• Faculty, staff and students of Colorado School of Mines are eligible to receive a BlasterCard (Mines ID)
• You have two options for receiving your BlasterCard 1) Visit us in person at the Student Life Services office, room E140 in the student center or 2) Utilize the online photo download process.
• To begin the online process please visit our photo download page.
• At the photo download page (https://myphoto.mines.edu/myphoto/) the picture you provide will need to meet the following guidelines.

BlasterCard Photo Guidelines

• • Current color photo with a solid white or light color background, taken indoors with natural lighting and flash.
  • Full-face passport style headshot directly facing and looking at the camera with open eyes, a natural expression and no tilting of the head. Smiling is encouraged.
  • Clothing must be visible however no uniforms or costumes are allowed.
  • No hats, sunglasses, headphones, or other accessories which obstruct a complete view of the face and no one other than you are allowed. Prescription glasses without glare and religious head coverings are allowed.
  • You will be given the opportunity to crop/adjust the photo during the upload process.
  • Only .jpg files will be accepted with high resolution photographs being preferred.
  • If the site will not let you begin the process, please ensure that you have properly claimed your MINES email account. You can find more information about that process at https://its.mines.edu/account-claim/
  • The username for your account will be the first portion of your MINES email address, example: Bblaster

• Anyone requesting a BlasterCard will need a current, valid form of state or federal issued photo ID to establish identity. This may include:
  • Passport or passport card
  • Driver’s license or state-issued ID card
  • U.S. military ID or U.S. military dependent ID
• There is no charge for your first BlasterCard
• If you need a replacement BlasterCard you can visit us in person or e-mail a request to blastercard@mines.edu
• The Blastercard and any applied services are NON-TRANSFERABLE.  Any attempts to share, duplicate, or otherwise misuse the card or it’s services will be subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate department.

  RTD PASSES

• You must be a registered student, in good standing, and taking classes in-person to be issued an RTD Pass
• At the start of the Fall semester, you will receive an e-mail from RTD with instructions how to acquire your College Pass through their mobile app.  RTD is transitioning from a physical card. For more information, please contact blastercard@mines.edu.

DOOR ACCESS

• Academic Building Access should be requested through the specific Building Proctor. The Building Access Form can be found at https://www.mines.edu/operations/access-services/
• Student Center and Res Life Access can be requested by sending an e-mail to blastercard@mines.edu

DINING SERVICES

Information on all Mines Dining Plans can be found HERE.

Commuter meal plans are available to students living off-campus, in Greek Housing, 1750 Jackson or at Mines Park Apartments.

Below are the meal rates for Fall 2023

IMPORTANT NOTES – Only the Gold and Blue plans are eligible for meal exchange options at food service retail locations. ALL COMMUTER SALES ARE FINAL.

Weekly meal plans – these refresh each week, and have a fixed amount of munch money per semester. Meals do not roll over after the week’s end. Munch money rolls over from Fall to Spring.

Semester Meal Plans – these are fixed per semester, and can be purchased more than once. Munch Money and meals roll over from Fall to Spring

Commuter meal plans can be purchased at our new BlasterCard Services Page

Please review meal plan details carefully as all sales are final.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Only the Gold and Blue plans are eligible for meal exchange options at food service retail locations. Meal exchanges are only good for EVENING MEALS.

If you have any questions please contact blastercard@mines.edu before making a purchase.

DO YOU NEED IT?

SHORT ANSWER:  ABSOLUTELY!

LONG ANSWER:

It is the policy of Colorado School of Mines that each student, staff member and faculty member possess a valid identification card. This card must be presented upon request by any Mines official. The BlasterCard can be used in conjunction with the Mines access control system, Mines dining locations, as well as many other functions.  The Blastercard and any applied services are NON-TRANSFERABLE.  Any attempts to share, duplicate, or otherwise misuse the card or it’s services will be subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate department.

STUDENTS

1. All meal plans (and accompanying “munch money”) that are available through MINES Dining are accessed with proximity chip embedded in BlasterCard. Each Mines Dining location on campus will use your BlasterCard to track meal swipes or confirm a “munch money” payment.
2. Students who reside in one of the Residence Life residence halls use the BlasterCard as the “key” that grants admittance to those areas.  The BlasterCard can also be used to gain after-hours entry to certain academic buildings if you have been assigned special access.
3. Other areas that will require your BlasterCard include Arthur Lakes Library and The Student Recreation Center.

FACULTY AND STAFF

Faculty and Staff members will need the BlasterCard for building access and for identification as appropriate.

MY BLASTERCARD ISN’T WORKING?

• The BlasterCard can serve a number of different functions. It’s important to determine if it is a problem with a specific function or the entire card.
• If you are having problems, please email blastercard@mines.edu . It is also very helpful to provide as much information as possible about the situation.

HELPFUL HINTS.

• Please don’t punch a hole in the card. You will damage  your card and it will not function.
• Wireless charging could possibly damage your BlasterCard. If you keep your BlasterCard in a phone case, we strongly recommend removing it before charging.
• If you are trying to access a building with your card and the reader makes no sound, the card is damaged and should be replaced. If the reader beeps, the card is working properly and you should contact the proctor of the area you are trying to access.
• If you are trying to use your BlasterCard at one of the dining locations and it is declined. Please ask the staff member if there is an “error code”. This code will be tremendously helpful in correcting the issue.
• Your BlasterCard does NOT need to be replaced each semester (unless it is damaged).
• The BlasterCard and any applied services are NON-TRANSFERABLE.  Any attempts to share, duplicate, or otherwise misuse the card or it’s services will be subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate department.