Card, mobile credential, payment and security
Drake University’s fledgling off-campus program started in October of 2020, and it quickly became evident that mobile ordering would be a valuable addition. Grubhub joined the Drake CampusCash program just one short year later in October of 2021, and the partnership has provided Drake students with a wider variety of off-campus dining options than ever before.
Drake implemented its first off-campus program with card transaction system vendor, Transact Campus. “Students use their personally loaded stored value tender, Bulldog Bucks, to purchase food off campus at our six off-campus vendors, or in the Grubhub app,” says Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center Manager at Drake University. “Bulldog Bucks are the only funds available off campus – meal plan funds (Dining Dollars) are used only for on campus dining at our Sodexo food locations.”
“A notification from Transact alerted us that this was a new feature of the existing CampusCash program, and it seemed like a great addition to the program that was already in place,” recalls Heijerman. “The implementation went quickly and smoothly, and Grubhub has been a great partner since implementation.”
In addition to dining, Drake students can also use their Bulldog Bucks at the university bookstore and for campus printing. But it’s the new variety in student dining options available via the campus tender that has Heijerman most excited.
“Parents (and I) love that the off-campus program gives students a way to use some of their ID card funds for expanded food options,” says Heijerman. “And while our program is a small one, it seems to be well received and appreciated, and our office strives to grow the program each year.”
Drake’s meal plan funds, Dining Dollars, can only be used for on-campus dining. Those funds are tied to the meal plan and have limited use. But the university’s Bulldog Bucks can be used off campus.
“Our students can use their Bulldog Bucks in the Grubhub app, in the campus bookstore, and for campus printing,” says Heijerman. “Grubhub purchases can also be completed while on holiday breaks and at any participating locations, so it gives our students more opportunity to spend their Bulldog Bucks funds.”
This flexibility with Bulldog Bucks made Grubhub a popular option for off-campus dining virtually from the start. “Grubhub has consistently captured about half of our total off-campus program sales each month,” says Heijerman.
Just as significant is the variety in off-campus dining that Drake students now enjoy thanks to the partnership with Grubhub.
“I pull a report each month to see where Grubhub purchases are being delivered from, and it’s always interesting to see which restaurants are popular,” says Heijerman. “They are usually ones that the students cannot walk to or would not normally be in our neighborhood off campus program, which to me reinforces their value as a partner – they are providing food options that wouldn’t normally be a part of our card program.”
Even students that don’t necessarily choose to use Bulldog Bucks as their payment method still get a benefit from adding their campus card as a potential payment method, adds Heijerman. “Affiliating with a campus also gives students free access to Grubhub+, which is a nice perk,” she says.
Among other benefits, Grubhub+ offers free delivery on orders of $12 or more.
Despite having only worked with Grubhub for a short period of time, the growth of the university’s off-campus program and the healthy usage of mobile ordering has Heijerman optimistic for the future.
“Currently, we are hoping to continue to grow program usage, both from the Grubhub and local business perspectives,” says Heijerman.
“Our off-campus program still feels relatively new, as we implemented during COVID shutdown, and the Grubhub partnership is now just over a year old,” she adds. “I’m hoping to grow usage year over year, and make sure this remains a valuable program for both our students and local merchant partners.”
Working collaboratively with Grubhub is helping Heijerman and her team to deliver on that ambition. “We have monthly check-ins to see how things are going, and to brainstorm promotions and advertising ideas,” says Heijerman. “They provide us with marketing materials and ‘swag’ to give out to students and make the whole partnership very easy.”
“I have had a great experience with Grubhub, and if you feel like your student population could benefit from the added service offering, it’s definitely worth consideration,” stresses Heijerman. “It is an easy partnership that gives students additional discounts and dining options with their campus card.”
Brown University has added a new visual queue in its campus mailroom that displays the order in which students will be called to pick up their packages. The system is underpinned by the student ID card and a kiosk system in the mailroom.
According to The Brown Daily Herald, the mailroom system isn't new so much as it's a refinement to mail services to provide additional transparency for students.
