Loyola Wolfbucks and Tulane Wavebucks may be interchangeable in the near future, depending on the results of a controlled experiment.
Both universities have chosen students to participate in a trial inter-campus culinary exchange. These students will act as secret shoppers who can transfer their ‘bucks between schools. Their spending habits will be monitored and will determine whether the program is expanded for all students, according to Rob Hailey, vice president of Tulane Student Affairs.
“We are trying to figure out what college kids want out of their campus. We just want to provide a variety of venues that students will enjoy and are safely accessible,” said Hailey. “It’s also nice to have options off campus.”
Tulane and Loyola have been planning to organize collaborative dining services since classes resumed after Hurricane Katrina last spring, according to Hailey.
“We will evaluate whether or not our experiment is a success based heavily on student feedback. We plan to expand the number of participants and dining venues if our results tell us that this situation is worthwhile for students,” Hailey said.
Tulane’s Bruff Commons and Le Gourmet will work in conjunction with Loyola’s Smoothie King, Orleans Room and Godfather’s Pizza at the C-Store to test the desire to expand dining options for each university.
If the first trial is successful and produces positive feedback, both universities plan to expand the program.
“Beginning this week, 10 students have been given 50 free dollars to test the exchange. These 10 students are our first test group to make sure the technology is working and the workers know how to use it,” said Chris Cameron, director of the Danna Center and Student Activities.
Loyola and Tulane hope that the test group will be expanded to 50 students who will be given 50 dollars for another two-week observational period.
The universities will monitor students’ purchases and spending activities to determine if the program is successful and necessary for complete implementation on Loyola and Tulane’s campuses.
“We’ll also be trying to determine any patterns of exchange in terms of what time it occurs and where. This is important because we don’t want an area getting slammed and creating long lines or poor service,” Cameron said. “Loyola Dining Services will use the information to make adjustments to the number of workers assigned to an area and how much food they have available.”
Both administrations are optimistic the dining experiment will be successful and standardized at both schools quickly.
“Barring any major technology glitches or service issues, I anticipate doing the full launch for Loyola students right after spring break,” Cameron said.
The program is limited to the two campuses, no off campus locations. It will only be available to students who are on the meal plan as an added perk, Cameron said.
Kathy Martinez can be reached at [email protected].
