Spring Break
UMKC students to get new student IDs next semester
Teresa Sheffield
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News
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.
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.
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