It could be time to kiss the free T-shirts good-bye.
A special task force will be meeting Monday to re-evaluate Ohio State’s policy regarding credit card solicitors on campus, said Eric Busch, assistant vice president for Student Affairs. Busch is the task force’s chairman.
Credit card vendors set up stands at various places on campus, usually in high traffic areas. These solicitors often offer free items such as pop, phone cards and T-shirts to entice students to sign up for their product.
“Basically, we will examine the issue and recommend whether there should be a change in university policy,” Busch said. “It is symbolic whether or not the university wants to be seen as assisting in this sales process.”
The task force will be using recommendations made by the Council on Student Affairs as the focal point of its study into credit card soliciting on campus. These recommendations are as follows:
• having information sent out about credit and credit card debt to incoming or transferring undergraduates;
• prohibiting the use of gifts at credit card solicitor stands;
• requiring a brochure about the risks of credit card use be made available at all credit card solicitor stands;
• limiting the use of credit card solicitor stands to the first five weeks of every quarter.
The special credit card task force can recommend anything it finds to the university, including having the vendors banned from campus, Busch said. He added that changes were likely to take place in the current system.
A registered student organization, university department, or a faculty or staff member must sponsor a credit card company before that company is allowed to sell anything on campus, said Jerry Vance, supervisor for the Office of Scheduling.
“Almost all of the time, student organizations sponsor credit card companies,” Vance said. He added that the credit card companies often pay the student organizations for their sponsorship.
The sponsoring organization must submit an application for the Office of Scheduling’s approval, stating where and when the products will be sold. The vendors must also follow a set of rules when soliciting on OSU’s campus.
There is a growing consensus among students, administration and alumni that solicitors are harmful to the university.
“I would like to see these marketers kicked off campus,” said 1997 OSU graduate Jim Parker, whose two friends are having troubles with credit card companies.
A Student Affairs Assessment survey from the spring of 2000 on the spending habits of OSU undergraduates found that these credit card vendors contribute to the growing problem of student credit card debt. Over 25 percent of all students have applied for a credit card at one of these stands, and nearly 12 percent have received three or more credit cards from these solicitors.
“Less students were applying than anticipated at the time of this survey,” said Andrea Dowhower, assistant director for Student Affairs Assessment. “But of those that were, three or more credit cards is bordering on excessive. I would not want to carry three or more credit cards.”
The study found that credit card use and debt had become a problem for 20 percent of OSU students. More than 51 percent of students have had to take an extra job or work longer hours as a result of credit card debt.
“It starts to become problematic because that is time away from campus and time away from their studies,” Dowhower said.
The survey also reported that 48 percent of students had negative views of campus vendors. Almost 35 percent found the dealers annoying, pushy and aggressive. Only 17 percent had a positive view of the solicitors.
“The only positive contribution credit card stands have on campus is that the sponsoring organization makes some money,” Vance said.
Jennifer Hogan, president of the OSU Meteorology Club, said the credit card company’s representative asked her over the summer if her club would sponsor one of these credit card stands.
“They gave the idea that we could make $50 a day without doing anything,” Hogan said.
However, when she received the Office of Scheduling’s rules for soliciting on campus, Hogan realized her club would have to work for their money.
The money the Meteorology Club makes from soliciting helps to fund a severe weather symposium that brings meteorologists and students from all over the country to OSU.
Adding to the problem of student debt is not the best way to raise money for this program, but students that fill out applications can close the account and cut up the card when it comes in the mail, Hogan said.
“It is not our fault that people cannot be responsible with their money,” said Hogan. “Plus every student that passes a credit card stand can easily move on and not fill out an application.”
