how serious some of these people are towards your article, like it’s a crime or something. It’s just a rant. Kind of like “grinds my gears”. It’s hilarious. I get it. I’ve got that intuition don’t worry; I see your angle.

    BTW people Bobby is a great writer and innovative thinker. If you really think this article exemplifies himself then you are very very mistaken. Then again people do jump the gun all the time… especially nowadays…

    Reply
  • B

    Bobby HittNov 4, 2010 at 10:28 am

    If you guys didn’t like this article, this might be more fit to your tastes https://dailycollegian.com/2010/10/28/daily-collegian-travels-to-washington-d-c-philadelphia/ . It’s our blog about our trip to Washington D.C. for the Sanity and/or Fear rally. Check it out!

    Reply
  • U

    umass101Nov 4, 2010 at 10:27 am

    Do people not realize that sometimes when you swipe your ucard it will charge you more than what your paying for? Just saying the kid is right many times its a scam.

    Reply
  • S

    Santa ClausNov 4, 2010 at 10:23 am

    Bobby Hitt, you da shit.

    Reply
  • T

    Travis BassettNov 4, 2010 at 12:18 am

    “Why not make the fat bald manager’s computer available to students?”

    Down with this sort of thing.

    That kind of snide discussion doesn’t belong in a high quality school paper. Get a blog Bobby, so you spout off without degrading the hard work of your fellow Collegian writers.

    Reply
  • B

    Bobby HittNov 3, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    Thank you all for reading my article. I actually am working on a solution, it’s an alternative to the UCard. It will be called the ZooCard. And I did try to use the OIT kiosk as I stated in the column but they were extremely slow.

    Reply
  • G

    GeographerNov 3, 2010 at 10:27 am

    Or…he could have just gone upstairs and used one of the public computers that are located in the lobby and next to the Bursar’s office to make his deposit. He did not even have to go outside!

    Reply
  • U

    UcardUserNov 3, 2010 at 2:14 am

    How is a UCard NOT USEFUL?

    It serves as ID, building access, Dining Commons Access, Gym Access, and a means for discounted laundry. If it were really useless, how come it does so much? No one makes you put money on your UCard, so no one is “forced” to spend anything!

    If you have a better solution, that would be an even better topic for a column.

    Reply
  • B

    Bobby HittNov 2, 2010 at 9:52 pm

    Thank you for reading my article. I look forward to your comments in the future.

    Reply
  • U

    UMSTUDENTNov 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    “In maybe a more flippant manner than I should have asked to see her manager.” Grammar?

    Reply
  • U

    UMSTUDENTNov 2, 2010 at 11:57 am

    The fact that you are taking hits on somebody’s appearance just shows who you are inside Mr. Hitt.

    Reply
  • U

    UMSTUDENTNov 2, 2010 at 11:56 am

    This is complete and utter BS. There are refund policies in place at the UCard office, it just depends on what the situation is. You did not simply deserve a discount because you did not enlighten yourself about the payment options before visiting the office. That is your own fault. You do not deserve a discount because you are lazy and were upset that you had to walk across campus (when really you just had to walk to Newman). Grow up! It’s disgusting your using our university newspaper for such rubbish. It’s a disgrace. WE ALL HAVE TO PAY! You lose it, you buy it! Try being responsible, instead of being a brat.

    Reply