Card, mobile credential, payment and security
DePaul University will revert its campus visitor management policy back to pre-pandemic operations for the first time since March of 2020. The policy change will now enable DePaul students to welcome all vaccinated guests into their on-campus housing units.
As reported by The DePaulia, the university's Department of Housing and Residential Education updated the visitor management policy on April 11, opening on-campus housing to DePaul students and non-students. Following the arrival of pandemic-driven policies, the only people who were allowed into campus housing were DePaul students, parents and guardians.
The university first began to loosen protocols on campus, including visitor management restrictions, with the start of the spring quarter.
“DePaul housing formed its latest decision about the visitor policy based on a variety of factors, including the number of cases in our resident community on campus and throughout Chicago,” said Rick Moreci, director of housing, dining and student centers in a statement to The DePaulia. “Moreover, the Center for Disease Control recently released a new COVID-19 community level system to help measure COVID risk, which we are now taking into account.”
The updated visitor management policy allows for students to have a maximum of two vaccinated guests. But there are still some guidelines that students must adhere to when hosting guests:
“We have an internal committee of staff from Housing, Residential Education and Public safety, and our planning process has not changed since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Moreci. “We monitor COVID cases, review guidance from local authorities and public health organizations and meet regularly to discuss next steps for the visitor policy.”
George Washington University is partnering with Swipe Out Hunger to run an end of semester food donation campaign underpinned by the university's GWorld campus card. Swipe Out Hunger is a national nonprofit whose mission is to battle food insecurity on college campuses, and provide a means for students, faculty and staff to donate to campus peers in need.
According to an official university release, the end of semester donation campaign will run through May 31, and will enable members of the GW community to donate unused balances from their GWorld card to The Store, GW’s food pantry. Students and staff can also elect to donate GWorld funds to the Abrahms Family Fund, which provides emergency Colonial Cash to students in need.
Colonial Cash is the primary GWorld Card spending account. GWorld cardholders can add Colonial Cash to their credential for making purchases and receive discounts around campus.
Students cannot receive a refund for unspent money on their GWorld cards. Students also can't transfer funds between GWorld accounts or to their student account to pay for things like tuition. GWorld Dining Dollars and Colonial Cash balances can be spent year round and always roll over to the following academic year.
For graduating students, the GWorld card typically expires on September 1. Graduating students have the option to purchase an Alumni GWorld card and transfer any remaining balance to that card.
“Swipe Out Hunger is a great program, and there's no cost to the university,” said Emily Dieker, director of GWorld at George Washington in a statement to GW Today. “100% of all of the funds donated go directly back to supporting our students in need.”
The Swipe Out Hunger campaign at GW dates back to November of 2020, when the university's dining services department and the GWorld office spearheaded a partnership.
Swipe Out Hunger offers an alternative for students who will have unspent money to help their peers in need. Food insecurity on college campuses has grown in recent years. A recent Swipe Out Hunger study indicates that since March 2020, 35% of college students have reported hunger as having impacted their ability to study.
To donate, students can visit the "Meal Donations" tab in CBORD's GET Mobile app -- the platform that students and employees use to manage their GWorld accounts. Once students are in their account, they can select the account, either Dining Dollars or Colonial Cash, and the amount they wish to donate. Once the transaction is approved, the donation is made immediately.
Every dollar donated goes directly toward purchasing food that will be stocked in The Store food pantry. GW’s food pantry purchases items from nearby grocers including Wegmans and Aldi, as well as works with Capital Area Food Bank to gather additional donations.
Donating GWorld funds through Swipe Out Hunger is completely voluntary, and donations are not tax deductible. All donations made to Swipe Out Hunger are split evenly between The Store food pantry and the Abrahms Family Fund.
HID Global will be busy at this year’s NACCU Annual Conference, presenting on some important trends and topics in the campus card space. One of the company’s most interesting sessions will feature an in-depth discussion with campuses about their experiences with mobile ID, and will include card transaction system administrators from Vanderbilt University, the University of Illinois and George Mason University.
HID’s panel discussion, titled “The rise of the mobile conversation on campus,” will take place on Monday, April 25 during the 1:15-2:00 p.m. time slot.
Leading the discussion will be Tim Nyblom, End User Business Manager – Higher Education, PACS at HID Global. Nyblom will work with the university panel to discuss where each of the institutions are in their respective mobile conversations on campus.
