Campus ID News
Card, mobile credential, payment and security
FEATURED
PARTNERS

Washington College has moved to printing solutions provider, ink, from previous provider Pharos. Ink leverages touchscreen kiosks, called SmartStations, to support print, copy and scanning.

As reported by Washington Colleges student publication, The Elm, the move to ink means students no longer have to login to library computers to initiate a print job, but instead visit one of the ink SmartStations. From a SmartStation students can print using a USB drive, by emailing their documents to [email protected], or using the cloud system accessed through Washington College's ink.me web portal.

At least one of the SmartStations will be open 24/7, and will also photo printing. "This particular SmartStation allows students to crop and add filters to their photos, which print out as the standard 6 x 4 inches," said Amanda Darby, director of Public Services for Washington College's Library Academic Technology.

“You can send your documents to the printer from any internet connected device,” added Darby. “Folks can print from their dorm and then pick it up the next morning.”

All documents that students send to the cloud will be removed from the system’s queue after 72 hours. The SmartStations can also scan, copy, and fax, but students must set up an account at the SmartStation to login with their student ID.

The search for a new print and copy solution at Washington College began last fall, with the first of the ink SmartStations installed over this past winter break. Library Academic Technology personnel used the week before students returned from break to learn how to use the new printers and kiosks, as well as to train staff.

“We just want students to come into the library, get their work done, and not have to worry about leaving the building to do something," said Sharon Sledge, chief academic technology officer at Washington College, in a statement to The Elm. "You can do it all here."

All students will have $10 in printing credit for this semester. The amount of printing credit for next academic year is yet to be determined, but to help spread the word about the new system students can receive an extra dollar of printing credit by using a promo code at the kiosk.

It's a rare thing for a campus card office to receive the credit it's due for the work it accomplishes. Such is the nature of the many services that the card office supports: out of sight, out of mind. But a column in Trinity University's student newspaper is breaking with tradition and paying homage to its card office's valuable efforts.

A recent Trinitonian article examines "a day in the life" of the university's Tiger Card Office. The article highlights the office and its staff for the work it does for the campus community not just in card production and issuance, but for the ongoing system maintenance and efforts that fall under the office's purview.

Trinity University's Tiger Card is a true one card offering, supporting student access to dorm rooms, labs, meal plans, the university's Wepa print/copy system, vending, laundry, and purchases at select off-campus merchants. The Tiger Card also serves as the student’s primary from of identification on campus, as well as a declining balance card when funds are added to the Tiger Bucks account.

It's a lot of work managed by the Tiger Card Office's staff of four -- two technical support members, and two clerical support members -- but there are plans ahead for expansion of the university's door access system that might see the staff grow by one.

While the office workload and the functionality of the Tiger Card itself aren't so unique -- many card offices support the same features -- what's more rare is for those efforts to be recognized by the campus community.

The card office is a central hub for a number of campus systems and services. As Trinity University's technical support system analyst, Trey Dunn, rightly points out: “Anything the Tiger Card touches, we work on."

It's often lost on students -- and even high-level administrators at times -- just how vital the card office is to the daily operations of a college campus. Card offices help to keep the campus machine up and running, and despite recognition for that effort being rare it's certainly earned when it comes around.

Door locks are a common point of discussion when considering campus security and the personal safety of students and staff. Whether for basic, everyday security, or for more serious scenarios like campus lockdowns, the hardware on the door is vital.

But aside from physically locking an entryway, what else could the hardware on the door offer in terms of physical security and safety?

Among its many security-focused efforts, Assa Abloy has recently refreshed the status indicator if offers for some of its mortise lock solutions to better safeguard classrooms, high-traffic campus facilities, residence halls and single-occupant restrooms.

The status indicator is a simple enough premise – a small screen on the lock that lights up green when the door is unlocked, and red when the deadbolt has been thrown. But the impact that this simple feature can have in both everyday use and in moments of crisis, in particular, can be quite impactful.

“When we talk about campus security, we break things down into the areas like prevention, protection, mitigation, and then response and recover,” says Lori Brown, Product Manager, Mechanical Locks, ASSA ABLOY. “What we’ve done with our door lock indicators and classroom security really hones in on the protect and mitigate areas.”

Mortise lock with Assa Abloy's lock indicator.

