ACU Business Services is now offering Cars on Campus, a new service for roadside assistance for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
The service includes towing, lockouts, travel and retail discounts, jump starts, flat tire replacement and more, said Anthony Williams, chief business services officer. Members can take advantage of the nationwide service, which is provided by Campus Auto Care, for $19 per semester or $30 a year.
Williams said the program is part of an effort to add more student services through the information desk. It is designed to meet students’ everyday needs.
“Cars on Campus is really a part of a larger conversation,” Williams said. “There have been a number of things we recently brought to the floor with regards to business services.”
A few of the new business services on campus are Bare Essentials and Vera Bradley, which offer students products and accessories, Williams said. Students also now have access to laundry serves in their dorms through iClean. Cars on Campus is a continuation of the university’s effort to stay in touch with students, Williams said.
Cars on Campus is a direct result of student feedback, Williams said.
“It stems from surveys we administered last year to identify the needs and desires of the student body,” he said.
Service benefits are limited to $100 per occurrence, according to ACU’s Campus Store’s website. Should the incident cost exceed that price, the member will be billed the difference. There is also a limit of three claims per semester or year, depending on contract period.
“This is almost exactly like AAA service, but cheaper,” said Montana Anderson, executive assistant in the business services office. “My parents use AAA and it costs them over $300 a year for four people. As soon as my contract with them expires I’m switching to this service.”
The program was developed, established and added to the available student services in a short amount of time. The university first advertised Cars on Campus about a month after the beginning of the fall semester. Less than a dozen students have signed up since then. Williams said the low response isn’t surprising because the marketing plan to push the service has not been set yet.
“We didn’t have a chance to get the agreement done until after school started,” Williams said. “We didn’t have a monetary expectation for this year because we got things done in September. The idea is next year we will have a better marketing plan.”
For more information on Cars on Campus or any other offerings from Business Services, visit campusstore.acu.edu.
