ASSA ABLOY announced that the Corbin Russwin Access 700 and SARGENT Passport 1000 IP-enabled campus access control locks now include HID multiCLASS SE technology.

As a result, the Access 700 PIP1 and Passport 1000 P1 Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Access 700 PWI1 and Passport 1000 P2 Wi-Fi locks now provide simultaneous support for multiple credential technologies and NFC mobile access, in addition to their existing magnetic stripe and PIN code capabilities.

The Corbin Russwin Access 700 PWI1 features an intelligent Wi-Fi lockset offering comprehensive access control for campus housing and facilities. The Access 700 PWI1 communicates wireless (802.11b/g) network with host or access control panel, enabling administrators to manage user access rules and review historical event logs.

The multiCLASS SE capability accommodates a wide variety of credentials including HID Prox, HID iCLASS, HID iCLASS SE (SIO-enabled), HID iCLASS Seos, HID MIFARE SE, HID iCLASS DESfire EV1 SE, MIFARE Classic, DESfire EV1, and FeliCa. In addition, the locks are compatible with NFC-enabled smart phones.

All four models are available in bored lock, mortise lock and exit device configurations and feature integrated ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certified hardware. Each configuration also offers local lockdown and privacy mode capabilities. All the locks are available with an optional keypad and are available with a wide variety of decorative levers and finishes.

North Carolina’s new voter ID law will exclude the use of a college, university student ID as an adequate form of identification, according to The Seahawk.

Governor Pat McCrory signed House Bill 589 into law in August, requiring all out-of-state students to obtain a state-issued ID before being allowed to cast a ballet in any future elections. N.C. Republicans strongly supported the bill from the beginning and expressed a fear of voter fraud as the driving force behind it.

N.C. Democrats and opponents of the bill speculate it is a poised tactic by GOP-controlled state legislature to reduce the number of minority and student votes, with a disproportionate number of them being those who have historically voted democratic.

According to 2012 election data from a local NBC-affiliated television station, only 121 out of the state’s nearly 7 million ballots were referred to the appropriate district attorney as alleged cases of voter fraud.

Alyssa Guberman is an out-of-state student attending the University of North Carolina Wilmington and views the bill as an impingement on her voting rights. This bill will deny a large group of North Carolinians the right to decide who will represent them and their issues, Guberman said.

In addition to the voter ID requirement, the law also reduces the number of early-voting days from 17 to 10. Critics of the law say this will discourage people that usually take advantage of early voting from participating at all.

The new law will not go into effect until 2016.

Read the full story here.

Pasadena City College (PCC), part of California’s 112 community colleges, has partnered with LA Metro so that students can ride local public transportation at a discounted rate for the fall semester, according to the Altadena Patch.

I-TAP (Institutional Transit Access Pass) provides full-time college students with a specially-priced Metro pass at a reduced rate or at no cost to the student. The durable plastic card contains a smart chip that allows students to simply “tap” their card before boarding. The card is valid on all Metro buses and Metro Rail trains.

The program - valid seven days a week, 24/7 - encourages students to leave their cars at home and take transit to school and/or work. This not only makes college more affordable by eliminating or reducing the need for a car and gas, but it also reduces parking demand, allowing campuses to delay and/or avoid construction of new parking facilities. I-TAP also ensures better community relations by reducing student parking in surrounding neighborhoods.

Students can visit the Student Business Services building to purchase passes for unlimited use for $30 this semester.

Read more here.

Having a student ID - regardless of how horrendous the picture on it is - does have its perks. The benefits are money-saving, time-saving and all around your ticket to making life in college easier, according to alligator.org.

At the University of Florida in Gainesville, the Gator 1 Card provides students with access to a variety of discounts from fare-free bus rides, to discount movie tickets, free access to athletic events, recreational facilities, and the holy grail of drink specials at the local bar, club or restaurant.

• Drink specials. There are certain “magical days” that boast discounts for drinks to college students - whether it’s BOGO or half off.

• Free bus rides. In Gainesville, students can venture outside those brick walls, free of charge when displaying their Gator 1 Card.

• Free recreational access. Among the parks, bike trails and swimming pools near UF, there’s the UF-owned gem that is Lake Wauburg. Students who present their Gator 1 Card use the facilities, lay out on one of the chairs, rent a kayak and explore the lake, and so much more.

• Discounted movie tickets. Take your Gator 1 Card, combine it with free travel on the RTS bus, head down to the local matinee and a discounted student ticket will be waiting to provide you with not a bad way to spend an evening away from campus.

• Cheap game day tickets. College football game days, especially at UF, are no joke and a Gator 1 Card gives you the exclusive free access to basketball games, gymnastics meets and other sports events at UF. And it guarantees a seat at every home football game - enter the football ticket lottery.

• Gator Nights. Free movies, popcorn and game booths at the Reitz Union offer a great way to meet new people and have some free fun; all made possible with that student ID: the Gator 1 Card.

Deals and discounts are a great way to appeal to the cash-strapped and thrifty college student, and may well help to garner student support for school ID systems.

Read more here.