A recent software update to the Tartan Card system resulted partly in disallowing students to incur negative balances. Sinclair Community College’s Director of Business Services Ty Stone said the upgrade was driven by how the software provider, Blackboard, updates the system.
“While we have had some issue with negative balances, this was not the sole reason for the update,” Stone said via e-mail. “Our goal is to make the Tartan Card experience positive and beneficial for everyone.”
Stone said balances can be taken care of by adding money to the Tartan Card, but some students have said adding money doesn’t lift holds on student accounts.
Mike Anderson, an Education major, said he took advantage of allowed negative balances, mostly to pay for the parking garage instead of getting an IOU. He said the negative $15 balance affected him.
“Basically I couldn’t register for classes,” Anderson said. “I couldn’t use my Tartan Card at all…I had a hold on everything.”
Jordan Crowley, a Networking Engineer major, had the same problems.
“I think it’s kind of ridiculous to not let someone register because they have a negative $4 balance,” Crowley said.
Both students had to visit the Bursar’s office to get the hold lifted even after they paid their balances through a Tartan Value Transfer Station.
Psychology major Ethan Bunker thinks it makes sense for students to not incur a negative balance but thinks the payback process could be streamlined.
“I understand there might be a necessity for it (in the parking lot),” Bunker said. “As for not letting people register, that seems a little extreme to me.”
Stone said the decision to upgrade the Tartan Card software was made months ago. Students, faculty and staff were given a week’s notice via e-mail and more advance notice via food service signage. Anderson did not feel that one week was enough time to let students know about the upcoming changes because on-campus postings only affected on-campus students.
“I think it would’ve been nice to have some advance warning,” Anderson said.