The first thing a student does upon arrival to the mailroom is swipe their ID at the mailroom kiosk located at the mail center entrance. The system runs the name and identifies any available mail for that student. The mail is then fed into touchscreen devices behind the mail services counter. Once a staff member begins the process of collecting a student’s mail, that student’s information line on the monitor will turn from white to green to signal that it's time to retrieve their mail.
Brown Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) President Ricky Zhong, says the new monitor makes the mailroom process more efficient and “makes people less anxious about missing their name being called." The idea for the mailroom monitor is the result of student suggestions and UCS discussions
In addition to UCS and Mail Services, Brown Facilities Management and the Office of Information Technology helped with the installation of the new monitor.
East Carolina University has joined the growing list of institutions to deploy robot delivery, partnering with Grubhub and Starship Technologies to provide the service. All students, faculty and staff at East Carolina University are able to leverage robot delivery from main campus dining locations.
According to an official university release, Starship’s fleet of autonomous robots will deliver food and drinks from select campus dining locations through the Grubhub app. The robot delivery service will travel anywhere on the main campus.
The service can also be used in conjunction with the student meal plan or through a Grubhub account. Students can elect to use Pirate Meals from their board plan for robot delivery, but will be still be assessed the delivery fee, which can be paid for with either Bounty Bucks or the ECU cash card.
“ECU Dining Services is excited to offer this innovative service to our campus community,” says Celia Daniels, director of dining services at ECU. “Campuses across the country have had to increase the size of their Starship fleets to meet demand, and these fun and convenient robots are sure to be popular in Pirate Nation as well.”
To place an order for robot delivery, students first open the Grubhub app, choose their desired food or drink items from restaurants labeled “Offers Robot Delivery,” then designate the campus location for their delivery to be sent. Students can then follow along with their robot as it navigates its path to the destination by viewing an interactive map. When the robot arrives, the student is sent a push notification instructing them to meet the robot and unlock its chassis using the app.
Currently, ECU students can place orders for robot delivery from Raising Cane’s, Au Bon Pain, Subway, Port City Java, and a host of other participating locations around the ECU campus.
HID Global's Director of End User Business Development for Higher Education, Tim Nyblom introduces the newest member of HID's higher ed team, Amy Surprenant. The pair also discuss the latest in mobile credentials and how administrators can prepare their campuses for the jump.
Surprenant brings with her to HID an extensive background in campus transactions systems, having held numerous university positions. She also played integral roles in launching mobile credentials on her previous campuses, and discusses some of her lessons learned.
Baylor University has added robot delivery from Starship Technologies to its dining services offerings with the help of Grubhub. The initiative will see Baylor deploy a fleet of 20 delivery robots on the Waco, TX campus.
According to an official university release, Starship will deliver from seven campus dining locations, including Panda Express, Steak ‘n Shake, two Starbucks locations, Which Wich, Moe’s and Rising Roll. The service is available to all of Baylor's 20,000 plus students, faculty and staff on campus.
Food and drink orders from these participating retail dining locations can be delivered to any building on the Baylor campus, and students have the option to use meal plan Dining Dollars to pay for the delivered meal.
“Technology and great food service go hand in hand. We are excited to have these delivery bots on site to enhance the student experience and make dining on campus that much easier,” says Sean McMahon, resident district manager with Baylor Dining. “We hope the Baylor community enjoys this automated service from some of our on-campus retail locations.”
Baylor students must first download and open the Grubhub app, then place their order and select the location for their delivery to be sent. Each Starship robot can be flowed along its route on an interactive map on the user's smartphone. Once the robot arrives, they receive an alert to meet and unlock the robot through the app.
Starship deliveries are typically fulfilled within minutes, depending on the contents of the order and the chosen delivery location. Each robot can carry up to 20 pounds.
The Grubhub and Starship partnership is already providing robot food delivery services to campuses across the country. Since launch, the company says that a number of campuses leveraging the program have had to increase the number of robots, dining options and hours of operation to meet the high demand for the service.
The National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU) has opened registration for its Annual Conference. This year’s conference will be held April 16-19 in Austin, Texas and will feature a packed schedule of informative events and sessions with both campus card professionals and corporate vendors.
