A student group at Ball State is hoping to make change out of cash.
The Cardinal Cash Task Force hopes to change and expand Cardinal Cash to be used at more places on and off-campus.
It wants to see Cardinal Cash used for concessions at athletic events and at off-campus restaurants.
Members of the group met last night with University Council, Campus Council, Faculty Council and University Senate to discuss their plans.
Kevin Thurman, chairman of the Task Force, said the faculty were supportive, but had some questions about how it would work.
"They were overall in favor of the student initiative," he said.
The problems the other groups had were with security, cost to the university and buying alcohol.
Thurman said as far as security goes, it will work just like a pre-paid debit card. If it is lost or stolen, students would be able to call and cancel the card. He said this is not much different than how the Ball State ID system on campus currently works.
As far as cost to the university, Thurman said he hopes that in the long-term, it will make money for the university. There will be a start-up cost, but Ball State will make the money back and a profit, according to Thurman.
"That money will be made back over a number of years," he said.
Students would not be allowed to buy alcohol with the card.
Michael Nauman, sophomore sports administration major, said he thinks using Cardinal Cash in places like the Village would make life easier for people in the area.
"People that live in the Village don't really have the opportunity to go to LaFollette as often as they'd like to ‘cause LaFollette has goods and so does Kinghorn," Nauman said. "But, places in the Village, they're a lot closer. I'd eat at places like Scotty's or Pita Pit ... places like that."
Thurman said although expanding Cardinal Cash would take time and effort, it is far from impossible.
"It is a feasible option," he said. "It occurs at numerous higher learning institutions across the nation."
Anyone can join the task force. Their next meeting will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 16th in Bracken Library room 311.
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