Here at CR80News, we typically focus on how card offices operate and serve student populations. But the job can’t be done without the proper personnel.

When it comes time to hire a new card office employee, what qualities or skills are required? Drawing from some recent campus card job listings, the requisites start to take shape.

Framingham State University

Framingham State University recently released a job listing for a staff assistant position in its campus ID office. An administrative position, the staff assistant conducts supervisory work in directing the activities and production of the University ID card. For Framingham, this includes supervising employees that are engaged in support for all uses of the ID on campus.

As with most universities, Framingham card office employees will have considerable contact with faculty, staff and students alike, and will also supervise a small student work force.

FSU Card Services provides support for all ID card utilities across campus. The card office also provides data administration services for numerous departments on campus including reports for building access, food services, vending, athletic center access, parking lot use and University labs.

For Framingham, the staff assistant reports to campus police as well as IT services. The staff assistant position is a full time, benefited union position, with an annual salary of $40,000-$42,000.

Some notable responsibilities for the position at Framingham State include:

• Oversees inventory, ordering and file maintenance for the one card office and University Police Station.
• Assists in developing, implementing, and enforcing all publications and policies.
• Oversees billing processes, maintains and evaluates summary figures for budget analyst. Submits and enters purchase order requests.
• Establishes maintenance schedules, oversees routine maintenance and arranges for service on equipment.
• Confers with sales representatives and supervisors regarding new equipment purchases.
• Assist with parking assignments and parking decal distribution.

University of British Columbia

Elsewhere, the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus is looking for a new manager for its UBCard office. The UBCard is a one-card credential that is used by students, faculty and staff members as their University ID, building access card, library card and debit card.

The UBCard office manager reports to the director of parking and access control services and is responsible for spearheading enhancements to the UBCard. Additionally, the UBCard Manager develops an annual marketing program.

UBC cites experience with a universal card system as an asset for the card manager position, who is expected to carry out the following duties:

• Prepares, manages and continuously reviews the UBCard program budget.
• Understands the technology platform used to support the UBCard and works with IT Services to identify system enhancements to support customers.
• Prepares and deliver presentations to various stakeholders and potential vendor partners to showcase the value of the card program and to grow its features and benefits.
• Negotiates vendor and partner agreements. Manages the agreements to ensure that the university and the partners receive value from the programs.
• Maintains current knowledge of the card industry by interacting with industry groups like NACCU (National Association of Campus Card Users), and other institutions and vendors.

The UBCard card office manager position is a full-time position with a proposed annual salary range of $62,010 - $89,331.

Cuyahoga Community College

Cuyahoga has also posted an opening for an office manager position, and while the job title is similar to that of UBC, the responsibilities differ. This posting specifically seeks a candidate with experience dealing with the institution’s campus card vendor.

Cuyahoga is seeking a manager of campus card services, in particular, one who has experience with Blackboard applications. Cuyahoga also requires its card office manager to act as the first level of response to hardware and software issues, including card readers, point-of-sale registers, cameras, card printers and the card office’s web services.

Bearing in mind that student population and university size may play a role in job responsibilities, one thing remains certain: the responsibilities of a card office manager go far deeper than the average student or campus employee realizes. As many card office managers can attest, the list of responsibilities for an ID card employee describes, if nothing else, a multi-tasker on speed. The list of duties is seemingly a mile long, but nonetheless vital.