Chowan U Shifts ID Cards to Blackboard Transact

Chowan University, home of the "Hawks," has introduced the HawksCard, a new ID card for its 1,300-plus students. The small university in Murfreesboro, NC selected Blackboard Transact to implement the multi-purpose card system.

Students will be able to use the card to gain access to the residence halls and other buildings; check out library materials, access meal plans and buy dining on campus, use laundry services, and make cashless purchases.

Because the card can be used for door controls with campus buildings, college staff will be using the system for centralized building management. The university plans to integrate all card features onto mobile devices as well, according to a statement from Blackboard. The university is also a Blackboard Learn learning management system customer.

"We wanted to get aggressive in providing our community with an enterprise-wide card system that not only enhanced campus security, but also provided convenience when navigating the college," said Brandon Zoch, assistant vice president of Student Affairs. "By partnering with Blackboard, we were able to prepare our campus for growth with a technology that not only meets the expectations of today's student, but also sets us up to grow alongside industry innovations."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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