Card, mobile credential, payment and security
Ohio's Miami University has taken the decision to go cashless for all payments on its Oxford campus this fall in an effort to limit the passing of plastic cards and cash tender between students and cashiers. Alongside card system vendor, CBORD, the university is leveraging the GET app for payment and mobile ordering, as well as its contactless campus card to create a secure, convenient and potentially healthier transaction experience.
The news that Miami would move to a cashless model on campus was revealed in an official university announcement that details a host of new measures for the Fall 2020 semester being implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19. The cashless approach to campus payments will be supported by a combination of mobile ordering at select a la carte locations through CBORD's GET Mobile app, mobile wallets Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, as well as purchases made with the Miami ID campus card, or standard debit/credit cards.
Miami's move to a cashless environment didn't happen overnight, rather the university has been working with card system vendor, CBORD, for years toward a modern, secure transaction environment.
“Miami University is one of our super-users,” says Ben Proctor, CBORD account manager for platform solutions. “They’ve been working to become a contactless campus for several years and already had a lot of infrastructure in place to go cashless prior to COVID-19."
"Students can use their campus cards for door access, payments, laundry, vending, among other activities," adds Proctor. "They also use GET CBORD Student for mobile food ordering with several on-campus merchants.”
In an email to student publication, The Miami Student, Geno Svec, executive director of campus services and chief hospitality officer, explained that the university made the decision to eliminate passing paper bills and coins that are difficult to clean. Svec said the decision is permanent and was made for safety concerns, and he believes it has been well received.
Pivotal to Miami's cashless efforts has been a forward-thinking approach to card technology on campus, underpinned by the university's CBORD card transaction system and contactless student credentials.
“When Miami moved to our campus card solution in 2012, they were one of the first CBORD schools to go with a contactless ID card across the entire campus,” says Terry McPherren, integrated security account manager for CBORD. “They implemented the Schlage (aptiQ) contactless credential, which runs through our CS Gold integrated security solution.”
According to the Campus Services Center website, the move to a cashless campus officially began on July 1. For students in a pinch who may not have one of the aforementioned cashless payment options handy, Miami is providing one final alternative by enabling students to exchange cash for a reloadable payment card offered by the university in the student union building.
Joining the new cashless experience on campus will be sanitation stations, physical distancing, reduced seating and other protocols. All staff will wear face coverings and gloves, with cashiers also wearing face shields. Buffet locations will have staff-served service, and food will be served in disposable containers. Seating will be limited and clearly marked for customers, or food can be taken to go.
Oklahoma State University has created its own contact tracing system that leverages the university Wi-Fi network and the student ID card. The contact tracing measures are being utilized to proactively reach out to students who may have come into contact or been exposed to individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a report from Tulsa's ABC affiliate, the new technology was built in-house at OSU. With the contact tracing data, OSU can provide health officials with a list of students who may have had close contact with a person who is COVID-19 positive and use their contact information to inform them of the potential exposure.
"If we have an individual who tests positive, we can see where they've been on campus," says Christie Hawkins, associate vice president for administration and finance and the director of institutional research and analytics at OSU. On the admin side, the program developed in-house highlights in orange on a campus map the buildings a student entered.
Underpinning OSU's contact tracing project is a combination of student devices connected to the university Wi-Fi network and the student ID card. The data gleaned from those sources can contact trace both the buildings that students entered and the general area -- floor, classroom, etc. -- they were in. The university is also looking at card swipes for meal plans and library access.
In a separate interview with NBC News, Hawkins explains that the contact tracing is meant to be more specific than simply grouping all students who were in a given building at the same time.
“We're not saying this student was in a building and here's all the other students in that building,” Hawkins told NBC News. “It's much more specific and down through a specific Wi-Fi access point.”
The information that OSU is able to glean from its network of Wi-Fi hotspots offers a more detailed view that helps OSU to determine both who to quarantine and who not to quarantine.
“If we know based on Wi-Fi access that another student wasn't in that class that day, we can exclude them from the contact tracing efforts,” says Hawkins.
The Wi-Fi data is cleared after one week and Hawkins said students are not traced in real time. The information from the previous day comes in the following morning.
