Since its implementation in February, a new software program being used by the Department of Recreational Sports has made their staff’s jobs more efficient.
The biggest effect of the new system that students may notice is the requirement to swipe their student ID to enter the Student Recreation Center. This method replaced the old practice of employees at the front desk checking IDs for validation stickers by hand.
‘It makes the job easier for our employees,’ said Tom Wright, Assistant director of SRC Operations.
Before the new method, there were a lot of problems with validation stickers students would often forget to place them on the back of their cards.
The new swipe entry has also eliminated the possibility of students creating fake validation stickers for the back of their IDs, which allowed them to enter the SRC illegally.
With the elimination of these discrepancies students can enter the SRC with a quick swipe, rather than waiting in a line.
‘I guess it makes it easier because you can just swipe it,’ said senior Stephanie Batsakes. ‘It’s probably easier for the workers.’
While students only see the improvements made at the front door, there is much more to the software being utilized behind the scenes. With each card swipe the system will track the demographics of patrons.
‘Everybody students and non-students need to swipe entry to get in the facility and then that count is what we are going to use for all of out tallying and entries,’ said Pam Sautter, Recreational Sports Office Manager.
The system also stores information about what services each individual uses and eventually will be used to plan programming. By tracking each patrons interests, SRC staff will eventually be sending e-mails to inform them about future classes and events.
As Sautter explained, if a student takes a spinning class during fall semester, the system will track that. When a new spinning class is offered in the spring, the student will receive an e-mail about the class.
Another aspect of the system that saves time for students and employees is the ability to do electric bursar transitions.
‘We used to handwrite all receipts for any kind of purchase [at the pro shop} and now it’s all automatic,’ Sautter said. ‘It cuts down on error, like writing the wrong number, writing the wrong name.’
The software also allows employees to schedule reservations for the courts, areas of the Perry Field House, Ice Arena and make tee times for the
golf course.
Sautter said the staff at the department are relieved to have the system, which took more than a year to develop, up
and running.
‘It’s been a year-and-a-half of headaches and frustration, but now that it is all set and everyone has been trained, it has been good,’ she said.
