University Transportation & Parking Services spent thousands of dollars on changes to the OneCard commuter pass that may inconvenience students, faculty and staff this semester who use the Regional Transit buses and light rail to commute to campus.

The university paid $8,918 for plastic sleeves and $1,468 for commuter pass stickers, said Annette Ha, budget analyst for UTAPS.

As of Jan. 1, riders are not only required to carry the OneCard in a clear plastic sleeve, but the commuter pass sticker must be affixed to the outside of the sleeve. The sticker was previously accepted without a sleeve and placed on the back of the card.

RT drivers will not make exceptions for riders, said Chardonnay Provine, customer services representative for the Regional Transit.

Since the OneCard is also used as a Wells Fargo Bank ATM card, placing the sticker directly on the OneCard may be problematic, said Alfredo Orozco, assistant to the director of UTAPS. He said the sticker can be damaged or jammed inside the ATM machines.

UTAPS has attempted to alert the Sac State community about the changes by distributing fliers to students, faculty, and staff when the new OneCards were distributed; posting signs around the campus; and via e-mail.

It is unknown how many people could be affected by the changes. Neither UTAPS nor RT keep track of the number of students, faculty, or staff who commute using RT buses and/or light rail.

Robert McAdams, senior computer science major, said the new requirements make it impossible for him to fit the pass in his wallet.

He said the problem would be alleviated if the sticker was placed on the OneCard, as it was before, especially since he does not plan to use the card as an ATM.

McAdams said he believes this is another example of “corporate greed” on the part of Wells Fargo and Sac State. Universities are giving up control of their own policies to corporations, like Wells Fargo, in order to raise funds, he said.

A commuter to Sac State by RT, Orozco said he had a problem getting the sleeve into his wallet. He said he solved the problem by trimming the edges of the sleeve to make it smaller.

“I understand the change will be inconvenient for some people, and that is unfortunate,” he said.

The requirement of presenting the card in the plastic sleeve is for consistency and ease of the RT drivers, who already have to deal with a number of different stickers and passes from other agencies and schools, according to RT.

One student, junior business major Brian White, said he did not have a problem with the new commuter pass requirements. He said he did not understand why the sticker could not be placed directly on the OneCard.

Namra Habib, junior business and accounting major, said she likes the new plastic sleeve because it protects the OneCard. She also said she has to be careful because she has noticed that the OneCard will slip out of the sleeve into her purse or pocket.

Jose Sanchez, graduate Japanese major, said although he was unaware of the new requirements, he didn’t see them as being much of a problem.

“It sounds a little inconvenient, but the reasons behind the change make sense,” he said. “So, I guess there is a method to the madness.”

Sophomore psychology major Gloria Ruiz and junior sociology major Laura Figueroa said they did not know about the changes and thought they could use the OneCard without a sticker on it. Both had to pay to ride the bus on the first day of school, they said.

“Bus drivers should let students slide the first couple of days of the semester, because a lot of students leave during the winter break,” Ruiz said. “Especially if the school is making changes in the way things are done.”

Wianyonnah Nyanh, freshman biology major, said she couldn’t fit the sleeve into her wallet, and is afraid she might forget to take it with her when she goes to catch the bus.

The plastic sleeve was the most feasible solution to the commuter-pass problem given the time restraints and budget effectiveness, Orozco said.

Orozco said in September he learned from the OneCard office that changes had to be made to the commuter pass by the time new passes were distributed in mid-December.

The change in the commuter pass was prompted by the new OneCards that were issued by the university in October and November of last year. The card can be used as an ATM card as a result of the partnership between the university and Wells Fargo.

UTAPS consulted with San Jose State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder in coming up with the solution, Orozco said. Both of the schools use identification cards similar to the new OneCard. They also use plastic sleeves for their equivalent passes, he said.

UTAPS considered issuing a separate card for the commuter pass, but decided that it would be more inconvenient and expensive than the plastic sleeve, Orozco said.

The plastic sleeves and stickers are being distributed to students for free at the UTAPS office, the OneCard office, the Student Financial Services Center, and the Associated Students, Inc. office.

Commuter passes for faculty and staff cost $10 for the spring semester. These passes can only be purchased at the UTAPS office or at the Student Financial Services Center at Lassen Hall, said Erica Campos, front desk assistant for UTAPS.

UTAPS will give out new commuter pass stickers to affix to the sleeves each semester, Ha said.

Officials from the OneCard office, the Sac State Business and Administrative Services office, and Wells Fargo Bank did not respond to requests for interviews about the partnership between the university and Wells Fargo and the new commuter pass requirements.

Todd Wilson can be reached at [email protected]