Visitors to next month’s National Association of College Auxiliary Services Annual Conference will have the chance to see first-hand the truly integrated card system in place at Colorado College. As a preview for attendees and to give a taste for what the rest are missing, the following review of the college’s CBORD campus card system is presented.

Established in 1874, Colorado College is a private liberal arts institution located in Colorado Springs. The College, with 1,900 students and just over 225 faculty and staff, first became a CBORD customer in 1987. Last year, the campus’ card solution was upgraded to CBORD’s flagship–the Odyssey PCS Campuswide Card system.

Called the Colorado College Gold Card, the magnetic stripe ID is the key to nearly every service available on the 90-acre campus. Photo identification, residence hall access, library access, ticketing, privilege control, and a host of payment functions make this card incredibly functional. And the seamless interfaces to peripheral systems–including Sodexho’s food services, Nebraska Bookstore’s management systems, DataCard’s ID Works card production system, as well as vending, copier, and laundry payment systems–make the card’s campus wide integration pervasive.

When funded, the Gold Card acts as a debit card on campus. All transactions occur on-line and in real time through the Odyssey PCS Campus Card System. The card office has a record of each transaction, location where the purchase occurred, and the type of tender used. Account statements are available to students upon request and deposits can be made at the card office or via fax, phone, mail, or on-line. A quick review of key applications include:

Dining
More than 1,000 students access the main dining hall each day so efficient customer throughput is essential. Students present their card to initiate the meal deduction from their board plan or to use flex points, dining dollars, or Gold Card Plus Account.

Residence Hall Access
All campus residence halls use a card-based door access system. Swiping the Gold Card through the door lock, the system determines whether the cardholder is eligible for entrance to that particular location.

Library and privilege control
The Gold Card is the key to checking out books, periodicals, videos, and equipment at the campus library. It also controls privileges and determines eligibility for access to athletic and theatrical events as well as the sports and recreation center containing the fitness center, ice rink, and swimming pool. Extending into the community, the card entitles its holder to free admission to the city’s fine arts center.

Payment functions
In addition to the dining hall payments, students use the card to purchase textbooks and other items from the Colorado College Bookstore in person or on-line. Laundry, copiers, soda and snack machine payments are all handled via the card and CBORD system.

If you will be in Colorado Springs for the NACAS conference, don’t miss the tour to the Colorado College campus. The small institution has done big things with their ID card system.