LSU Student Government is working to bring a virtual option for Tiger Cards to campus.
On March 27, the LSU Student Senate passed SGR 17, creating the possibility for a virtual Tiger Card. If implemented by the LSU administration, students would still receive their first Tiger Card for free, but could also use the virtual card as a supplement to or instead of the plastic card. The virtual Tiger Card would allow students to access buildings and pay with Paw Points and Tiger Cash, just like the current Tiger Cards.
“It’s a really great initiative because we do recognize this growing want for better accessibility to these types of things on campus, so it’s definitely great to have this,” said Jahbari Parquet, SG’s director of veteran and military affairs.
The virtual Tiger Card would be accessible through an app, such as the LSU mobile app. SG leaders are also hoping to allow students to add the card to their phone wallet, like Apple or Google wallets. Colleges like Duke, Temple and Johns Hopkins have been working with Apple to implement a digital identification process, and Parquet hopes LSU will have that option, too.
The virtual card would also allow students to update their name and preferred pronouns, an issue SG’s LGBTQ+ Caucus of which Parquet is a member advocates for. Annie Sheehan-Dean, the chair of the caucus, said how virtual Tiger Cards will improve student experiences by creating a more inclusive campus.
“Having a preferred name and pronouns and the ability to update those is super, super important on our Tiger Cards,” Sheehan-Dean said. “Tiger Cards are one of the primary methods of identification around campus, so I think it is important to having an inclusive and welcoming environment that we provide the most inclusive means of identifying individuals.”
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Sheehan-Dean said Tiger Cards are one of the first experiences for LSU freshman. It’s important that experience is welcoming.
“One of their first experiences is going to the Tiger Card Office and being nervous that their picture is not going to turn out right,” Sheehan-Dean said. “…so I think it’s really important that that be a powerful experience, and one that leaves all students feeling comfortable and welcome on our campus.”
SGR 17 argues digital cards would save the Tiger Card Office resources due to less card replacements. It would also save students who lose their physical Tiger Card the $20 fee to replace it.
“I’ve met too many students who have voiced concerns about having to pay $20, and it accumulates over time,” Parquet said. “And it can be a hassle trying to get that card.”
From here, it’s up to LSU administrators to implement the option. Parquet said SG will work closely with administrators to make this happen, and hopes the virtual option will be available by 2025.
“Our duty in our positions is just to voice the concerns of the students, and solidify our need for it to them,” Parquet said.
SG is inviting students to share their opinions on virtual Tiger Cards, so they can make the initiative as beneficial to students as possible.
“It kind of feels like a no-brainer,” Sheehan-Dean said. “Something that really is low cost to the rest of the LSU community but has the potential to make it a much more welcoming environment for a lot of individuals.”
