The Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, or WAICU for short, recently announced a new program that is set to provide its member institutions with a fully delivered one card solution. Central to the contract is Heartland Campus Solutions, who will provide its Heartland One Card software, hardware, and maintenance at significant savings to any WAICU members that select Heartland as its card system provider.

Through the agreement, WAICU is offering a one card solution and a new collaborative services program with deep discounts for its members. The partnership with Heartland is helping to create a standardized, cooperative buying environment that gives WAICU members the option to purchase a Heartland System without undergoing a complete RFP process. By extension, universities within the WAICU and Heartland partnership can benefit from their peers’ experiences and develop a regional user support system to help grow, collaborate and support one other.

WAICU members that take advantage of the program have the option to select door access hardware from either Heartland or security door access systems specialist, Vanderbilt Industries. Both solutions are available to WAICU members at the same discounted rate.

The development of the program began in January of 2015 with a WAICU higher education one card symposium, attended by 38 WAICU members. Following the symposium, WAICU reviewed and evaluated a variety of one card solutions with a task force of WAICU members.

The WAICU One Card program not only offers a Heartland One Card solution with a prescribed discount for new WAICU customers and existing WAICU customers, but it also includes:

• One Card implementation and professional services from local one card access provider, LaForce
• Door access hardware solutions from both Heartland and Vanderbilt Industries
• Third party data management tool from SwiftData
• A third party off-campus merchant solution

The Heartland One Card software is designed using open architecture, meaning WAICU members are able to integrate with a myriad of existing campus systems. As part of the One Card program, WAICU has also negotiated a contract with SwiftData to utilize the company’s Pinwheel DME (Data Management Engine) product that enables WAICU members to custom tailor data management solutions for their one card system. The Pinwheel DME eliminates the need for manual updates and allows campuses to manage its disparate campus auxiliary systems.