"Things like Wi-Fi access points are not a data we ever use," stresses Hawkins. "We have no intention of using this again after we're past this health crisis."
The contact tracing measures only apply to the confines of OSU's campus, as only the OSU network is being utilized.
A group of colleges and universities are turning to a new, automated temperature screening technology that leverages facial recognition biometrics to ensure facility access for students who pass a daily health check. The combination biometric system is called PopEntry+ and a few institutions see potential for it to help ensure a safer return to campus life amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
PopEntry+ is the flagship offering from Cali Group company, PopID. The facial recognition system has seen use in the enterprise and corporate sectors to better ensure healthy workplaces, but its utility seems to make it a valid fit for higher education as well. PopID is calling its solution the “Return to Learn” platform to distinguish it from the commercial counterpart.
The system uses a combination of facial recognition technology and automated temperature screening via a thermal camera to provide biometric access control for facilities. Users first create a PopID account via a secure web portal on their mobile device, after which they have their face scanned and temperature taken by a device fixed near a building’s entrance.
If individuals who are scanned by biometric reader are shown to have a fever, the system can contact the relevant authorities and notify them of the situation. Once the student or faculty member is cleared, they will receive a text message asking them to again confirm their health status.
The current roster of campuses to implement the biometric system includes the University of Mississippi, Bismarck State College, Lane College, Lock Haven University, University of Redlands, and Metropolitan College Kansas City.
The facial recognition component of the system has the ability to enable building entry to individuals who have the required access permissions. The hands-free device is capable of unlocking doors when recognizing students or faculty, can be adapted to suit a number of different locations, and can also optionally integrate PopID’s PopPay facial payment system.
At Ole Miss, the largest of the universities to implement the system, PopEntry+ is being implemented in an athletics environment.
“Like other college athletic programs around the country, Ole Miss puts the health and safety of its student-athletes and staff above all else,” says Keith Carter, Athletic Director for the University of Mississippi. “We are pleased to add PopID’s technology to the steps we are taking to ensure their safety on and off the field."
Once students, faculty, administrators, and athletic staff scan their faces into the system, they simply stand in front of the fixed device to be recognized and have their temperatures taken instantly.
The process is completed hands-free, with or without masks. If an individual is shown to not have a fever, they will receive a text message confirming their daily health status and will be allowed entry to the necessary campus facilities.
The company says the combined biometric temperature screening system can be deployed at a number of on-campus locations including library turnstiles, dining halls, auditoriums and stadiums.
New Mexico State University is deploying new campus vending machines on its Las Cruces campus this fall that dispense face masks and other safety supplies designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The new vending machines are the result of a joint effort between the university and industrial and safety supplies reseller, Fastenal.
According to an official university release, there will be nine vending machines equipped with the safety supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). Alongside help from Fastenal, the new vending machines will be located in buildings across the central part of campus, including dorms and the student union.
“We are learning to exist in a world with COVID-19, so it’s imperative that we create and enforce good habits when it comes to behaviors like wearing a mask, social distancing, frequent hand washing and cleaning high-touch surfaces,” says D’Anne Stuart, associate vice president for Administration & Finance, who oversees NMSU’s Procurement Services. “These vending machines will remain stocked with supplies to make it easier and more convenient to build these habits and help protect our Aggie community.”
The vending machines will be stocked daily with hand sanitizer, nitrile gloves, reusable and disposable masks, safety glasses, disinfectant wipes and other items. All items will be available at no charge to NMSU students and employees when using their Aggie ID card number or a swipe of their Aggie ID card. The vending machines will provide the free masks and supplies throughout the month of August.
Beginning September 1, the safety supplies will be made available for purchase at posted prices using cash or credit card. Going forward, the university is also planning to offer reusable masks and other personal protective supplies for students to purchase at select snack vending machines across campus.
Funds for the PPE supplies comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Departmental supply orders from various vendors are also available through NMSU’s Aggie Service Center.
“We’ve got many ways for departments to ensure they are well stocked with the supplies they need to disinfect surfaces frequently in classrooms and workspaces,” says Javier Cordero, director of Procurement Services. “This adds another layer of protection to the enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols that our custodial teams are completing every day.”
