The Campus Chronicle

Volume 3, No. 5
December 6, 2002

Massage Therapy at Club SCAD, operated by nationally certified therapists Molly Yarrington (above) and Jeff Wallace, is one of more than 40 local businesses that accept the SCAD Card.
Photo by Elizabeth H. Raley

Local businesses laud SCAD Card

By Hannah Pittard

What began primarily as a security precaution has matured into a popular convenience and financial management tool as more and more local businesses begin to accept the SCAD Card. The SCAD Card is the standard identification card for students, alumni, staff and faculty, featuring a magnetic strip that can be coded like a credit or ATM card. The SCAD Card debit account is separate from student accounts in the bursar’s office, though students and parents can have funds transferred to the SCAD Card. SCAD employees may set up direct deposit of payroll funds into SCAD Card accounts.

"Originally, it started as a safety measure so students wouldn’t have to carry cash," said Monique Smith, director of SCAD Card services. "But now it’s a win-win situation." Students receive access to local goods and services, and store owners should experience an increase in traffic from SCAD students, faculty and staff.

In addition to those benefits, the SCAD Card is ultimately more convenient than anything else as students are required to carry their IDs anyway. As an added bonus the SCAD Card is also accepted at businesses commonly frequented by students.

"We solicit businesses and tell them about the program," said Becky Thomas, operations coordinator at Turner House. "Once they’ve signed up, we install the card reading system. Then students can swipe their cards for merchandise and the amount is automatically transferred from their account to the vendor."

But Smith is quick to point out that, while the college does try to target most businesses in which a typical student might show interest, there are a few exceptions. "Obviously, we don’t approach liquor stores," said Smith, "but we do approach shoe stores and places like that."

According to Smith, the card is advantageous not only to students and parents, but to businesses as well because they get an established group of customers when they join.

Among the businesses that enjoy the advantages of the program is Mellow Mushroom, 11 W. Liberty St. "I’d guess we get between $600 and $700 worth of business each week from SCAD Cards," said manager Hilton Johnson.

For Johnson, the decision to join the SCAD Card program was an easy one. Johnson had owned a store in Statesboro, where he had participated in a similar program with great success. "We were one of the first restaurants to do it [in Statesboro]," he said.

Johnson has been pleased with the program’s effectiveness at his current restaurant. "It’s great — especially when the kids’ parents put money on their cards. They have to eat!"

Aladine "Dino" Vargas feels much the same about his affiliation both with SCAD and its card program. Vargas, an illustration alumnus, now has his own Savannah-based advertising agency, Island Life Advertising. With the help of the new copy center, 24/7, at 49 Barnard St., Vargas designs graphics that the conveniently located copy center then prints.

"24/7 worked something out with the college because they wanted to affiliate themselves with SCAD," said Vargas, who claims that the majority of the copy center’s walk-in business is from SCAD students. "Next door at Sherrie’s [a women’s clothing store, also owned by 24/7], they use the SCAD Card a lot."

Molly Yarrington and Jeff Wallace, co-owners of Massage Therapy at Club SCAD, decided to accept the SCAD Card as a benefit to their established SCAD clientele.

"Part of our program is to offer massages to a wider clientele," Yarrington said. "It helps out the students especially because they’re able to use their cards."

Surprisingly, students aren’t the only people taking advantage of the card program.

"We’ve had lots of inquiries [about whether or not we accept the card] from both students and staff," said Yarrington. "We get three or four clients a week who use their card to pay and we’re expecting that number to build."

Currently, the SCAD Card is accepted at SCAD dining halls and all SCAD auxiliary services such as Ex Libris and Gryphon Tea Room, as well as 42 non-SCAD businesses, including several restaurants, a hair salon and gas station.

For more information about the SCAD Card program, visit www.scad.edu/scadcard/.