“I’m excited for the audience to hear from the panel on how they view mobile credentials for their campus,” says Nyblom. “Everywhere you turn mobile is front and center in our lives today, so how can mobile transform the student experience on their campus. What does this really mean to them?”
As mobile continues to be a hot and debated topic within higher education, institutions seem to want mobile, students are demanding mobile, and deployments are growing across all markets.
To help make sense of these trends, the university panelists will answer questions from the audience while sharing information about their views on mobile conversations with key stakeholders, why they have or have not deployed a mobile solution, and the perceived impact that mobile credentials would have on their campus department moving forward.
“Every day when I’m speaking with universities on the mobile topic, I learn new ways that can help propel a mobile project forward or uncover challenges that lead to potential roadblocks,” says Nyblom. “The audience will be able to hear directly from their colleagues on these topics which may give them some fresh ideas or solutions they could take back to their campuses.”
Panelists will also cover key questions surrounding:
“Each of our panelists have unique views on mobile and are at different stages of the process,” says Nyblom. “What type of conversations are they having on campus? Who are the stakeholders at the table?”
Vanderbilt University is one of the universities participating in HID’s session at NACCU. Representing Vanderbilt on the panel is Mark Brown, who worked closely with the team at HID to make mobile a reality on campus.
“Moving to a mobile credential was something our students had been asking us for,” says Mark Brown, Director of IT, Division of Administration, Vanderbilt University. “Coming up for almost two years later the numbers speak for themselves – it’s been an incredibly successful program with a very high level of participation across all areas of the university.”
“While it was a lot of work and planning to get launched, the level of vendor support was unlike any other project we’ve worked on,” adds Brown. “We learned a lot, and we wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.”
Vanderbilt's Brown will be joined by fellow university admins John Ealy (University of Illinois and Danny Anthes (George Mason University).
For Nyblom, who works closely with a number of HID’s campus clients, the messaging has been clear that mobile has a role to play in the industry going forward.
“The market for mobile credentials is forecasted for explosive growth over the next 5 years. We are seeing a trend and believe that an increasing number of our clients will choose to migrate from plastic to mobile credentials because of the value it delivers to their business,” explains Nyblom. “We believe the higher education market is positioned to continue to lead this charge and we are investing heavily to ensure that HID customers and partners have an easy path of transition at their own pace.”
For more information regarding HID's session and for the full slate of presentations, check out the schedule for this year's NACCU Annual Conference.
In a recent post to the NACCU Positive IDentity blog, Bankim Patel shares the results of the Association's Speedy Benchmark survey. The Speedy Benchmark is conducted by the NACCU Technology Research Committee, and is designed to collect data that's important to the Association's institutional or corporate members.
"The information learned will help guide future NACCU activities," writes Patel.
The October 2021 Speedy Benchmark pop-survey asked members about Vendor Accessibility. Specifically, NACCU asked: "Has your campus been completing accessibility review for your current and potential vendors?"
Results of the Benchmark included:
"The overall sentiment of the responses were that some vendors were doing a great job at meeting the accessibility reviews being done by the institutions and a few were having some challenges," explains Patel.
Patel also offers reasoning behind the question posed by the Benchmark.
"This information helps us build knowledge backed up by the data points so that when we are designing content, we are able to meet our members where they are and address questions early."
Singapore is expanding a contactless payment program that enables students to use smartwatches to make cashless payments at school canteens, book stores, and select retailers. The country's Ministry of Education and Singaporean bank, POSB, are behind the Smart Buddy program, that is to be extended to all primary and secondary schools, junior colleges by the year 2025.
According to a report in The Straits Times, the Smart Buddy program, launched initially by POSB in 2017 at 19 primary schools, is now being used by 80 primary and secondary schools. By 2025, that number is expected to increase to around 340 schools.
Smart Buddy, which is free for parents and students, aims to educate students on money management basics and help parents monitor their children's daily expenses, including setting spending limits. There are about 40,000 students on board now.
The program enables students to use a free Smart Buddy smartwatch or card linked to their parents' bank account to make cashless payments. Contactless payments are made by tapping the smartwatch or card at compatible payment terminals that POSB is installing in schools.
The contactless readers can also accept other payments made with stored value cards and school smart cards.
Parents can monitor how much their children spend via the Smart Buddy watch or card both on or off campus by using the free Smart Buddy mobile app for Android or iOS. Parents can also set savings goals and daily spending limits.
POSB conducted an online survey last year polling some 600 parents. The survey found that more than 65% of respondents believed that Smart Buddy helped their children save and manage their expenses better.
