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After months of sorting out electronic and banking issues, the University hopes to launch the OneCard for off-campus use by the end of March.
James Sheehan, vice president for administration and finance, said in addition to Bill Bateman's Bistro at 7800 York Road, students will also be able to use their OneCard at Charles Village Pub, 19 West Pennsylvania Ave., and Ridgely & Ferrens Marketplace, 11 Allegheny Ave.
"It has been a challenge to set up a process that works well for the students and is also auditable and meets all the state regulations and requirements," Joe Oster, associate vice president for auxiliary services, said.
Towson President Robert Caret first mentioned taking the OneCard off campus at his Fall Address in September.
Oster said Auxiliary Services started on plans to move the card that afternoon.
"[We have] 10 free setups which means the organization doesn't have to pay to get hooked in and get the equipment," Caret said. "Others would be able to sign on, it would just cost them whatever the start up costs are."
While students will be able to purchase crab pretzels or cheese steaks with their card, Bud Lights and Cosmopolitans will be off the menu.
"The vendors are required not to sell alcohol on the card. There's no other way than the honor system. If we find out a vendor is selling alcohol, we will turn them off," Oster said.
To incorporate the new feature, Towson contracted with Off-Campus Advantage, the same organization that handles the current OneCard contract.
"We really wanted to do it through them because that way we didn't have to [go through] a third-party vendor," he said. "[We could] amend our contract with them instead of going out and starting a whole new contract."
He said the University has considered many possible off-campus locations and is planning a survey to find out other locations where students would be interested in using their card.
"We worked with the Towson Chamber of Commerce and got a list of their businesses and shared that with Off-Campus Advantage," Oster said.
He said the University has no set limitations or restrictions on how many vendors could eventually be included.
Students must activate their cards prior to off-campus use by visiting onecard.towson.edu and then clicking "manage your account." The off-campus link is located on the left hand side of the screen.
"[Students] need to go to that site and opt in electronically. [They're] signing that there's a change in the legal component," Oster said. "Our legal counsel did not feel the contract [signed by] students prior to 2008 as part of their OneCard component, was clear enough as to the fact they would be using the OneCard off campus and a vendor off campus would be able to identify their student ID number. They're giving us permission."
Oster said only current students will be required to complete this activation.
"Anybody who now signs up for an OneCard after this year automatically opts in because we changed the language," Oster said.
He said vendors can find more information about signing up for the program by visiting the OneCard Web site.
"We assume there will be a lot of interest up in town. It's just a matter of how quickly it happens," he said.
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