Emily Bartelheim
News Editor
Campus Dining Services is sponsoring an initiative to expand the COW card program to include even more businesses around the city of Wooster that offer services to students. The potential new businesses that will be added include hair and nail salons, bookstores, specialty shops and many fine restaurants. Alcohol and tobacco products cannot be purchased using the COW card.
This new program will only utilize COW card money. Because flex dollars are part of students’ meal plans, they cannot be used off campus. The focus of the program is to open up more opportunities for students to purchase a variety of goods and services off campus using the convenience of the debit account, since all students always carry their COW card for dorm access, library use, meal plans, etc.
The goal is to have the program completed and ready to begin by Aug. 1, 2012.
Donna Yonker, a member of the hospitality services department, emphasized that student participation and input is key. “If students have a suggestion about a particular business they would like to see added, we will pursue it,” she said. “We encourage students to volunteer to be a part of this exciting project by Friday March 9.” Campus Dining Services will be preparing a script for students to schedule individual meetings with business owners from March 26 through May 4. Students interested in volunteering should contact Donna Yonker in Campus Dining at ext. 2358, or email at DYonker@wooster.edu.
The COW card debit account is currently accepted at Discount Drug Mart, CVS Pharmacy, the Bellstore (on Beall Ave.), Domino’s Pizza, The Shack and Kate’s Treats & Eats.
“Wooster is a growing, vibrant and diverse community which can only benefit from increased student participation,” Yonker said. “By involving students in the process of selecting vendors and expanding the program, it allows business owners to see value in participation by meeting students and learning more about them.”
Students will also be encouraged to explore and engage in the local Wooster community.
For more details regarding the COW card debit account, visit Wooster.edu/current-students/services/cowcard.