“NACCU was originally scheduled to visit Austin in 2020 before the pandemic changed the plan,” says John Ogle, NACCU Membership Experience and Education Director. “The Association is excited to finally visit Austin!”
The conference will be held at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The hotel is surrounded by hill country scenery and is a few short minutes from The Domain, the Austin Greenbelt and downtown. The last day to book a hotel room at the group rate or to cancel without penalty is March 21.
Full conference registration includes admission to:
A single day pass option is also available and includes the above meals and events held on the day of attendance.
“Educational sessions will focus on tech and data from both peers and vendors, as well as plenty of content on ensuring your campus infrastructure is preparing for mobile,” says Ogle. “In addition to educational sessions, attendees will also be able to discuss relevant topics at roundtable discussions, and ‘Ask the Experts’ for advice.”
The NACCU 2023 exhibit hall offers a variety of companies serving the campus identification and transaction system industry.
For those who are new to the industry, or have new staff who could benefit from an overview of campus ID programs, there will be an “Industry Essentials Institute” pre-conference workshop. The Industry Essentials Institute will be held on Sunday, April 16, and is directed at institutional and corporate members wanting to learn the fundamentals of campus card programs, industry best practices, and communication techniques.
The conference will end on the evening of Wednesday, April 19 at Austin's renowned venue, The County Line on the Lake. “Everyone will enjoy barbecue and drinks with new and old NACCU friends on the banks of Lake Austin,” says Ogle. “It's sure to be a memorable evening!”
Institutional attendees are also invited to attend a free post-conference tour of the HID Global manufacturing facility on the morning of Thursday, April 20. The tour will include refreshments and transportation. There is no cost to participate in the tour, but registration is mandatory.
Visit NACCU.org to register for the NACCU Annual Conference.
Grubhub has partnered with reusable packaging management platform, Topanga.io, to provide a takeout container management service for college campuses. The partnership will bring Topanga.io's ReusePass program to universities across the United States, starting first with Ohio State University and Colorado State University.
The ReusePass program enables students to place a to-go order from on-campus dining locations via the Grubhub app, and then select "reusable packaging" at checkout. By selecting this option, the student's meal will be packaged in a reusable container using Topanga.io's track-and-trace technology. The system also enables students to keep track of what containers they have and when they need to be returned.
"Grubhub's campus partners have been vocal that sustainable solutions are a top priority, and we're looking forward to working with Topanga.io to support universities' sustainability efforts," says Adam Herbert, senior director of campus partnerships at Grubhub. "The campus dining world presents a large and scalable opportunity for sustainable solutions like this one, and we're excited to expand our suite of campus dining offerings to our partners."
"Grubhub is a leader in mobile ordering technology and has a great reputation among its campus partners, so we're thrilled to be working with them as we bring our mission to eliminate single-use packaging to campuses across the country," says Page Schult, CEO of Topanga.io.
Ohio State and Colorado State are just the first to adopt the solution, with Grubhub and Topanga.io already planning to expand the reach of the program to additional campuses.
"Sustainability is part of the culture for Student Life Dining Services at The Ohio State University," says Zia Ahmed, senior director of dining services at The Ohio State University. "We are pleased to work with our partners as we take key steps toward making progress in reducing waste and advancing our sustainability efforts."
"Colorado State University's residential dining services team has been eager to bring Topanga.io's ReusePass program to campus in partnership with Grubhub to expand on our sustainability initiatives," says Patrick St. Clair, assistant director, support services at Colorado State University. "It's efforts like this one that allows us to continue driving forward-thinking efforts and innovation within our residential dining program while leveraging and growing our program technologically."
Grubhub currently partners with over 270 college college campuses across the United States. The grubhub platform enables students to integrate meal plans directly into their Grubhub account, as well as access restaurants on- and off-campus for delivery and pickup.
In addition to the college campus initiative, Topanga also works with quick-service restaurants, grocery delivery, and meal prep companies to launch reusable packaging programs. To date, the company estimates that it has managed some 1.2 million reusable packaging assets.