A survey conducted by HID Global and security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions provider, Genetec, has revealed that many college campuses could be operating with outdated access control systems. Moreover, the report suggests that many universities are eager to move on from these legacy access control systems and implement newer, more secure technologies.
According to the survey of 1,800 higher education security and IT professionals, universities are ready to embrace new technology, and are looking to go “beyond the door” and integrate with other security and operations systems.
The Genetec and HID research findings show that 33.76% of readers, 30.6% of controllers, and 24% of software are more than six years old. Just as troubling, the report reveals that legacy technologies like barcode, magnetic stripe and 125khz low-frequency proximity (prox) continue to dominate physical access control systems in higher education. More than half of survey respondents still use mag stripe, and almost a quarter still use 125khz prox. And 64% of survey respondents reported their current access control system experiences malfunctions.
The report does reveal that more than 35% of respondents are ready to embrace more modern technology as a way of improving the experience for students, faculty, and administrators. A healthy 54.2% of respondents would be interested in using their access control credentials to support multiple applications beyond physical access, and 44% stated that better integration with other security systems/components is a key driver to upgrade their access control systems.
Most colleges and universities want to provide their students with a true one-card experience or mobile credentials for multiple types of applications, spanning dorm room access, library checkout, paying for food, parking, and more. However, 64% of survey participants said while they want to upgrade their systems, they view cost as an obstacle. This can lead campuses migrating to systems that fulfill minimum requirements to keep within budgets, rather than seek the features and integration capabilities they seek.
“There are new technology options that can make life easier for administrators as well as those who use the systems,” says Jason Friedberg, Commercial Head, Education at Genetec. “With ever evolving threats, and a need for increased efficiency, accessibility and privacy, security on higher education campuses is an ever-changing environment. Institutions need to be prepared for these changes by upgrading to a unified video and access control solution that is flexible, connected, and easy to use.”
“And while cost is seen as an obstacle, the true value is often not factored in," adds Friedberg. "With a modern, unified system, ongoing costs often end up being lower than those of legacy systems because the additional capabilities of newer systems increase operational efficiencies across multiple departments.”
By Jeff Koziol, business development manager of campus software partners, Allegion
Nearly 29,000 students arrive at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, each August for the start of fall semester. With VolCards in hand, these students set out across 294 buildings on Tennessee's 910-acre campus. In October 2019, that experience changed.
The university introduced mobile credentials last fall to keep up with growing student demands for a digital VolCard experience on campus.
The benefits of a mobile student ID are always significant, and the need for them now is even more apparent. As campuses plan to reopen after being shut down since the spring, they need to welcome students back to healthy environments.
This comes at a time when people are more aware of the surfaces they’re touching. Mobile credentials can be issued digitally. Furthermore, remote distribution reduces the number of students that need to pick up replacement cards in person. And since mobile credentials are contactless, transactions and secure access can occur without an individual needing to swipe or hand over a physical card.
When University of Tennessee, Knoxville, decided to transition to mobile credentials a few years ago, its focus was on improving the student experience and operational benefits. Bill Strickland, director of operational services at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, started receiving requests for campus cards on a mobile device from the university's Student Government Association.
Mobile credentials make it easier and more convenient for students and faculty to access buildings like residence halls or the library, as well as to make payments on and around campus. From coffee to laundry and other purchases, students just need an iPhone or Apple Watch to go about their daily routines.
The university also knew it would benefit from being able to cut down on its plastic card production, printing and other operational efficiencies.
“As an institution that values innovation, it’s important to us that we are always adapting to the way students use technology to enhance the campus experience,” said Chris Cimino, Senior Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Being able to access the VolCard on your mobile device is another way UT is continuously improving to meet expectations for a modern campus.”
The mobile student ID leverages the industry-leading global standard NXP DESFire security technology to provide higher education campuses with an easy-to-implement solution to enable contactless student IDs for iPhone and Apple Watch.
“As an institution that values innovation, it’s important that we're always adapting to the way students use technology to enhance the campus experience. Accessing the VolCard on your mobile device is another way UT is continuously improving to meet expectations for a modern campus.”
