DU Zone Cards are available to students, faculty, staff, alumni and residents. They are also free.
This fall, offers you can’t refuse will be offers you can’t accept without a card.
A DU Zone Card, that is, which holders can use to snag snazzy benefits ranging from price discounts to outright freebies. On ice cream, pizza, coffee, hotel services — whatever a participating merchant wants to offer. Just flash your card and you’re in.
“It’s about bringing the community into businesses and into DU,” says Neil Krauss, assistant vice chancellor for business and financial affairs. “It’s part of our good neighbor program.”
The cards are available to students, faculty, staff, alumni, residents — anyone who wants one, in fact — and are free. The only restrictions are for merchants, who have to agree to a menu of rules on how the program works and how long it lasts. The first installment goes until Dec. 30, when merchants will have to sign up again.
“We’re asking businesses to provide some type of opportunity or benefit that lasts through the quarter,” Krauss says. “We have about 20 businesses signed up now.”
Among these are Ben and Jerry’s, Kaladi Coffee, Jamba Juice, the DU Bookstore, the Pioneer, and Courtyard by Marriott in Cherry Creek. All participating businesses will have to display a DU Zone sticker and will be listed on the zone website, www.du.edu/duzone.
“It’s to improve the sense of community and connectivity between the University and the near-campus community, our alumni and the businesses,” Kraus says. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”
It’s a chance for learning as well, since Randy Williams, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the Daniels College of Business, will be giving free monthly seminars to participating businesses on how to develop sales and build business.
The DU Zone Card program has been on the drawing board for several years. It was initially conceived by DU Athletics as a way of promoting attendance at sporting events, says Diane Wendt, associate athletics director. Since then, it’s expanded to include other units on campus in addition to athletics.
“We have a lot of people coming on campus and we want the small business community to benefit,” Wendt says. “In the long run it’s going to help everyone.”
The cards are available at four locations: the Ritchie Center box office, the Coors Fitness Center, the Leo Block Alumni Center and the Newman Center box office.