At Marywood University, an intriguing concept known as Pacer Points exists which is used as a dining currency. These points are operational at various spots over the university in lieu of real cash. Although this notion is not distinctive to just Marywood University and is seen at numerous other educational institutions where they call their own school-specific meal plans as “dining dollars”. Yet, the usage of these Pacer Points is limited in various dimensions.
Dwelling on the perception of a student who has spent three years in the campus reaffirms these limitations. In the early years, the meal plan assigned to this student incorporated 200 Pacer Points for each semester. However, the present meal plan contains 500 points every semester. On the foundation of the existing plan, it is approximately $700 less expensive. Although, on paper 500 points might seem like a colossal amount, it doesn’t seem so from a daily point of view. If this student consumes about 4.75 points each day throughout the semester, it aligns with the ending day of both the semester and the points. Sadly, for this student, this amount is not sufficient even for most beverages at Study Grounds, which also doesn’t make up for the narrow number of meal swipes included with the plan.
The prime issue revolving around these Pacer Points is the extent of restrictions they carry. Despite there being four dining places in the campus where payments can be made with these points, they are futile elsewhere. They cannot be used for vending machines, at local food outlets or most puzzlingly, at the newly included Amazon Go Store.
However, there exists an uncomplicated solution to this concern – making these points functional at these spots. Although, making vending machines compatible with these points might not be plausible, agreements can be established with local restaurants that can allow students to pay with these points. The existing structure of the Amazon Go store can also be altered to recognize these points, assisting the students in conveniently shopping for snacks.
Another distinct limitation of these points is their inability to roll over to the subsequent semester. Post the semester, any points remaining with the student expire, urging them to buy items in bulk using the leftover points. A simple and effective amendment to this problem would be to make these points and leftover meal swipes, transferable between semesters. This modification would aid the students who do not exhaust all their points, from needlessly spending them only to avoid wastage.
Nonetheless, the current system also has certain pros. For instance, Pacer Points can be used for printing and copying and transactions carried out with them are tax-free. This is an appealing advantage and offers a reason to use Points over dollars in several places.
So, the question that arises is, are these Pacer Points worth it? The answer is naturally two-fold. As these points cannot be uprooted overnight, they urge a restructure of the Marywood’s meal plans and their functioning. However, if minor tweaks are made in relation to how and where these points can be utilized, along with the feature of being able to roll them over between semesters, it could drastically alter the perception of Pacer Points in a positive direction. While it is uncertain when or if these changes are implemented, the possibility of enhancing something that all students dwelling on the campus deal with, is significant.
About Jack Biggs
Jack Biggs is currently in his third year majoring in Multimedia Communications and with a specialization on Sports Media. Jack scripts for the Wood Word and handles the camera work and outlines for the ‘He Knows Ball’ podcast. Outside of his communication interests, he serves as a team head in the esports program and is a member of the tennis team. Open-wheel racing viewing and showing disappointment about various Pittsburgh sports teams are his additional interests.