-- Chris Cimino, Senior Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The user experience with NFC on Apple devices enables a seamless and secure user experience. The user presents their iPhone or Apple Watch near the reader without the need to unlock the device or open an application. With the mobile student ID, users now have the convenience of using their phones for everyday transactions. Schlage AD electronic locks, NDE and LE networked wireless locks and MT multi-technology readers support contactless student IDs in Apple Wallet using CBORD’s CS Gold software.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville was the first campus to implement the mobile solution from CBORD and Allegion in Apple Wallet.
One of the first steps for Strickland and Mike Henderson, VolCard technology supervisor, was defining use case across campus. To move forward, it’s important for colleges and universities to understand every single way a student uses a card on campus. Entering the dining hall, accessing the fitness center, opening residence hall doors—all of it needs documented for the rest of the process to go smoothly.
“Essentially, we had to find every reader on campus where a student could use their VolCard and figure out a way that a mobile credential would work there,” said Henderson. “That was challenging because there were places that we didn’t even know about at first. There were some external systems, like at the recreation center, that were a little more challenging than others, but we got everything squared away with the support of our teams from other departments.”
The next task was replacing hardware.
“When migrating to a newer technology, like mobile credentials, there’s work to do on the front end, like with any campus security update,” said Mark Werner, end user sales consultant at Allegion. “The team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, did a tremendous job of coordinating with their teams and updating thousands of readers.”
Roughly 5,000 readers throughout campus needed to be upgraded or replaced to support the new mobile credential solution with Allegion. Henderson’s team replaced a majority of the readers while students were away over summer break.
They converted competitive card readers to the Schlage MT wired multi-technology readers and updated the reader modules in their AD-400 networked wireless locks. Designed for flexibility, Schlage multi-technology readers allow campuses to easily transition from proximity or magnetic stripe technology to more secure, encrypted credentials, like mobile credentials in the Apple wallet or smart cards. The university also upgraded its physical campus card technology to Schlage smart credentials using NXP MIFARE DESFire EV1. Students still needed to use a physical card until the mobile credential solution was available.
Once the readers were installed, CBORD updated Tennessee’s one-card software to CS Gold, a customizable solution supporting campus auxiliary services. CS Gold helps colleges and universities build a connected campus through integrated systems including security and access control, attendance and activity tracking, meal plan and stored value management, on- and off-campus commerce, and more.
Implementation will look different for every college or university depending on the hardware and technology in place and the compatibility and interoperability of solutions. Strickland said they hit some hurdles from time to time but ultimately paved the way for more seamless adoption. “We were the first CBORD school to have the digital ID, and I think it will be much easier for other schools to get there.”
“Students that I’ve encountered absolutely love it,” Henderson said. “The ones who have the mobile credential don’t even carry their cards anymore. I haven’t swiped my card for building access since October 2019, and I use my Apple Watch 99% of the time; I don’t even need to get my phone out.”
In approximately six months after the mobile credentials launched, 10,000 unique devices were provisioned for the mobile credentials. Those devices completed more than 2 million transactions. On average, the university was seeing between 15,000-20,000 transactions per day with the mobile credential—sometimes as high as 30,000. This data was collected before the campus shut down last spring. It expects these numbers will increase as students are welcomed back in August.
“It’s very convenient to be able to present your phone to a reader for access and transactions,” said Larry Delaney, vice president of strategic alliances at CBORD.
“Those who have the mobile credential don’t even carry their cards anymore. I haven’t swiped my card for building access since October 2019, and I use my Apple Watch 99% of the time; I don’t even need to get my phone out.”
--Mike Henderson, VolCard technology supervisor
“Apple improved the user experience by adding a feature that pops up, even if a phone is locked, to show the student his or her balances in different campus accounts," said Delaney. "It sounds trivial, but the way students had to get that in the past was to talk to the dining hall attendant or open a separate mobile application. They automated a previously manual task, which adds value for the students.”
Aside from the student experience, the mobile student ID is going to benefit the university as students are welcomed back this fall. Due to COVID-19, summer orientations couldn’t take place in person, which is when students would have picked up their physical VolCards.
