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VOL.3 | ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2009

lean pays off

Hornet Express Shuttle #16

  • The Student Financial Services Center (SFSC) implemented eRefund in May 2008 to provide students an electronic alternative for depositing financial aid and fee refunds. In 2008/09, over 10,000 students chose the online option, saving the University close to $15,000 in postage. Electronic transmission also improved the timeliness of payment by one to two days. Students are happy with the process, as illustrated by this spring 2009 survey comment -- “eRefund is amazing.”
  • UTAPS added a new 28-passenger shuttle bus to its fleet this spring. Hornet Express Shuttle #16 features perimeter seating, with room for an additional 20 standing passengers. Selected for its smaller size, fuel economy (it uses compressed natural gas, or CNG) and accessibility (low floor for easy passenger access and 3-position wheelchair accessibility), the bus is also lighter and more maneuverable than larger busses. The purchase of the smaller bus saved the campus close to $90,000. The smaller shuttle maintains close to the same seating capacity, and replaces a diesel fuel bus, making the Hornet Express a 100 percent clean air fleet. The CNG vehicles will help Sac State meet its clean air and sustainability goals. And, since CNG fuel can cost anywhere from $.94/gallon to $3.24/gallon less than diesel, the bus is expected to save the campus money as well.
  • This year, OneCard launched Hornet Bucks, a new program that permits the deposit of funds to OneCard accounts online. Financial support for students through a Hornet Bucks account can ensure the appropriate expenditure of funds for educational purposes, such as books and meals. Since its inception, the volume of deposits to OneCard accounts has risen, helping to improve the bottom line for the campus OneCard program.