CBNU students necessarily have student ID cards. The student ID card is usually issued in March right after the students enter school. The fee of the student ID card is free for the first time. However, if students lose their card, the reissuance fee is 9,000 won. When one student loses the student ID card, he should pay an enormous amount as a student. CBT reporters compared CBNU with 8 other universities.

The student’s view of the CBNU student ID card

  The CBNU student ID card features 6 functions, which are a cash card, a transportation card(Mybi), a library card, electronic attendance, building access, and partnership discounts. The partnership discount is the discounting of some percent because the restaurant and CBNU signed a partnership. CBT surveyed 300 CBNU students about their usage of the student ID card. According to this survey, the most common reply was the building access(87.4%) followed by the partnership discount(30.4%). However, the cash card(14.4%), the transportation card(15.5%) and electronic attendance(6.92%) showed low usage rates. The reason that the survey showed high usage rates of building access and the library card is these functions are necessary for students. On the other hand, the reason that the survey showed low usage rates of the cash card and the transportation card is because other cards have more merit than the student ID cards have. For example, when they use a bank card, they can get more discounts and interest from the bank.
  In this situation where the functions of the student ID card are clearly fixed, the useless extra functions act as a burden to students. When students apply for a student ID card, they should pay more money because of useless functions that they don’t use. What are worse, students don’t have any options for fewer functions and are forced to pay for functions they don’t need. However, Nong-Hyup bank, which issues CBNU student ID cards, imposes a 9,000 won fee to students because it is a smart card.
  According to the survey, 63% of 300 students responded that the reissuing cost of CBNU student ID cards is unfair. Compared with 8 other national universities that CBT researched, CBNU imposed the highest cost. Other universities’ reissuing costs of their student ID cards are lower and sometimes there was no charge. The highest cost was 5,000 won. Compared with CBNU, this cost is cheap. In this situation, Song Sol-ee(’12, Dept. of Safety Engineering), who was reissued her student ID card because she lost it twice, said, “I don’t understand why  the reissuing cost is high just because of these useless functions. I just use the student ID card to access the buildings and to borrow books from the library.”

Comparing CBNU with other universities

  The benefits of the CBNU student ID card are poorer than 8 other national universities’ student ID cards. According to the survey, the functions that students want are the debit card, the dormitory access card, a copy & printing card, a credit card and more discounts. However, other universities’ student ID cards satisfy all of CBNU students’ desires, and then they also have more benefits and impose cheap prices of reissuing the card.
  Other universities’ student ID card include discount movie tickets, cashbag services, discounts on airline tickets, discounts from language schools, cyber cash(students can use cyber cash in a copy room or school cafeteria through debit money), discounts in restaurants, discounts on transportation, discounts in bookstores, discounts on English language proficiency tests. Compared with bank check cards, these are remarkable benefits. Kang-won University’s student ID card even includes all of the benefits that the Shinhan Bank S20 cards.
  Considering that most students use smart phones, some universities use mobile student ID cards that can be issued by their phones. The reissuing fee of a mobile student ID card is free in a wifi zone, and moreover, these functions are the same as the functions of the original student ID card. About this, Jung Yu-jin(’12, Dept. of Physics in Incheon National University) said, “Even if I forget to bring my student ID card, I can use the library by using the mobile student ID card. It is very convenient and comfortable.”   

The response of the school and the Know How General Student Association

  After comparing with other universities, we realized that we don’t need expensive reissuance fees even if student ID cards have various functions. Lim Won-jung, the team leader of Student Services in the Student Affairs Section, said, “The reissuance fee was decided by Nong-hyup Bank. The school doesn’t gain any profit from this.” However, Incheon National University also issues student ID cards through Nong-hyup, but there is no reissuance fee and they can use the student ID card as a check card. What is the difference between CBNU and Incheon National University? The difference is the main functions of the card. Other universities use check cards as student ID cards, so the bank that issues the student ID card gains some profit from it. Therefore, the bank which issues other universities’ ID cards reissues at no cost or a small cost. On the other hand, CBNU uses smart cards as CBNU student ID cards. When more and more functions are added on smart cards, the card’s price will be more expensive. In addition, the smart card’s price is 9,000 won by itself, so the student ID card reissuance fee is 9,000 won. Therefore, if CBNU uses a check card as a student ID card, the price of the card will surely decrease. In this situation, the Know How General Student Association said, “We are promoting to add the check card function to student ID cards now. On&On, the ex-General Student Association, also promoted this project, but the project was abandoned because of the identity theft situation of Nong-hyup Bank last year. In addition, we will change the design of the student ID card so that students can love their school.” The design and functions of student ID cards which were issued as smart cards haven’t changed since 2004. 11 years have passed since that time. The student ID card needs to change with the times. 

By Oh Ah-ra | ar34@cbnu.ac.kr
By Choi Ji-su | js36@cbnu.ac.kr