The Cougar Card is more than just an ID; it’s the key to accessing a myriad of on-campus
experiences, services, and amenities. To bolster student success efforts, Cougar Card
Services has introduced the check-in device program, a valuable resource for departments
and student organizations to monitor student engagement.
“The device rentals enable departments and student organizations to gather actionable, real-time data for their events and services without compromising quick access or entry,” said Daisy Del Fierro, assistant director of Cougar Card Services. “While the data can assist with planning and preparing for future events, it also has the potential to track student impact and success.”
When planning upcoming events, departments should consider utilizing check-in devices to gain deeper insights into attendee characteristics.
"We had more than 1,300 check-ins at the events where we used the devices,” said Tiffany J. Davis, Ph.D., the associate dean of student belonging and success in the College of Education. The college launched the use of check-in devices in the spring of 2025. “These events were open to students, as well as faculty and staff.”
The department has also found that it has consistently drawn more than 60 students to its weekly drop-in event where they can connect with their advisors and peers over free freshly popped popcorn.
The handheld devices read the magnetic strip on physical Cougar Cards and the QR code on digital Cougar Cards via the UH Go app. This user-friendly process allows for quick transaction status viewing and seamless transitions between swipes and scans.
Departments can receive scheduled reports from Cougar Card Services, detailing the data obtained through Cougar Cards. These reports can include various attendee demographics, such as the number of students, faculty, or staff; resident or commuter status; and attendee classifications. The Cougar Card team is continually working to expand the demographic fields available for reporting.
The College of Education has found these devices invaluable in keeping students engaged in their college experience.
“We can easily track event attendance, but even better — we can learn from the data collected to improve our programming and keep students on track toward graduation,” said Davis. “We know that cocurricular and social engagement opportunities help foster students’ sense of belonging, retention, and persistence.”
The department is using the event check-in data to answer the question: “How are we engaging students in the College of Education and what’s the impact?” The College of Education team combines the attendance information with other data points, such as whether student attendees live on campus or commute, and if they’ve met with their advisors. The team is also looking at academic success metrics that include GPA, retention, and time-to-graduation through other resources.
“We want to know who comes to our events, but also who doesn’t, so we can develop different opportunities and marketing strategies to engage even more students,” said Davis.
“We’re excited to rent the check-in devices again and may even experiment with gamifying student involvement at the suggestion of our Dean’s Student Advisory Council. We want to continue to level up our game.”
For more information or to fill out a request for the Cougar Card’s check-in device service, visit the Event Check-In Device page on the Cougar Card Office website.