Client Success Story - Trinity University

Trinity’s initial installation of the CBORD® Odyssey PCS™ system included Micros 3700 terminals and Lyrics in all dining operations, ACT 1 readers in student accounts for check verification, and two Datacard ID Works imaging systems.

In June 2002, Jerry Ferguson, Tiger Card Office Director, joined the Trinity team and hit the ground running with a vision for the card program. Part of that vision was to incorporate interfaces with BEST’s B.A.S.I.S. Door Access and JSA’s Web Access with the Odyssey PCS system. Three months later, Oralia Carrillo, System Administrator, joined the team from the IT department. Carrillo devoted many hours working with Mike Long (EAC System Leader) at BEST to test and perfect the interface that allows Odyssey PCS and BEST B.A.S.I.S. to share, update, and enter new patron data into one database. “This database supports the university’s online and offline access that features the BEST B.A.S.I.S. G-Series locks recently installed on residential student-room doors. This effort will benefit generations of future CBORD users choosing to use the powerful B.A.S.I.S. software in conjunction with their CBORD Odyssey system,” affirmed Ferguson.

In August 2002, the Tiger Card program added Pharos Uniprint to its card system to control printing throughout the university’s computer labs. Shortly after, the system was expanded to include four CBORD readers for the copiers and a CBORD Lyric to allow students to use their Tiger Bucks at the newly constructed “Paw Prints Powered by Kinko’s” Digital Print Shop. This facility is located in the university’s library.

In 2003, Trinity added online vending using CBORD’s Flexcom network. The online vending included 30 laundry rooms, 18 Coca-Cola machines, 10 snack machines, and 3 ValuePort stations. The ValuePort stations allow students to add money to their accounts and check balances, and they give conference guests/visitors the ability to obtain a guest card that can be used everywhere Tiger Bucks are accepted.

The most recent enhancement to the Trinity card system was the JSA/CBORD web interface, which allows users to add value to their Tiger Bucks, report their card lost, and check transaction history online, from their rooms. Parents can also access their student’s account from the comfort of their home computer; all they need is their student’s ID number to make those badly needed deposits.

Ferguson commented, “The Odyssey PCS system allows us to pull together the entire campus through one card system, making it a convenient, productive, and indispensable part of our site.”

CBORD Configuration

Trinity University's Odyssey PCS System includes, ValuePorts; Percon readers, Micros 3700 Terminals, Lyrics, Laundry interfaces, a DataCard IDWorks Interface, Flexcoms, Copier readers, Keyboards and ACT 1 Readers.

A Close-up of Trinity's Campus Card System

The university’s Odyssey PCS one-card system is designed to serve as the central control system for building access, meal plan dining hall access, verification of student enrollment, and as a debit card for various point-of-sale activities, such as declining balance meal plans, vending sales, computer lab pay-for-print activities, copier sales, laundromat services, dining services sales made from discretionary dollars (as opposed to meal plans), ticket distribution, and bookstore sales. Trinity requires all resident students to purchase a mandatory declining-balance board plan and encourages students to use Tiger Bucks for all other campus purchases.

Trinity Dining

Trinity University's Dining sites include:

• Mabee Dining Hall
• Skyline Dining Room
• Late Night Pizza Delivery
• Java City
• The Commons
• Tigers Den Pub

All sites accept the Tiger Bucks card for easy and quick transaction processing. Dining services at Trinity University are provided by ARAMARK.

C3 Convenience Store

The C3 Store is located inside The Coates University Center and provides students with all the necessities of a convenience store within walking distance of their residence halls and classrooms. The store accepts the Tiger Bucks account, major credit cards, or cash.

Vending

Trinity's Odyssey PCS system included the installation of online snack and beverage vending machines. With over 28 vending machines across campus, students find it easy to grab a quick snack or beverage on their way to and from class with just a swipe of their Tiger Bucks card.

Value Transfer Stations

Trinity also has Value Transfer Stations set up in three areas of the campus. Value Transfer Stations allow students to add money to their accounts and offer guests the ability to obtain a temporary Cub Card for use while on campus.

Coates Library

Trinity's Coates Library recently opened the Paw Prints Digital Print Shop, which is run by Kinko's. At Paw Prints, students can print and make copies using their Tigers Bucks card.

Bookstore

The Trinity University bookstore allows students to swipe their Tiger Card for transactions such as

• Textbook orders
• Textbook buy back
• Campus Shop items

Laundry

Trinity offers its students the use of laundry controller units in the residence halls. No handling of cash necessary: students just swipe the Tiger Bucks card and do their laundry.

CBORD Campus Elements™ Partners at Trinity

JSA WebVTS Interface
Trinity also has the CBORD JSA WebVTS (value transfer system) interface, which provides a fast, easy, and secure way to make deposits to cardholders' accounts, check balances, view and print statements, and report lost or stolen cards.

DataCard Interface
CBORD's Datacard interface allows inexperienced users to capture images, design IDs, print cards and reports, and manage databases with minimal training. Datacard provides feature-rich ID card production.

BEST Interface
The Trinity Tiger Card Office controls electronic building access for both campus residential housing areas and academic buildings. The Tiger Card staff supervises the activities of other university departments as they grant access rights and privileges for the various buildings on campus. With the interface between CBORD's Odyssey PCS system and BEST's B.A.S.I.S., the campus controls access without the hassle of maintaining two separate sets of cardholder information databases.

Uniprint Interface
When a student is ready to print, he or she simply sends the finished document from any networked computer to any networked printer. At that point, statistics for that document (such as number of pages, printer type, and finishing options) are gathered by the release station near the selected printer. When the student is ready, he or she can view the cost of the print job at the release station and make the final decision whether to complete the printing.