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Campus
E-Goods Botanical
Garden Takes Ten Golds at San Francisco Flower
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Site Offers Wares, Services Online By D. Lyn Hunter,
Public Affairs This fall, the campus will launch its first-ever e-commerce Web site, where on- and off-campus consumers can purchase goods and services online using a credit or debit card. The site will be accessible through the Berkeley home page. This project is one of four initiatives that were defined in a report submitted to campus management in January by the E-Berkeley Working Group. "The e-commerce Web site will provide a one-stop-shopping experience," said Bud Travers, assistant to Business and Administrative Services Vice Chancellor Horace Mitchell. "For example, a person can sign up for an extension class, order their books and supplies and purchase a parking pass, all in one sitting, without phoning, mailing or visiting 10 different offices." Travers said he believes Berkeley is the first college campus in the country to create such a site. A request for proposals for designing the system was distributed to private developers last November. An evaluation committee is reviewing these proposals. The project's first phase, to be implemented this fall, is the creation of a directory of services and the ability to process credit and departmental debit card transactions. Initially, just a few campus units will be part of the pilot program. Candidates include the Bancroft Library, Parking and Transportation, UC Extension, Intercollegiate Athletics and the Cal Student Store. More units could be added in the future, said Travers. "Departments have to be ready to take this on," he said. "But at some point, virtually everyone can participate." Potential transactions include purchasing Botanical Garden plants or Museum of Paleontology fossils or even donations to the university. And departments capture the money they make from these transactions to By D. Lyn Hunter Public Affairs
This fall, the campus will launch its first-ever e-commerce Web site, where on- and off-campus consumers can purchase goods and services online using a credit or debit card. The site will be accessible through the Berkeley home page. This project is one of four initiatives that were defined in a report submitted to campus management in January by the E-Berkeley Working Group. "The e-commerce Web site will provide a one-stop-shopping experience," said Bud Travers, assistant to Business and Administrative Services Vice Chancellor Horace Mitchell. "For example, a person can sign up for an extension class, order their books and supplies and purchase a parking pass, all in one sitting, without phoning, mailing or visiting 10 different offices." Travers said he believes Berkeley is the first college campus in the country to create such a site. A request for proposals for designing the system was distributed to private developers last November. An evaluation committee is reviewing these proposals. The project's first phase, to be implemented this fall, is the creation of a directory of services and the ability to process credit and departmental debit card transactions. Initially, just a few campus units will be part of the pilot program. Candidates include the Bancroft Library, Parking and Transportation, UC Extension, Intercollegiate Athletics and the Cal Student Store. More units could be added in the future, said Travers. "Departments have to be ready to take this on," he said. "But at some point, virtually everyone can participate." Potential transactions include purchasing Botanical Garden plants or Museum of Paleontology fossils or even donations to the university. And departments capture the money they make from these transactions to help support the service. For example, if someone needs a digital image from the Bancroft Library collection, they can purchase the right to use it through the e-commerce site, and the library keeps the proceeds. "We have digitized approximately 30,000 images to support research, teaching and publication efforts," said William Brown, Bancroft's coordinator for research and instruction. "We look forward to applying additional income to enchance our productivity and provide better service." For the customers of parking and transportation, it means the end of physically going to an office and waiting in line to purchase parking passes. "We have been looking for a secure site on which to offer sale of parking permits by credit card, the opportunity to sell visitor and guest passes, and for the payment of parking citations," said Nad Permaul, director of transportation. "This would end the dependence on over-the-counter sales and services as our primary mode of service, an alternative and a convenience for all our campus customers." In addition to selling products, the site also lets clients and consumers purchase goods and services from outside entities, like the Cal Student Store. These transactions would benefit the campus at the same time. Discussions are in progress with private companies to guarantee a portion of the profits they make from Berkeley purchases comes back to the university. This money will be used for high-priority campus projects, said Travers. "Proceeds from purchases made through the campus Web site go to something worthwhile," said Travers. "Also, since we can buy as a large group, the campus can get discounted prices on goods, like the members of Costco-type shopping clubs." Travers is chairing a committee that includes representatives from all campus control units. This group will make a recommendation to campus management regarding the site's structure and who should develop the system. "Private industry will not be making the decisions here," he said. "The university is running the show, we will decide who we want to do business with." Companies have already begun to solicit students, faculty and staff as individual groups, said Travers. But we have more bargaining power as a whole campus, he said. "We're stronger together." This technology will have a profound impact on how the university functions, Travers explained. "This is a wonderful opportunity for the campus's many units and departments to integrate, which traditionally has been difficult at Berkeley." The evaluation committee will report back to the Administrative and Student Systems Computing Subcommitee, chaired by Vice Chancellor Jim Hyatt, and the Campus Computing and Communications Policy Board, chaired by the chancellor. A copy of the E-Berkeley report and the request for proposal are posted at (campus.chance.berkeley.edu/eberkeley/eberkeley.html).
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