More than 70% of the parents felt that the program is a useful tool to help educate their children about savings and expenditure. Over 90% of the respondents felt it was important for their children to be familiar with using digital payments as the world becomes increasingly digitized.
Penn State University is issuing a new contactless campus card to its campus community. Called the id+ card, the new credential will not only bear a new card design, but will also incorporate several new contactless features for payment and access control that are expected to create a more user-friendly experience on campus.
According to an official university release, the new contactless cards will align with modern-day usage and payment trends, enable faster, encrypted transactions using Penn State meal plans, LionCash declining balance funds, and door access.
Penn State students will be able to use their ID cards on campus and at businesses where accepted. Penn State will also continue to install additional contactless card readers to underpin the new credentials.
Readers with the same contactless symbol shown on the back of the new id+ card will provide contactless payments and access.
“Campus life is changing for students in higher education,” says John Papazoglou, associate vice president for Auxiliary and Business Services at Penn State. “The updated campus card will help Penn State create a secure, seamless digital campus experience for the 21st century.”
One of the card’s great new features has to do with credentialing. “Students will be able to use their id+ cards to open digital locks and tap to pay for purchases," says Papazoglou. "This new contactless technology adds convenience and additional safety for our students.”
Incoming students and new employees will be the first groups to receive the new id+ card. The University is planning a re-carding process for all current students, faculty and staff. Details of the re-carding process will be announced as the implementation dates are confirmed.
The id+ card will also support the university's preferred name policy, and feature resource contact info for key student support organizations.
“The new id+ card design reflects recent updates to AD 84: Chosen Identity Policy, which allows the campus community to utilize their chosen and/or preferred name rather than their legal name so that they can ultimately be who they need to be in and across the Penn State community," says Brian Patchcoski, assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion in Penn State Student Affairs. "The card also features a variety of resources that our Penn State community members may utilize in furthering our collective support and community engagement, while also uplifting a key symbol of pride in our community — the Nittany Lion.”
HID Global's Nils Wahlander discusses the value of remote card issuance on campus, and the role that the company's FARGO Connect platform in bringing card issuance up to speed. Wahlander also teases HID's educational session for the NACCU Annual Conference with campus client Texas A&M.
The company’s HID FARGO Connect cloud-based card issuance solution will be one of the main topics of discussion for Wahlander at his NACCU educational session in St. Louis. In the session, Wahlander will be joined by HID colleague David O’Driscoll, and Danielle Lustick from Texas A&M.
Together the trio will share insights from both the vendor and campus side on how cloud-based card personalization is improving day-to-day operations at A&M, as well as the day-one experience for new and incoming students.
HID's NACCU session with Texas A&M is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 in the 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. time slot.
In a recent entry to NACCU's Positive IDentity blog, Jessica Bender discusses the Association's Listserv and the value it provides to NACCU members. Acting as an extension to the networking opportunities already provided by Association events, the Listserv offers members a means to connect virtually and share experiences and tips for fellow campus card professionals.
Writing for the NACCU Positive IDentity blog, Bender says:
"The one resource that always jumps to my mind when I am talking to new or potential NACCU members is the NACCU Listserv. I can’t even count on both hands how many times I have gotten an answer to a question or help with a project simply by posting a question on the Listserv."
The NACCU Listserv plays home to a number of dedicated posters who are always willing to assist their peers. It's even common to receive an answer or suggestion within minutes of posting a question, says Bender.
"Just this week I was struggling with a new card design and asked a question about the printer capabilities and I had an answer within a few minutes," she adds. "While it wasn’t the answer I had hoped for, it saved me from spending hours trying to test something that wasn’t likely to work anyway."
The Listserv provides a forum for the full range of transaction system questions. NACCU members can find answers to queries ranging from best type of card stock, to job descriptions, to how to create a policy or procedure.
Despite all its benefits, the NACCU Listserv does have its rare pain points.
"We all want to send good wishes to someone who may be leaving NACCU due to a job change or retirement; however, I am sure I am not alone in the thought that I could really stand to not see everyone else sending that person a message that says, 'Good luck or I’ll miss you,'" says Bender.
"Think about the last time you saw a topic heating up the Listserv and someone offered to host a Zoom call and you saw a “million” (I may be exaggerating) responses for everyone who wanted to be included," she adds. "I have to admit this was a little annoying."
Along with the NACCU staff, Bender and the Association have posted new etiquette tips for the Listserv on the NACCU Website.
