SLU’s Lone ATM Replaced

The only ATM on campus has been replaced after the local bank removed the original one. While this is a continued practical resource on campus, most students do not see the ATM as important for their needs.  

This past October, the bank informed Ashlee Downing-Duke, Senior Associate Director of Campus Activities & Residential Engagement and Director of the Sullivan Student Center, that they would be removing the ATM from the student center because of upgrades. “They said it financially didn’t make sense for them to put a new one in, an upgraded one here doesn’t make enough money for that,” said Downing-Duke. As the only ATM on campus, the bank agreed to leave it until the end of the semester.  

The original ATMs at SLU came from the North Country Savings Bank due to the satellite location they had on the third floor of the Sullivan Student Center. It operated as a regular bank that was open to the public, but mostly helped students and employees. 

 The bank placed two of their ATMs on campus, one at the bookstore and one in the student center. When North Country Savings Bank left SLU, they agreed to leave behind the ATM in the student center, making it the only one on campus. While it may be a surprise for younger students to hear about a bank on campus, let alone in the Student Center, it is no surprise that The North Country Savings Bank came to SLU. They pride themselves as being a part of the North Country community, with their website stating, “We take the phrase “community bank” seriously, which is why we make an effort to be involved in our local communities.” However, they were not making enough money from the small school to keep their ATM on campus. 

The new ATM is from Genmega, a company that manufactures and provides ATMs and Transactional Kiosks. It is in the same place as the previous ATM, on the first floor of the Student Center near the mail center. Its centralized location is one of the reasons why it is a practical and beneficial part of campus. There are many times during the semester when students need cash. The Ticker is not the only place students can spend a 10-dollar bill. Downing-Duke mentioned that students will often sell shirts and other items to fund- raise for theme houses and clubs, especially in the Student Center. “So having cash for some of those things just makes it easier,” said Downing-Duke. Additionally, the student center houses one of SLU’s popular dining options, the Northstar Café. While students typically use their student ID to pay for their food, if they run out of dining dollars, getting cash from the ATM is a quick fix.  

However, not all students see the advantages of it.  “Why would I get money from the ATM when I could use the fee money for an Egg ’O Larry,” said Sammy Carp ’27. The fee on the ATM has been discouraging for most, and because of all the new digital options such as Venmo and Apple Pay, students find less use for cash than normal. It seems that the ATM may be more beneficial to employees and people of the surrounding SLU community rather than students.