Campus Card Services has expanded students’ options for using the SharkCard on campus. The most recent expansion is the development of an event tracking system.
The system is called E-Vent and allows clubs and organizations to keep track of attendees at events without the customary paper sign-in sheet. Instead, students tap their SharkCard on a small device attached to a laptop, and it registers their information.
The program is not only intended to track students, but also to increase student involvement and participation. Students tracked using E-Vent receive points for attending campus events. The more events they attend, the more points they get. Eventually, students can earn enough to win prizes, including NSU apparel.
E-Vent also gives organizations quicker options when they offer prizes and raffles at events. The system was used for the first time at Sharkapalooza last September.
“I think it’s great because it allows NSU to see how many students are involved and what events they should continue putting on,” said Marlysa Mathurin, junior nursing major.
The office is also working on other initiatives that involve the SharkCard, like bringing back bike rentals. Students will be able to check out a bicycle to get around campus. Vernol Robinson, director of Campus Card Services, said that the bike program would go with NSU’s green initiative and would work similarly to the method used by students to check out books from the library.
Students would be able to rent bikes from DeccoBike. This company also offers bike rentals in cities like Miami Beach. Robinson said demonstrations will be offered so that students can learn how to rent the bikes; these demo courses will be free for students. He said NSU will offer the program in fall 2011.
The office also plans to make the card available for off-campus purchases. Robinson said several businesses close to campus expressed interest in accepting the card as a form of payment, but the program is still in the developmental stage.
