Much of the buzz around the closure and move away from campus last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic was centered around room and board refunds. Now, Washington State University is looking ahead to the fall with a new clause in its housing agreement that will qualify students for refunds if a public health order requires WSU residence halls to be vacated.

The University of Georgia is gearing up for increased takeout dining options with students returning to campus this fall. The dining changes come as the university seeks to offer safe and sanitary options amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Financial aid disbursement can carry certain attendance requirements, and without accurate reporting that funding can be put in jeopardy. That’s precisely the experience for New Orleans, Louisiana’s Dillard University, where Transact has provided a new attendance system to replace the university’s dated, paper-based attendance tracking system.

With many universities keen to implement a mobile ID solution, ColorID is offering a way for campuses to dip their toe into the mobile waters. The identification solutions provider is offering a “mobile ID starter kit” that enables universities to first trial a mobile ID solution without buying a campus-wide package.

The National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU) has published a checklist for campus card offices to more effectively move toward reopening services in a safe and healthy fashion. The checklist comes at a time when universities are in the throws of plotting strategies for reopening this fall, and applies specific considerations that campus identification professionals must consider.

CR80News will moderate an interactive panel discussion with the University of Houston, Emory University, and TouchNet. The “Reopening the Campus: Preparedness for a Non-contact World” webinar will be hosted by TouchNet and feature a panel that will discuss the technologies, goals, and procedures that universities are implementing and relying on as they prepare for the fall semester.

Mercer University Auxiliary Services and Mercer Dining will introduce Transact Mobile Ordering to its students this August. The move will enable Mercer students to order ahead and skip the line for pickup at the university’s retail dining locations.