Card, mobile credential, payment and security
Campus card resides at heart of strong campus-community collaboration
An improved town-and-gown relationship, in this way, can assist a campus to grow and thrive, stresses Emery. “It can mean an increase in admissions and possibly sponsorships or advertising from local businesses.”
For Emory University, and others, the town-and-gown relationship has been a labor of love dating back to the institution’s inception.
Emory has ties to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, neighboring Georgia Tech University, the Carter Center, Coca Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and many others, says Lisa Bona, associate director of Student Financial Services and director, EmoryCard Services at Emory University.
In addition to its longstanding partnerships, new ties are always in the works. Currently, EmoryCard is working with Emory University Hospital to accept Eagle Dollars in its cafeteria. This will provide another late night option for students and a lunch option for campus employees.
In Spring 2017, the hospital will be opening a new wing and along with it will come a number of new retail locations, says Bona. “The hospital approached us with the desire to have students and employees partake in these future options, and we both agreed that the Eagle Merchant program could help.”
“There is no doubt that the university, students, employees and Atlanta as a whole have benefit from the strong partnerships that Emory has built over its lifetime,” she adds.
As for the impact of the campus card, CBORD’s Takieddine explains the town-and-gown relationship can even transcend the almighty dollar. “We work with several institutions in smaller communities where the campuses have decided to lower, or even forgo, the campus revenue share from the off-campus program in order to offer merchants the lowest rate possible to accept the campus card,” he adds. “By offering a very low interchange rate, these schools are demonstrating their desire to strengthen the town-and-gown relationship and overall student experience.”
Additionally, there are numerous examples of campuses that have incorporated parts of a meal plan to be used at off-campus locations, says Takieddine. “These campuses see fantastic participation rates in their programs, which makes for both happy merchants and happy students,” he says. “That’s usually a sure-fire sign of a successful town-and-gown relationship.”
The common thread in the town-and-gown conversation is community. But community is a matter of perspective. It’s easy to view an institution in terms of the immediate confines of campus, but it’s how a campus assimilates with and cares for the larger community that pays real dividends.
In a modern era of higher education where growth is the only constant, campuses must be mindful of their surroundings. Forging lasting, symbiotic relationships with the surrounding community is key to a thriving campus environment and a healthy community.