Bender highlights some examples of replies sent to the entire Listserv in the past that all generate individual email notifications:
"In the past, some subscribers have received 30-40 emails that say 'I would also' as part of a single email chain that doesn’t apply to them," says Bender. "Those subscribers then decide to unsubscribe from the Listserv. The goal is to increase Listserv activity that benefits all members, while reducing the email clutter."
"Before responding, ask yourself whether the email benefits everyone on the Listserv or just an individual," says Bender.
Clutter and clogged inboxes aside, the Listserv remains a key resource for the entire NACCU member community. Bender encourages everyone to get involved and utilize the expertise of fellow NACCU peers, and to offer your own insights as well.
Sodexo, together with North Carolina A&T State University, has opened a virtual restaurant concept that offers mobile ordering and robot delivery from a ghost kitchen. The new 1891 Revolution dining concept leverages the latest in campus dining trends, marrying the ghost kitchen concept - a take-out/delivery only dining venue - with mobile ordering and autonomous delivery robots from Starship Technologies.
According to a Food Management report, the new virtual kitchen concept began service on March 14, using a kitchen space previously occupied by a traditional retail dining outlet. The location was already equipped with all the necessary equipment and infrastructure to prepare and package food at scale.
“Our team is always looking to find ways to implement creative and innovative concepts for our dining program," says Joe Burdi, Sodexo Resident District Manager. "A virtual kitchen concept just really seemed to fit the students’ needs and requests by providing a variety of dining and menu options, along with the convenience of the mobile ordering and delivery through our autonomous robot service.”
The ghost kitchen offers a rotation of different cuisine concepts throughout the academic year, all available for delivery via Starship robot. Offerings include made-to-order Hibachi dishes, Sodexo's Mr. Beast smashburger concept, with plans for additional concepts to be introduced in the 2022-23 academic year.
The average wait time for a robot delivery is currently 20-30 minutes, depending on how busy the kitchen is and where the delivery is to be made. Each robot carries a single order at a time. NCATSU opted to use the Higher Education Relief Fund (HERF) to support the launch of the robot delivery service, so there will be no delivery or service fees charged to students for the first two years of the program.
NCATSU launched Starship robot delivery last October, deploying a fleet of 20 robots. The initiative was so well received that Sodexo has since added 30 more robots to the fleet. In addition to orders from 1891 Revolution ghost kitchen, the robots also make deliveries from most of the retail dining concepts on campus.
NCATSU's robot delivery program overall is averaging about 400 deliveries per day, with roughly 120 of those orders being placed at 1891 Revolution. The program process over 12,000 robot delivery orders per month.
Currently, Sodexo is also looking to extend the robot delivery service to groceries and is using the spring semester to refine it with the intention of full launch in the fall.
The Associated Student Government at Miami University has voted in favor of a resolution that supports implementing Ring doorbells on campus. The resolution enables the installation of the electronic doorbells on select residence hall doors.
According to a report from The Miami Student, the initiative is intended to help create a safer environment on campus by giving students a safe place to access if they feel unsafe and cannot quickly get back to their personal residence.
“I picked what I believe to be the most strategic dorms,” said Ryan Parker, On-Campus Senator at Miami University, and one of the authors of the resolution. “We focused more on North Quad since a lot of assaults happen on North Quad.”
If students feel unsafe, they would be able to use the Ring doorbell installed on a residence hall exterior door and be let into the lobby by the Resident Assistant on duty. The RA would work with the student to diffuse the situation and help accordingly, including contacting the Miami University Police Department.
The proposal for adding Ring doorbells, though rooted in campus and student safety, does not consider any visitor management or security protocols already in place at the campus.
On-Campus Senator Zachary Roemer said if the resolution is passed, the work of installing and maintaining the doorbells will be delegated to the university information technology department.
Another concern with the Ring doorbell proposal has been student privacy, as the doorbells have cameras. Those close to the proposal say that cameras are needed to help identify the validity and severity of the situation, and discern the real threats. There is also the belief that the presence of the Ring cameras might deter some perpetrators.
Despite strong support from some student constituents, questions remain within the student government structure as to exactly how the initiative would work in practice.
“I think that the authors would be served better to bring this back when they’ve done a little bit more work with the key administrators who need to collaborate on this initiative in order for it to take place,” said Ben Waugh, Secretary of Finance for the Miami student government. “I understand that we want to show student support to those administrators, but I think in order to really gain student support we have to have a clear picture of what the initiative fully comprises.”
