FOCUS SIDEBAR: Duke is king of one-card system

Duke University, which has been steadily expanding the scope of its identification card capabilities over the past five years, has become a model for colleges interested in developing their own system. The card accessed only meal plan information in 1985, but its functions have grown and it now controls access to residence halls, parking lots and some administrative buildings. In addition, the card maintains its original meal plan account and has since added a debit account known as the "Flexible Spending Account." According to Timothy Aaron, business manager for the Duke Card Office, students must maintain a minimum balance of $25 in the Flex Account, which they can draw on for products and services on and around campus. Aaron said that about 50 to 60 percent of Duke's 7000 undergraduate population has a Flex Account, some of which hold a few thousand dollars. Currently the Flex Account permits food and product purchases from area merchants and vending machines, charges from the bookstore, use of copy machines and access to parking. Most of the services were adopted between 1988 and 1989, Aaron said. Aaron added that officials are also working on adding card readers to washers and dryers. But the system has not been without its faults, he said. When the card readers were first installed in the residences this summer, the system was overwhelmed by the number of entrances and failed to work. He said it had to be reprogrammed and upgraded. "It's been a real challenge to make the system work," Aaron said. Since that episode, however, there have been few glitches and the system continues to expand, he said. Duke's newest program, initiated last month, is the "Merchants on Points" plan where five area vendors, including Domino's Pizza, participate in both the Flex and food service system. Aaron said that although the student body seems to like the one-card system for the convenience and is especially enthusiastic about the Merchants on Points program, there were some who objected to the increasing role of technology in campus life. "There was some sarcasm by a few students, saying the Duke Card Office knows everything about us," he said.

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