For many NJIT students, HOCC is now one of the newest acronyms to be learned. HOCC, which stands for Highlander Off Campus Cash, is the latest initiative by the Student Senate to improve the campus dining experience.
What started as an idea proposed by Residence Life and the Senate resulted in three years of thought between former president Lauren Azer, current president Marina Samuel, and Vice President of Internal Student Affairs Brian Dong. Now, the idea of HOCC has finally come to life.
According to Dong, the goal of HOCC is to develop a program that would serve Newark. Looking down the street, Rutgers’ Raider Dollars gives students the option to spend through Grubhub for practically any location they are craving food from. However, Dong pointed out that this decision ended up hurting businesses that were part of the program as students also shopped at businesses outside of the local community. This is the motive behind why HOCC can only be spent in person, and mobile ordering is not an option.
Compared to TechBucks, which are limited to locations on-campus under Gourmet Dining Services (GDS), HOCC can be used both on and off campus.For students who have a GDS meal plan, HOCC can be added to their current plan and is also available to commuter students. Simply add funds to your HOCC account and you can easily start using HOCC at approved local businesses.
Some of the vendors where students can use HOCC include La Cocina, EZ Market, Cold Stone, Subway, Playa Bowls, Pita Square, Neighborhood Scoops Ice Cream, Sigri Indian BBQ, 7 Heaven Market, and Queen Pizza, which will be coming soon to 122 Halsey Street.
For those wondering how HOCC was agreed upon by businesses, Campus Cash, the vendor used for HOCC, reached out to determine interest in this program. Karen Quackenbush, the Director of Residence Life, recommended potential partners and helped spearhead this process. Campus Cash then handled the process of getting all the participating businesses onboard. Overall, the process was described by Quackenbush as “a collaborative effort to expand our network and offer more options to students.”
In the future, a survey from the Senate will allow direct input from students who have suggestions for other partnerships HOCC could develop to provide students with more dining options.
From Quackenbush’s perspective, “the future of HOCC looks promising as we continue to expand its usability and convenience for students. We aim to partner with more local businesses, providing students with a wider range of dining, shopping, and service options.”
Dong’s vision for the future of HOCC is one where students can spend money in the local shops and restaurants of Newark, “providing a vibrant ecosystem that benefits both students and the community.”