The university expects many students will take advantages of mobile credentials during the start of the Fall 2020 semester. This will reduce the number of students gathering in the card office to pick up their IDs at the start of the year as everything can be handled digitally. The university is looking forward to adding the Android solution in the near future to enhance student use with both iOS and Android smartphones.
There is some peace of mind knowing that most students will be able to come back to a campus that is contactless in terms of transactions. They don’t have to touch a keypad or pass their card to someone else. It’s easy and more hygienic.
Furthermore, mobile credentials have cut down on the number of plastic cards the office must reprint for students each. It saw a drop last year, and the university expects to see extraordinary reduction moving forward as students go mobile during future orientations.
"There's some peace of mind knowing that most students will be able to come back to a campus that is contactless in terms of transactions. They don’t have to touch a keypad or pass their card to someone else. It’s easy and more hygienic."
The mobile credential solution has also improved security on campus. “Phones are personal; people want to keep them in their possession. As a result, people aren’t giving away their phones like they might an ID card," Henderson adds. "This has lowered fraud and given us better insights into who is actually using the credential for access.”
Since launching mobile student IDs in October 2019, VolCard holders enjoy even more seamless transactions and access as they go about their daily routines. By implementing a mobile credential solution, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, met the demands of its tech-savvy students while improving operational efficiencies. Furthermore, the university is now better prepared for students to return to campus in the fall following recent COVID-19 guidelines.
If you’re interested in learning more about mobile credential options, visit allegionmobilecampus.com or contact Allegion.
The University of Miami has outlined its plans for on-campus dining this fall, including a new mobile reservation system via CBORD's GET app, and density monitors located outside dining facilities to display current occupancy numbers.
According to an official university release, Miami's dining halls reopened food service to students, faculty, and staff on August 9, incorporating new foot traffic signage, floor decals, and plexiglass barriers to encourage physical distancing. The dining halls on the Coral Gables, Fla. campus will operate at 50% capacity through the end of the fall semester on November 23.
Students will tap in with their ’Cane Card at contactless card readers, and will also have the option to make reservations at the dining halls either online or via the GET Food App. Reservations for dine-in seating are set in 30-minute increments.
Miami's dining services department has also installed density monitors outside both of its dining halls. The television screens display the current capacity of the dining hall and enable students to decide if they feel comfortable entering the location. Dining density will also be tracked in real time via a “Location Density” tab in the UMiami App.
The university is also offering expanded take-out options from its dining halls, as well as implementing a new meal-swipe enabled to-go box option. Other on-campus dining changes include:
The university's on-campus retail dining locations have also reopened, but will follow current Miami-Dade County guidelines that do not allow for dine-in seating. Mobile ordering via Grubhub is available for the campus community for both pickup and delivery from all retail dining locations.
In this installment of CR80News Chats, we discuss crowd capacity control and the return to campus this fall with Transact's senior director of product management for security, Scott Dennison. Scott shares some of the tangible challenges he sees coming for campus card offices and the auxiliaries, notably the use of mobile technology to manage social distancing in highly trafficked areas.
Social distancing will be key across campus this fall, and one of the challenges that universities will need to get to grips with straight away is crowd capacity control. When we look at environments like dining, residence halls, rec centers, and the myriad of campus events that draw students together, it becomes clear that we'll need more than just word of mouth and trust to keep students socially distant.
We also discuss the role of mobile technology, including mobile ordering and mobile scheduling solutions, that can break up queues and provide socially distant alternatives for students and staff. Finally, we delve into how Mobile Credential can underpin a university's contactless efforts this fall.
Additional resources from this Chat:
Have a topic of discussion that you want to learn more about? A vendor in this space or university you want to hear from? Share your suggestions for future CR80News Chats by sending an email to [email protected], reaching out on Twitter @CR80News, or by using the Submit a Tip form found in the CR80News.com navigation bar.
Georgia Southern University is the first institution in the state to provide Starship robots for food delivery to faculty, staff and students. The initiative will deploy 20 of Starship's autonomous delivery robots to deliver food from on-campus dining locations to designated pickup locations.
