Episode Overview 

In this episode, Luke interviews John Ogle, Membership Experience & Education Director at NACCU (National Association of Campus Card Users), about NACCU’s role as a marketplace and education hub for campus credentials, the shift toward mobile IDs, and how AI and standards can elevate member and student experiences across higher education.

Key Takeaways

• Career Path & Perspective: John came up through higher ed administration (Villanova, University of South Carolina), managed student centers, and worked game days with USC football—his first hands-on exposure to campus IDs. He views card offices as mission-driven teams shaping campus culture, not just “making cards.

• What NACCU Does: NACCU connects universities and vendors, shares best practices, and delivers training (including a 10-month Standards & Guidelines program) so card offices can benchmark operations and justify improvements (e.g., Alabama hiring dedicated card office marketing).

• AI in Associations: After completing an AI certification, John sees AI as underrated—especially for personalizing member journeys by role, campus size, and maturity. He stresses ethics, privacy, and practical workflow wins over hype.

• Mobile Credential Adoption: Mobile is growing but not universal. Students increasingly expect phone-based credentials; success comes from strategic, phased upgrades. Case in point: Mercer University methodically swapped hardware over multiple summers to launch mobile soon after early adopters (Alabama, Duke, Oklahoma).

• Access Control Reality Check: The biggest barrier is hardware and system sprawl—many campuses run multiple, incompatible systems. Unifying access control for security (including rapid lockdown) is costly but crucial; campuses must balance adaptability with cyber/physical security.

• Community & Collaboration: NACCU’s listserv and events foster rapid, peer-to-peer problem solving; members freely share playbooks, emphasizing student experience over competition.

Final Thoughts

John champions a student-first, standards-driven approach: modernize credentials and access thoughtfully, personalize with AI where it truly helps, and build interoperable, secure systems. His leadership lens—“find the blessings and lessons”—underscores the long game: elevate operations while strengthening campus community.