The identities of Eastern students are almost immediately linked to a piece of plastic and a NetID and password as soon as they step on campus.

Upon arrival at Eastern, student’s receive a Panthermail account, Panther Card and some elect to also open a First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust account, but the different services that come with being an enrolled student will not always be there.

As students leave, some things will have to stay at Eastern.

Susan Woodyard, the staff clerk for the Panther Card Office, said graduated students are welcome to keep their Panther Card as a memento to their time at Eastern.

But, she does recommend that students take steps before leaving.

“Normally, what we ask them to do is come (into the office) and turn in their card because if they have chip money on it…then we run it through the system and if they own anything at the Cashier’s Office that money will be taken and actually put towards your tuition,” Woodyard said.

Students that do not have an outstanding balance on their account can get the money off of their chip, Woodyard said.

Woodyard also said that as long as Eastern maintains its reliance the chip method and its related machines, students can come back to Eastern in five years and still use it.

“The chip does not expire,” she said. “You are just not going to be able to use any of the other stuff on it because (the swiping capabilities) will have expired.”

The purpose of the chip is to be used for on-campus activities only and to allow students to have something with monetary value without having to carry a purse, wallet or physical currency on them.

Woodyard said she sees campus becoming more chip-dependent in the future.

“They are looking into possibly implementing door swipes,” she said. “After the break-ins at Life Science (Building), they’ve started doing that now. The Food Court people that is what they use for their timecard.”

Trevor-Kai Craig is a student worker at the First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Craig, a junior psychology major, said it is fairly easy for students to either close their Panther Card-attached accounts or open a new one.

“Just come into the bank—have your ID with you—and we will be able to get your money back to you in physical cash, a money order, whichever you prefer,” he said.

Rachel Noel, a Student Recreation Center graduate assistant, said graduated students will not be able to use the Rec Center facilities the summer following their senior year—unless they are taking classes at Eastern.

But, Noel also said the center took into account the possibility of graduated students staying in Charleston for the summer.

Students can purchase a summer membership to the Rec Center for a flat fee of $50.

“We understand that they are still in Charleston, but we want to be able to be fair to all of our students so we do allow them to purchase a membership,” Noel said. “But, we do require them to purchase a membership because everyone else is paying student fees (for access).”

Students will be able to use their Panther Card after they pay the $50, but if the Panther Card is lost they will be supplied with a gym swipe card.

Noel also said having a membership is a convenience for people closer to Charleston.

“A lot of people are still taking summer courses, and we have a few seniors, who are in the Charleston area and would like to be in the Rec Center,” Noel said.

David Emmerich, the IT manager/administrative coordinator, is a part of Information Technology Services that oversees different technological areas on campus including Panthermail.

Emmerich said students have 12 months of “non-enrollment” before their student account is removed.

“So, if a student graduates and does not take any additional courses in the next 12 months, their accounts will be marked for removal,” Emmerich said in an email.

Emmerich said students will be notified before their account is deleted.

“An email is generally sent within the month prior to removal,” he said. “Then in 1 week intervals until the date for removal. The email explains that their account is scheduled to be removed on a certain date and provides a link to the policy.”

If a student feels they were sent a notice incorrectly, then ITS will investigate.

Emmerich also said even once an email address is deleted, it cannot be duplicated for another student.

“If, for example, a student named James Joseph Smith has an EIU email address of [email protected], that email address will always be associated with that James Joseph Smith,” Emmerich said.

This is based on the student E-number, he said.

Ten years from now, Emmerich said a student will enroll at Eastern and have the same email address they had before.

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].