University Business - January 2012 - (Page 22)

cfo Getting Carded Campus Creating cards in advance so they’re ready for students’ arrival helps ensure happy faces during those early days of the academic year. office, along with representatives from student government and other student groups, to regularly find out how the program can be utilized more frequently. Heartland’s Emery adds that he’s seen schools such as Emory University (Ga.) and Dominican College (N.Y.) develop steering committees around card use and have enlisted students to promote the programs on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Administrators in some places have asked marketing classes to take on card promotion as a project. 6. Partner with off-campus businesses effectively. Although a college or university can increase revenue from partnerships with off-campus retailers and restaurants, it’s inefficient to approach all businesses that surround the campus. To start with, “Go with the locations that students frequent,” says Emery. “Grow the off-campus program at a realistic rate, and once that gets off the ground, you’ll have merchants coming to you instead of the other way around.” One strategy that works well is encouraging students to ask merchants about accepting the campus card. “Students can really help you recruit off-campus partners,” Emery notes. “That, in turn, builds relationships between the campus and the community.” 7. Consider whether branded cards are right for you. Establishing partnerships is important in a closed-loop system for campus cards, but some institutions are finding that it’s more beneficial to switch to a system that’s closer to a debit card. Branded cards pair with entities like Discover, Visa, or MasterCard and can be associated with a certain bank. This allows the cards to be used anywhere, even internationally. Emery notes that there’s been an increase in the number of campuses issuing cards like these, driven in part by student familiarity with bank debit cards. They’re convenient, and there’s less administration required compared to closed-loop systems. However, branded cards do carry fees associated with each brand; usually, a certain percentage of transaction dollars goes to a company or bank instead of the school. “They’re very attractive,” says Emery. “But they’re not for everyone. An institution should consider all the costs before making the switch.” ‘When someone loses a card, they lose a lot. So, being able to replace them at any time is important. We consider the added security a benefit, not a cost.’ —Doug Vanderpoel, Mount Holyoke College 8. Think about every aspect of security. Card systems come with levels of security in their technology 22 | January 2012 Card-Smith implementation, to protect student and faculty data that resides in card system databases. But it’s also vital to act quickly in the case of lost or stolen cards, especially in programs where so many functions are part of the card system, like residence hall access. So be prepared, and ensure that users are prepared, too. “We’ve given our campus police a card printer so students can go there when our office is closed,” says Doug Vanderpoel, director of auxiliary services at Mount Holyoke College (Mass.). “The old cards can be instantly deactivated, so there’s not much of an issue with unauthorized use.” The extra security is necessary, he adds, because the college’s card program is tied to numerous off-campus retailers, meal plans, dorm rooms, and other everyday functions. Vanderpoel says, “When someone loses a card, they lose a lot. So, being able to replace them at any time is important. We consider the added security a benefit, not a cost.” 9. Reduce issuance costs by creating cards in advance. At Emory University, students arriving for the first day of school don’t have to stand in long lines, waiting for their campus cards. Instead, the card office requests that those with new cards upload their photos through the student services site. Students pick up the cards when they check into their residence halls for the first time, and staff members can get them from the card office whenever it’s convenient. In addition, new faculty and staff request their cards via an employee portal. Printing the cards over the summer reduces the need for more staff members on orientation days, says Tom Watkins, universitybusiness.com  http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - January 2012

University Business - January 2012
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Human Resources
Campus CFo
Getting Carded
Choosing telepresence
boosting the bottom line
Printer Purchase Pointers
Money Matters
Viewpoint
End Note

University Business - January 2012

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