The BSU Connect Card
At Bridgewater State University, the connect card is essential. It is needed for everything you do on campus. The connect card is a credit-card-sized card with your face on it. It carries a small photo of you; a string of numbers on the side; and on the back, it carries the number to the national suicide hotline.
For residents, the connect card is used to unlock dorm doors, pay for meals, and enter certain restricted rooms. For dining, your card is loaded with a certain amount of meal swipes and dining dollars, depending on your meal plan. It is also loaded with flex dollars, if you add them. Since certain local businesses (like the CVS behind Hunt Hall) accept flex dollars, you can pay with your connect card.
The card is also needed to unlock the front doors of every residence hall. In the lobby, there is a check-in you need to tap with your card, which is strictly enforced after 5:00 PM since there is a resident security officer (RSO) next to it. The connect card will also unlock your door. You cannot leave dorm room doors unlocked—they immediately lock after a few seconds.
Connect cards also unlock certain restricted rooms. Community-style bathrooms in dorms require the connect card to enter, although guest bathrooms in dorms do not require this. They are also needed to enter certain rooms in the math and science building, as well as the art building, after hours.
If your card is lost or damaged, you can go to the Connect card office to get a new one. However, it is important to note that as long as the magnetic strip is fine the card will continue to work. Should the picture upfront be peeled off it will not impact the functionality of the card. If the Connect Card Office is closed, then you can access a digital version of the card by going to the connect card online page. While the virtual card cannot unlock any doors, it can still be used to pay for a meal plan.