You’d be hard pressed to find a university that isn’t leveraging mortise locks somewhere on campus. These locks are routinely deployed in high-traffic, high-usage locations because they’re more robust than the average lockset.

Lock indicators, meanwhile, are available from a number of access control providers, but Assa Abloy has made a point to refresh its offering. Specifically, Assa Abloy’s Corbin Russwin ML2000 series and Sargent 8200 series mortise locks benefit from the newly upgraded lock indicators.

“We’ve added new features to our indicators because we’re seeing new applications on campuses in classroom security and safety,” says Brown. “We’ve made the indicators larger and more prominent, and we’re using new materials that make the indicator window clearly visible from a broader range of angles.”

Among the upgrades applied to the new lock indicators is a screen that's 25% larger than the industry average for more clearly visible verbiage and colors, as well as a new curved design that enables the occupants of a room to view the indicator window from up to a 180-degree angle.

The indicators themselves are strictly mechanical, consisting of a window that will change color, as well as display a lock symbol and the words “Unlocked” or “Locked” when the deadbolt is thrown. The mortise locks can also be configured to have either a thumb-turn deadbolt lock or key-turn lock on the interior.

“We can customize the indicator window with different colors and verbiage depending on the client’s request,” explains Brown. “But we’re primarily seeing campuses opt for the standard, recognizable configuration of red for locked and green for unlocked.”

The indicators are also ideal for privacy applications on campus like single occupancy or gender-neutral restrooms. For these applications the indicators can be installed on both the outside and the inside of the door to denote when the room is in use or vacant.

"In moments when you may have an active assailant, having a lock indicator on the inside of the door can go a long way. There’s a valuable human element to preventing someone potentially putting themselves in harm’s way to see if a door is locked or not."

“In total, we have up to thirty different functions for the mortise lock where our indicators can be applied, including classrooms, dorm rooms, restrooms, mother’s nursing rooms, quiet rooms, library and study rooms, and a full range of high-traffic entries,” says Brown.

While the majority of use cases for lock indicators will be for privacy or basic physical security, there are still those scenarios that are more vital.

“In moments of crisis when you may have an active assailant – high-stress, high-risk situations – having a lock indicator on the inside of the door can go a long way,” says Brown. “These are panic situations, and there’s a valuable human element to preventing someone from potentially putting themselves in harm’s way to get close to a door to see if it’s locked or not.”

When it comes to installing the mortise lock with indicators, campuses have two options. If starting from scratch, Assa Abloy offers a complete lockset kit, which includes the mortise lock body, the metal trim that fits over the lock, and the indicator offered as an optional add-on.

The second option is for campuses that may want to add indicators to existing compatible mortise locks. For this scenario, Assa Abloy offers lock indicators in an upgrade kit that contains only the indicator and can be easily fixed to existing hardware.

Beginning this semester, Binghamton University has enacted a new preferred name policy that will enable members of the campus community to choose a first name other than their legal name. The policy will support preferred name use in a number of campus systems, as well as appearing on student ID cards and other outward facing applications.

The "Chosen-name" policy was formed in a join effort with Binghamton Information Technology Services, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the BU Council and Student Association. The policy enables students and employees to indicate a chosen first name, even if that name has not been changed legally.

Preferred names will be used for a number of systems and records, including printing preferred names on the Binghamton student ID card. The policy states that students and employees must still be able to provide government-issued identification bearing a legal name when required.

Per Binghamton's Chosen-name policy page, preferred names cannot be "used for the purpose of misrepresentation, avoiding legal obligations or in any manner that violates university policies or federal, state or local laws." The university also reserves the right to remove any chosen name without prior notice to the individual in instances of misuse or abuse of the policy.

Chosen names at Binghamton will appear and be used in the following instances:

Legal names will be used for official university records, as well as for the following:

George Washington University has expanded its use of card access at more on-campus residence halls and dorm rooms. The GWorld campus card will now be available to all but one campus residence hall for students to unlock their doors, providing an alternative brass keys.

According to a report from The GW Hatchet, university officials have added electronic key access to 15 residence halls as part of George Washington's continuing campus security upgrade efforts. The expansion will enable individual room access as well as perimeter access to campus residences.

