A WyoOne I.D. card isn’t just a card with your picture on it; it is a key to the university. 

“Most people aren’t aware of how the WyoOne I.D. card is part of the infrastructure of the University of Wyoming,” Lynne Swearingen, manager of the WyoOne I.D. office said. Swearingen stressed the importance of the card because the card literally does everything from opening doors, to holding debit accounts, to paying for laundry–the list goes on.

Swearingen said all the things the WyoOne card does can be categorized in three separate fields. First, the card holds two accounts, which can be loaded with money. Second, the card recognizes what privileges the said student has. And third, the card acts as a key to get into several buildings or rooms on campus. Swearingen said the door access value of the card is increasing because more and more locks on campus are being converted to the card lock system. 

All three fields the card operates under make life on campus convenient because all these systems work on a single one card, hence the name “WyoOne.” However, losing a card with such importance could be problematic. Eric Webb, director of residence life and dining services, couldn’t disagree more. “If someone loses a key, you have to rekey the building. If someone loses a card, you instantly deactivate it,” Webb said.

Webb explained if a card is lost during the university’s regular business hours, it can be replaced for $15 dollars, although Swearingen said the price for a new card will rise to $17 Jan. 1. Webb said if a card is lost during the weekend, a temporary card will be issued until a new WyoOne I.D. can be purchased. Although the cost to replace a lost card is $15, Swearingen said the WyoOne I.D. office will replace worn cards for free.

Debit accounts provide dual financing options 

The WyoOne debit accounts also present convenience to students on campus. 

‘Students are carrying less and less cash,” Webb said. This is why he thinks the two debit accounts on the card are convenient to students.

Swearingen said the two accounts on the card are called “dining dollars” and “campus dollars.” She explained the difference is dining dollars can only be used at food services located on campus and campus dollars does can be used at any business on campus, like the copy center, the book store and the laundry stations in the dorms.

Swearingen also pointed out another difference. She said the dining dollar account is activated when students activate their meal plan and money is automatically loaded on the card. The down side to this is, the money on that account will not roll over to the next year. Swearingen said the account is discontinued with the meal plan. However, the campus dollar account is not like this. Although it doesn’t come pre-loaded, the money stays on that card year after year. The question is “how do you load money onto the WyoOne I.D.?” 

Swearingen said there are a variety of ways to load money onto a WyoOne card. First, you can load it on a V.T.S. machine or a value transfer station. There are six V.T.S machines on campus. Swearingen said four of them can be found in the residence halls, one in the Classroom Building and one in Coe Library. “Personally, I would like to see more of those machines on campus,” Webb said. 

There are a limited number of V.T.S. machines on campus, but they aren’t the only way to put money on your card. Swearingen said she can do a money transfer over the phone and online. She also said parents can put money on their students' cards. 

The WyoOne I.D. card is handy, as well as, essential to any University of Wyoming student. If lost, it should immediately be reported to the I.D. office.   If it isn't reported, you might have just lost your key to the university.

Email: