Gull Card Goes Online

SALISBURY, MD -- Teaching students the latest in chaos theory or post-modern literary criticism is sometimes easier than teaching responsible use of a credit card. Horror stories abound of college students graduating under mountains of credit card debt. Fortunately, at Salisbury University, there's a new option.

Parents can now use the World Wide Web to make a deposit to their child's student ID card account and monitor where the money is going. The system, known as the Gull Card, is used like a debit card at numerous campus locations and several off-campus businesses.

"With its new Internet access system, SU joins a handful of other universities nationwide that offer the service," said Ron Pierce, executive director of the National Association of Campus Card Users.

Michael Burton, SU's Gull Card director, said the system was developed in response to parents' requests and students' convenience. He said parents especially like seeing where their child is spending money.

The system is available 24 hours a day and uses secure SSL technology to protect a student's information from computer intrusion.

A recent survey by NACCU shows that more than a third of college campuses, including Salisbury, have their student ID cards used as a de-facto bank debit card with participating off-campus merchants.

In Salisbury, 10 businesses currently participate in the program: Dagwood's, Nacho Pete's, Papa John's, SpeedyLaundry.com, Little Tavern, TCBY, Bagel Bakery, Lombardi's, Mulligan's and Arby's. The off-campus program, launched last fall, was the first for an Eastern Shore college.

"The Gull Card gives the businesses an increased clientele of more than 6,000 students with millions of dollars in purchasing power," Burton said. The picture ID on the card ensures only the student can use it, and no money is ever exchanged between the cardholder and the merchant.

SU students also use the card to gain access to residence halls, computer labs and laundry rooms and pay for parking permits, photocopies and textbook purchases. gullcard.salisbury.edu