In this edition of CampusIDChats, Transact Campus' Rasheed Behrooznia discusses the finer details of the company’s new cloud-based transaction system, Transact IDX. Watch along as discuss some of the key features of the IDX transaction system and why implementing a cloud-based software is a solid long-term strategy.
Behrooznia also talks about the ability for campuses to access third-party applications via IDX and the importance of building a transaction ecosystem.
The discussion also examines cloud based software from a campus administrator perspective, and how campuses can realize some operational efficiency and other benefits with Transact IDX.
For more information on Transact's new cloud-based transaction system, visit TransactCampus.com.
The National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU) is once again accepting nominations from its membership for worthy candidates for the 2023 NACCU Awards. The awards are presented at the Annual Conference, held this year in Austin, Texas.
There is no cost to submit nominations, and the final day for submissions will be Wednesday, February 1.
Those interested can nominate a colleague or campus for the following awards:
Distinguished Service Award. Presented to an individual who has advanced the industry, exhibited entrepreneurial spirit, is an active member of NACCU, is actively involved in R&D, and who is active in the industry through serving on advisory boards and/or actively educating through presentations and sessions.
New Professional Award. Recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to their institution, the industry, and to the Association within a relatively short period of time.
Innovative Technology Award. Awarded to an institution that has introduced a unique and innovative technology-based solution.
Best Card Design Award. All submissions will be presented to NACCU members for final voting.
Best Marketing Campaign Award. Recognizes a campus for its use of marketing to enhance the visibility and value of their card or credential on campus.
Best Video Award. Recognizes a clever or funny video that promotes the card/credential program. All submissions will be presented to NACCU members for final voting.
All NACCU members are invited to submit nominations for any and all of the awards above. The NACCU Annual Conference in Austin, Texas will be held April 16-19.
In a recent entry to NACCU's Positive IDentity Blog, Texas Tech's Joann Wright details the end of the university's campus cash program, and why the move made sense. A long-time staple for the Texas Tech card office, the RaiderCash program began to see a downturn in use and Wright saw a need for change.
As with many campus cash programs, Texas Tech's RaiderCash program offered a convenient solution to make purchases on campus. That included laundry, buying snacks, purchasing textbooks, and more.
"[RaiderCash] offered our community a way to purchase services and sundries when they had no other means of payment, as well as generate some income from allowing other offices around campus to accept RaiderCash as a form of payment," writes Wright.
But an emerging trend at Texas Tech saw fewer locations on campus accepting RaiderCash. Further diluting RaiderCash usage was campus laundry being absorbed into housing fees and dining services switching to a one-card platform that no longer accepted RaiderCash.
By the time RaiderCash closed up shop, the two remaining on-campus outlets for the campus cash program were WEPA printers and Coca-Cola vending machines.
Wright recalls being shocked by the suggestion of eliminating RaiderCash. "We had to have this! It served the students, we’ve had it forever, and I most definitely did not want a key program to die on my watch!"
It was after assessing the cost of the campus cash program, however, that the decision began to take on new meaning. Wright points to a trend that campuses across the country know well: most students arrive to campus banked, with their own debit/credit cards already in hand.
"We just didn’t see the program fulfilling its original purpose, and we concluded that the cost to maintain the program outweighed it’s benefits to the university," she writes.
In just under two months, Wright and the card office team took the steps to close the RaiderCash program. And it was a busy two months.
"In this time frame, we contacted our few campus partners still accepting RaiderCash to inform them of the deadline for when cardholders would no longer be able to use it," says Wright. "We posted signs on our Library’s ValuePort deposit machines and our website where patrons used GET to make deposits letting them know of the upcoming changes."
The trend seen with RaiderCash at Texas Tech is hardly unique, and Wright offers her valuable lessons learned from the process of ending the campus cash program:
Looking back, Wright has promising takeaways from the experience.
"Eliminating our campus cash program has freed up time and resources to pursue new opportunities," she writes. "So don’t worry! If this move is something you are considering, I hope you know the world won’t end for you or your cardholders."
Joann Wright's full "We discontinued our campus cash program, and the world didn’t end" blog entry can be found on NACCU.org.
