The University of Montana Presented with NACCU’s 2018 Innovative Technology Award
The University of Montana Presented with NACCU’s 2018 Innovative Technology Award
Phoenix, AZ – May 14, 2018 – NACCU is proud to announce the University of Montana as the recipient of the 2018 NACCU Innovative Technology Award. Brett St. Pierre from HID Global/ASSA ABLOY, the award sponsor, presented the award to Maggie McCarthy during the 25th Annual NACCU Conference in Reno on April 25, 2018.
The University of Montana’s Griz Card Center launched UMoney, a flexible spending account, in the early ‘90s. From the beginning, a tedious process was used to review and process inactive flexible spending account balances. During an audit in January 2016, it became obvious that it was time to automate the terms and conditions and processes.
The University of Montana (UM) wanted to automate a process to notify customers after nine months of inactivity, giving them three months to take action, after which the account would be zeroed. They also wanted an automated process to report fees assessed for account closure, and any refund amounts. Finally, funds would be automatically refunded to the customer. And this entire process had to include a clear audit trail. Integration with multiple software, including Blackboard Transact and Banner, was also a necessity. Due to the complexity of requirements, it was determined that UM’s Student Affairs IT Web Team would build a custom web-based application.
Prior to implementation of the app, there were 8,079 UMoney accounts that should have been cleaned up following the former manual process, and over $10,000 in UMoney accounts still being held in trust. 89% of the accounts held a balance of under $10, which would have been zeroed out when the administrative fee was assessed.
The Unclaimed Property Web Application is innovative as it combines many traditionally manual processes into one comprehensive automated process. Customer service has been improved, and the time spent on inactive accounts has been reduced to under two hours per month. Additionally, it enabled UM to be fully compliant with state law regarding unclaimed property.
Since implementation of the Unclaimed Property Web Application, $17,822 has been refunded through UM’s Business Services process, and $16,265 in administrative fees have been assessed.
NACCU congratulates the University of Montana’s Griz Card Center as the recipient of the 2018 Innovative Technology Award.
To learn more, please read the award submission here.
About the NACCU Innovative Technology Award
The NACCU Innovative Technology Award, established in 2012 and sponsored by HID Global/ASSA ABLOY, is presented to an institution that has introduced a unique technology-based solution to a problem or opportunity. The award’s purpose is to encourage members to share unique and innovative ideas with other members, and to recognize individuals/schools for making significant contributions to the industry.
About NACCU
NACCU provides members access to a network of campus identification and transaction system resources to integrate and streamline campus operations, and enhance the student experience. NACCU’s mission is to advance the position of higher education transaction and identity systems through professional development and leadership opportunities for its members to stay current in an ever-changing environment.