When it comes to the layout and location of a card office, change can be a good thing. Just ask the Marshall University campus ID office, which has found a new home in the university's popular Drinko Library, leaving behind its previous home in a scarcely visited basement.
As reported by The Parthenon, the ID office was previously located in the basement of Marshall's student center in an area where many students rarely, if ever, visited. Crucially, though, the move to Drinko Library not only marks an upgrade in facility, but also makes the office more visible and more centered on student services.
The new office location is situated alongside the university's Information and Technology Service Desk to better assist students from a more centralized location. In addition to issuing Marshall ID cards to new and existing students, the office will also serve as a hub to help students troubleshoot their email and set up Wi-Fi without having to visit multiple locations.
Campus ID office manager, Bob Dorado, told the Parthenon that being able to partner with campus IT services will help extend hours during high-volume times, as the old ID office has now been consolidated with IT Services.
The decision to move the card office was made by Marshall's student government association last fall, citing a disconnect between the majority of the student population and the office, along with the fact that the basement space wasn’t being utilized efficiently. The new Marshall ID card office location opened in June.
In addition to the change of card offices, Marshall has also launched Blackboard's eAccounts app. “We’ve launched the app this year,” Dorado said. "It’s available on every marketplace, and it helps students look at their meal plans and flex a lot easier than looking on the website. The app can also show you how much and what you’ve spent.”