“We had a disparate experience amongst the students. Some had it, some didn’t. That didn’t make any sense,” said Mark Diaz, executive vice president and chief financial officer at George Washington University, in a statement to the GW Hatchet. "Anything that will enhance our safety position and create an environment that’s safer for our students, faculty and staff, we’re not waiting.”

The lone residence hall not included in the card access and electronic lock upgrades was excluded because the building is due for a complete renovation this summer. Prior to individual room access, the university had previously installed electronic door access in rooms in the GW Law School building, along with tap access to all on-campus residence hall lobbies last semester.

“We have a project at the law school to implement and install tap access and so now the classrooms have the ability to lock down if we ever have some type of targeted violence event,” says Diaz.

University officials have dedicated funding to the campus safety division to prioritize student security. The GW Hatchet report suggests that the cost of installing the access upgrades reached the “low seven figures.”

Also included in the planning and discussion phases of the project were GW's Student Advisory Board, the Student Association and the Residence Hall Association. Students will still be able to use a physical key to unlock their rooms in the rare event that an electronic lock malfunctions.

The University of Mississippi implemented a new campus dining initiative on campus to start the spring semester, adding Starship Technologies' delivery robots. Ole Miss has deployed 30 of the autonomous delivery units and is supporting orders for a number of on-campus dining franchises.

According to an official university release, the initiative with Starship began on Jan. 22, enabling all Ole Miss students, faculty and staff to use the Starship Deliveries app to order food and drinks for delivery anywhere on campus. Deliveries are typically fulfilled within minutes, and the initiative is also integrated with student meal plans.

“Ole Miss Dining is focused on the continued utilization of advanced technology to enrich the student, faculty and staff dining experience,” says Chip Burr, resident district manager of Ole Miss Dining Services. “We are excited about the expansion of our mobile ordering operation and the new opportunities this partnership creates.”

Starship Technologies has launched its autonomous robot delivery system on a number of campuses over the past year, but Ole Miss marks the first of the Southeastern Conference universities to join the trend.

“We’re honored to be able to help make lives a little bit easier for Rebels across the Ole Miss campus by offering the world’s leading autonomous delivery service” says Ryan Tuohy, senior vice president of business development at Starship. “Whether it’s getting breakfast delivered in the morning or having a late-night snack, our robots are here to serve students, faculty and staff at all times of the day.”

Ole Miss is supporting delivery orders from Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, McAlister’s, Panda Express, Which Wich, Qdoba, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Raising Cane’s, Steak ‘n Shake, Freshii, Papa John’s and Sambazon. Once students choose their food items, they select a delivery location by dropping a pin on a campus map in the app.

Students can watch the robot’s journey in real time through an interactive map, and when the robot arrives, an alert is sent to the student to meet the robot and unlock it via the app. Deliveries are typically fulfilled in a matter of minutes, depending on the items ordered and the distance the robot must travel.

The robots leverage machine learning, artificial intelligence and a series of on-board sensors to navigate on sidewalks and avoid obstacles. Each robot can carry up to 20 pounds, as well as cross streets, climb curbs, travel at night and operate in both rain and snow.

In the latest installment of NACCU's "It's All About the Data" video series, Georgia Southern University's Director of Eagle Card Services, Richard Wynn, discusses how the card office can contribute to the all-important task of student retention.

In the video, Wynn discusses key considerations like dining and meal plan data, student usage trends, and the evolving ideas around the role a university can play in using data to assist students in need.

The campus identification and transaction industry’s professional association, NACCU, takes great pride in its ability to educate members and the entire higher education community. That’s the idea behind the association’s “It’s All About the Data” video series.

The series features subject matter experts from the NACCU member community talking about key topics and discussions surrounding campus card data, and how to best use that resource for the betterment of both the university and its students.

The videos are presented by NACCU and produced by NACCU and CR80News. The full series can be viewed at NACCU.org.

Central Michigan University has launched a meal swipe donation program designed to help hungry students on campus.

As reported by Flint, Michigan's ABC 12, the meal swipe donation program will enable students to donate unused guest swipes to fellow students facing food insecurity. The donated swipes will be placed into a bank from which students in need can receive the additional meals.

CMU students can begin donating guest meal swipes on February 10 by visiting the CentralCard office. To receive a donated swipe, students must first register via an online form hosted on CMU's Engage Central student resource website.

