UMKC students to get new student IDs next semester

By: Teresa Sheffield

Posted: 10/6/08

UMKC students are set to get new student ID cards at the beginning of next semester.

All features from the old card will remain the same with the biggest difference between the current and incoming cards being the inclusion of "Roo Bucks." This enables students to put money on their card and spend it at different university facilities like dining and laundry services, the bookstore and copy machines.

"The fact that everything can basically be done on one card is a big convenience factor, and I think nowadays people really want that convenience of having one thing do everything," said David Babcock, Interim Manager of Cashiers. "This card isn't going to do everything that they want, but it's going to add a lot of benefits that they don't have now."

More features will be added to the card in the future including expanding its buying power from campus to local businesses like and eventually even transforming it into a debit card that could be used anywhere.

"It allows them to take one card, their student ID card that can not only get into places here on campus, but allows them to use it off campus as well," Jody Jeffries, director of the University Center, said. "So they have one card instead of having multiple cards within their account. I think our intent at the start of this project is something that can be convenient and useful to students while at the same time giving the students full control of what that card will do for them. If a student chooses for it just to be their ID card it can just be that."

Other features include a membership students can buy giving discounts to thousands of different merchants like Amtrack, and access to a Web site that lets students track or deactivate lost cards.

After four years of research and gradual implementing of the new system, university officials hoped to start using the cards at the beginning of this semester, but problems with it not allowing students into dorms made it impossible.

"At that time we made the decision that we could not afford the business interruption to our students, faculty and staff and so that's why we continued with the current card system to begin the academic year as we work through the technical difficulties," Jeffries said. "Our hope is to have the launch phase before the start of next semester."

He added the current student ID doesn't have any problems, it's just outdated and they wanted to add more features.

"This project is bringing us to where we need to be for the convenience of today's student and so it was I guess one of those projects that was bound to happen and eventually needed to happen," said Jeffries. "It wasn't based off any deficiency, it's just a direction that we need to go with that program to make it more convenient for students."

Over $180,000 was earmarked by Administration and Finance for the new cards and system.

"There's no increase to students, faculty and staff there's nothing that's changed, we don't have any special fees or anything like that, it's still free," said Babcock.

Jeffries said as soon as they feel the technical problems are figured out, the new cards will be shipped to students.

"We want the transition to be as seamless as possible," Jeffries said. "As soon as we're done, the old card will become void and the new one will be activated. If it gets passed the first of semester then we'll know that we ran into a big snag, but that should not be the case."

tsheffield@unews.com