The university's Information Technology Services, Auxiliary Services, and Eagle Dining Services were all included in the deployment process. University officials hope that introducing the delivery robots will help students feel more secure as they dine on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My hope is that it brings a sense of enhanced safety and convenience to our students. While we are all living through the COVID-19 pandemic, we are hoping that the robots will allow for easier social distancing," says Clint Bridges, Information Technology Services at Georgie Southern. "The fact that students can order a meal from their residence hall room and have it delivered by an automated delivery vehicle keeps them close to home where they can feel the most at ease and still enjoy a meal from one of our dining locations on campus.”
Six-wheeled robots independently navigating the #StatesboroCampus may look a little strange. But it will soon be commonplace as these robots have been mapping routes to campus locations to prepare for contactless food delivery this fall.
???????? https://t.co/Uhtgdd6NAY@EDSatGSU pic.twitter.com/tHUzJhrmoq— GeorgiaSouthern (@GeorgiaSouthern) August 7, 2020
With a new set of challenges emerging from COVID-19, safer on-campus dining is a sentiment that's being shared by Starship Technologies, as well.
“Students are looking for ways to get food delivered in the safest and most convenient way possible at the moment,” says Ryan Tuohy, SVP of Business Development at Starship Technologies. “Our robots are fast, friendly and help make life a little bit easier especially in these challenging times.”
Starship robots at Georgia Southern began delivering food to students and other members of the Statesboro campus on August 10, processing orders from university dining facilities and retail dining locations including Starbucks, Market Street Deli and Sushi with Gusto. Users who place an order for delivery can track the robots location and estimated delivery time through the app. The robots themselves are capable of maneuvering sidewalks and navigating around obstacles like curbs and pedestrians.
Students place their orders and select their desired delivery location in the Starship app, with deliveries typically completed in 30 minutes or less. Delivery locations must be outside as the robots cannot enter buildings, and the robots can only be unlocked by the order recipient via the Starship app.
“Eagle Dining Services is excited to offer our students a new means of service with innovative technology,” says Jeff Yawn, executive director of Eagle Dining Services. “These robots allow us to serve more areas of campus, safely and securely in these unprecedented times."
Syracuse University is exploring the idea of using student ID cards, among other measures, to keep track of COVID-19 testing, and to ensure that students living off-campus are up to date with university testing requirements.
According to a report from Syracuse.com, Syracuse is considering a team of up to 50 trained students to act as contact tracers. The students will be trained through the Johns Hopkins University Contact Tracing Certification program and a full-time staff will manage the team.
A statement from Mike Haynie, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at Syracuse, reveals that Syracuse opted to rely primarily on students due to the likelihood that students will be more candid with each other than other individuals.
“One of the things we recognized and that the literature supports is the efficacy of contact tracing is really a function of cultural competency,” Haynie told Syracuse.com. “The likelihood that our students will open up and be more authentic with students who are like them (i.e. their student peers) is much enhanced. As a consequence, we will have students be that contact tracing army.”
Syracuse would rely on student ID cards to keep track of whether students have been tested and help ensure that students living off-campus are in keeping with the university's testing requirements.
A university committee established a list of 127 recommendations for reopening, and among the suggestions was requiring a student ID card for access to any campus building, as well as prohibiting propping doors or holding open doors for other individuals, otherwise known as "tailgating."
The hope is to better ensure that only students who have been regularly tested will have access to campus facilities.
“Whether you live on campus or off-campus, it is a requirement to return in the fall that you will agree to participate in the university’s testing program,” said Haynie, in a statement to Syracuse.com. “We’re going to track participation in the testing program as a function of the student ID card. The extent to which your student ID card is essentially your pass to engage in activities on campus. That ID card will indicate whether or not you have participated in the testing program that is required of all students.”
The comments about contact tracing were raised in a recent question-and-answer session with the campus community.
The contact tracing process would begin when a Syracuse University student returns a positive test result for COVID-19. Haynie clarified that the goal of contact tracing is not to identify and quarantine every student who might have been in a classroom with an infected person, but rather simply to identify close contacts who could be more likely to have contracted the virus.
Under Syracuse's plan, any student who tests positive would first be placed in isolation, with the possibility of that person's close contacts being placed in quarantine. The recommended quarantine time is two weeks, although the university is hopeful that timeframe could be shortened going forward.