In addition to the meal swipe donation program, CMU is also running a second program that offers students an affordable, $1.00 meal. The meals can be purchased from 6-7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays at a campus food court in CMU's student union.

The $1.00 meals will make use of any unused food from dining operations on campus and will include items like soup, sandwiches, fruits and vegetables.

Both the dollar-meal program and the meal swipe donations are intended to provide CMU students facing food insecurity with immediate relief, rather than providing a long-term solution.

University officials say the programs will at least provide relief for students so they can focus more in the classroom and not worry about where their next meal will come from.

Meal swipe donation programs are popping up on campuses across the country as a means to support students in need. Check out our previous coverage of the topic to see what other universities are doing.

Indiana University has announced a collaboration with Grubhub to take effect this week that will offer students the ability to place mobile orders from on-campus dining locations.

According to a report from the Indiana Daily Student, IU Dining is now supporting food orders for pick-up through the Grubhub app at a host of on-campus dining locations and a campus C-store.

"On the first day of the partnership, Grubhub received 154 orders for pick-up at campus dining facilities as of Monday evening," said Rahul Shrivastav, Executive Director of IU Dining, in a statement to the Indiana Daily Student. “Our students are very busy, and the last thing they should worry about is what food to eat and waiting in line. It'll be much easier to use the technology to ensure they’re getting their food in a timely manner.”

Shrivastav and IU Dining management spent over a year planning and evaluating the implementation of the Grubhub app in IU Dining facilities.

The Grubuhb mobile ordering app enables students to grab a quick meal or coffee at their convenience, and crucially, allows them to avoid lines. The app also enables students to plan ahead during a busy schedule by viewing wait times at participating dining locations.

From the Grubhub app, students can view images of menu items and ingredients lists to decide whether items match their dietary preferences. Separately, IU Dining’s website also posts health and nutrition facts for menu items.

After a student places an order via the Grubhub app, dining staff can then view the orders through printed receipts or on a digital display screen in the kitchen. In addition to standard credit and debit cards, the Grubhub app also accepts I-BUCKS declining balance tender, and the IU CrimsonCard.

While the partnership at IU is strictly pick-up orders at the moment, delivery options through Grubhub may be offered in the future if a significant demand is expressed.

Grubhub is poised for a greater presence in the higher education market after its 2018 acquisition of mobile ordering app, Tapingo. That deal saw the more university-centric Tapingo team and operations brought under the Grubhub brand, making the transition for many campuses a relatively seamless one.

Nebraska state Senator Sue Crawford has proposed a bill in the state that would mandate the printing of suicide prevention hotlines on all student ID cards.

As reported by Omaha’s ABC affiliate KETV, Crawford’s LB1001 will require all public schools in the state, from middle school through to university and post-secondary institutions, to print a suicide prevention hotline or crisis line on all new student ID cards.

"We must continue to examine the issue and better support our citizens struggling with their own mental health," Crawford said.

According to LB1001, the bill would "require hotline phone numbers on student identification cards for middle school, high school, and postsecondary students." The mandate would in the least apply to all newly printed student ID cards, but there is no mention of whether recarding existing credentials would be required.

The intention of the bill is to provide a resource to students in a moment of crisis.

Adding crisis hotlines to campus cards is an increasingly popular measure at the state level as an attempt to provide all students with relevant outlets that can provide support in times of need.

Similar legislative measures have been implemented in states like California and Washington where universities have also been included in the card issuance mandates.

For more on the topic, see our previous coverage.

CIDN logo reversed
The only publication dedicated to the use of campus cards, mobile credentials, identity and security technology in the education market. CampusIDNews – formerly CR80News – has served more than 6,500 subscribers for more than two decades.
Twitter

Feb. 1 webinar explores how mobile ordering enhanced campus life, increased sales at UVA and Central Washington @Grubhub @CBORD

Join Jeff Koziol and Robert Gaulden from @AllegionUS as we explore how mobile credentials and proptech are changing on- and off-campus housing.

Load More...
Contact
CampusIDNews is published by AVISIAN Publishing
315 E. Georgia St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.AVISIAN.com[email protected]
Use our contact form to submit tips, corrections, or questions to our team.
©2024 CampusIDNews. All rights reserved.