The Notre Dame Federal Credit Union will replace many of the services offered by the defunct Cashier Services Office, formerly located in the Main Building, said associate controller Tom Guinan.
Guinan said University officials agreed to close the Cashier's Office at their spring meeting and operations ceased June 30.
The decision was made based on a variety of factors, Guinan said, although the addition of a Notre Dame Credit Union branch to the LaFortune Student Center made the services of the Cashier's Office - including fee-free cashing of student personal and work checks - no longer necessary.
"The arrival of the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union to the basement of LaFortune last year resulted in duplication of certain functions performed by both the Cashier's Office and the Credit Union, particularly as they pertained to student banking services," Guinan said. "The Credit Union indicated that they would also be willing to perform other key functions handled by the Cashier's Office, namely processing departmental deposits and student tuition payments."
"With the Credit Union processing such payments, deposits and payments would be placed in the bank a day earlier and armored pickups at the Cashier's Office would no longer be necessary," he said.
Guinan said that he believes the change will ultimately prove beneficial to all parties and noted that additional services, such as hours until 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at both the LaFortune and the Douglas Rd. branches, will improve the services offered.
"We're hoping that, after the transition period is complete, students, faculty and staff will find that the Credit Union and the University have developed plans to not only maintain the key services formerly provided by the Cashier's Office, but also to enhance them," he said.
Michael Cruise, vice president of branch operations for the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, said the credit union is expecting an increase in business at its LaFortune branch and has added additional staff to compensate.
"With our campus office locations at Douglas Road and LaFortune, as well as 11 on-campus ATMs and Internet on-line banking, we are able to conveniently serve the banking needs of the students," Cruise said.
He said students will not be required to open an account at the credit union. The union will allow students to cash personal checks up to $200 per day, in addition to work-related checks made payable by Notre Dame. These services will not include a fee and students need only bring a valid student identification card.
Students displayed mixed reactions regarding the effect the closing of Cashier Services will have on them.
Morgen Doty, a junior in Welsh Family Hall, said the change will not affect her.
"The closing of Cashier Services has had little effect on me," she said. "The services I used that were provided by them have now been taken over by the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union. I simply go there instead of the Main Building."
Student Union treasurer Don Norton, however, said the change has definitely impacted his office because they frequented Cashier Services.
"My office used Cashier Services on a daily basis to deposit funds from the dorms, groups, clubs and other organizations that we monitor and advise," he said. "The closing of the Cashier Services has forced us to change the way we operate."
Norton said that, although the change from using Cashier Services to patronizing the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union has been "a fairly seamless transition," he has noted a decrease in the speed of the banking services.
"At this time it is difficult to gauge how this will affect our office and the services we provide the groups of the Student Union," he said. "With the return of students back to campus and the increase of traffic to NDFCU, we have seen a slow-down in the service NDFCU is able to provide, but I expect that this will change."
Catherine Dulcet, senior student service representative in the Office of Student Financial Services and former University Cashier of Cashier Services, said the adjustment was initially difficult for her.
"It took some getting used to the idea that we would no longer have our offices and our positions anymore," she said. "We miss seeing all of our students and staff."
Dulcet said that she feels fortunate to have retained her position as an employee of Notre Dame, although the job change has meant she must learn a variety of new skills.
"I'm learning a whole new process here than [what] I was doing at Cashier Services," she said.
Dulcet said the three other employees of Cashier Services have been employed by the Notre Dame Credit Union, yet have not retained their status as University employees. She said that one former employee works in the LaFortune branch of the Credit Union, another in the Douglas Branch and the third as a teller who floats between branches.
"When NDFCU took over the functions of our office, they offered jobs to all of us. It was very generous of NDFCU [to do so]," she said.
Guinan said all four employees maintained the same salary and benefit levels as they had in their positions at Cashier Services.
Dulcet noted that the Credit Union will not completely take over all tasks performed by Cashier Services. For example, while students could add funds to their Domer Dollar accounts in the Main Building, they may now only do so in the basement of South Dining Hall.
