More Than 12,000 OneCards Issued
Early figures are in, and the
new Bearkat OneCard ID card/optional debit card is catching on fast. Troy
Voelker, OneCard Services director, said that 12,431 Bearkat OneCards have
been issued, which includes about 2,000 issued during fall registration.
These should be getting to users within the next week.
Voelker said there have been surprisingly few glitches in
the process which got underway at Sam Houston State University April 10 with
an announcement that the Bearkat OneCard was on its way.
"We had one student who got three cards with wrong photos
before we figured out the problem," he said. "The fourth one, and I hope
correct one, was ordered yesterday and is being sent to my office so we can
make sure it's OK. It should be here in less than a week."
The most frequent customer service issues have involved refund
questions, password resets, new card orders, and replacement card orders,
he said.
Other indications of the Bearkat OneCard's success are that
more than 6,000 students have opened OneAccounts, more than 500 parent/family
sponsor accounts have been established, and 19 merchants have signed up to
participate in the OneRewards program.
"While it is necessary for everyone to have a Bearkat OneCard,
because it is the official university identification card, the debit account
is optional," said Voelker. "We do encourage students to consider it, because
it is a good way to learn to manage money and a fast and safe way to receive
funds."
More than $1 million has been paid in financial aid refunds,
Voelker said, with more than 5,500 users opting to have their university
refunds deposited directly into their OneCard account.
Obtaining carry cash is also easy with the two ATM machines
installed on campus in mid-August. One is in the student center and another
in the library. Withdrawals are free for OneCard users.
Officials at the Higher One financial services company, which
is undertaking a similar program at the University of Houston, have been
pleased with the program's acceptance on the Sam Houston campus and in the
Huntsville community.
Some 19 Huntsville businesses have signed up for the OneRewards
program upon recommendation of Voelker's office. Higher one has chosen affordable
signs to provide University of Houston campus after seeing their work at
Sam Houston State. Voelker's office has also been busy answering approximately
100 phone calls daily, answering e-mails, and talking with 80-120 persons
per day who visit the office in room 217, Academic Building 3.
Additional information, including current account balance,
is available online, and Voelker's
office also has a Website. A
toll free number (1.877.BEARKAT/1.877. 7528) connects users to the Higher
One offices in Connecticut.
In addition, OneCard representatives are available to speak to various groups,
and several presentations have been made in classrooms.
A Strategic Marketing Plan is being developed for the program
by business administration graduate students in a class taught by John Newbold.
- END -
SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
Aug. 28, 2003
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