Card, mobile credential, payment and security
In this episode of CampusIDNews Chats, Emily Dieker, Director of the GWorld Card Program at George Washington University, discussed the critical role her team plays in campus emergency response and lockdowns.
When she assumed the director role in 2019, she realized that despite having system capabilities to initiate lockdowns, the university lacked coordination among emergency personnel, her office, and other key departments. This gap motivated her to strengthen cross-departmental relationships and advocate for expanded system capabilities.
Initially, the card system controlled only 40% of external doors, but she helped get card readers installed on all external entrances, making rapid lockdowns a reality.
One of Dieker’s early successes was convincing leadership of the card system’s potential to make campuswide lockdowns possible. At the time, the system controlled only 40% of external doors, but she helped get card readers installed on all external entrances, making rapid lockdowns a reality.
She says that lockdown protocols are nuanced and situation dependent. Rather than locking down the entire campus during emergencies, GWU uses targeted lockdowns to isolate affected buildings while allowing others to remain accessible. This approach avoids trapping individuals outside and promotes safer sheltering strategies.
GWU uses CBORD’s CS Gold platform, which enables Dieker’s team to assign different privileges to different roles. This allows customized access so that police and emergency teams can initiate lockdowns but not unlock doors – ensuring security remains tightly controlled.
To listen to the full interview, click the image at the top of this page.
Transcript:
I would say my journey on this started when I became director of the card office in 2019.
We had lockdown capabilities for many years, but we didn't have the proper relationship with our campus emergency personnel, our police department, our emergency management team to really utilize it.
I'd been in the office in lower roles previously, but when I became director, it suddenly became my problem. And I became very nervous. This is what kept me up at night because I was like, what if there's an emergency?
If we need to lock down campus, you know, active shooter, violent situation on campus. Fortunately, we haven't had anything terrible like that happen, but we had some close calls.
And my concern was, am I making that decision?
Does anyone know that my system has the power, our card system has the power to respond to this and to help with this? So, when I became director in 2019, I tried to get people's attention on this.
I was very fortunate. I benefited from a new boss who I reported to who also oversaw campus safety, including police department and emergency operations team.
I raised it to that person's attention that said, hey, we can lock down. But by the way, we only control 40% of external doors on campus. If we controlled all the doors on campus, we could lock down the campus with a click of a mouse, a push of a button.
And that was the right person to tell that story to because a year later, we had readers on every single exterior entrance door to campus.
We didn't put readers on exit doors, but we put readers on every external entrance to campus so that we could lock it down.
And it started with that conversation and me having a scary talk with that person and saying, do you understand this risk?
I could talk also about the decision of what is a lockdown? So, you know, people think that, okay, are you locking all the doors? Or are you locking everybody out?
My leadership over the past few years, we've worked together closely to say that we don't want to lock down and lock everybody out unless there is a direct emergency in that place.
Say we have an active shooter on campus, we're not going to put, and again, we're a CBORD school, so the terminology for us is emergency mode, but the terminology for the general public, you know, is lockdown, right?
We don't want to put the entire campus into emergency mode because suddenly people who are outside are stuck outside and they can't get in. So, making everybody who's making these decisions and who works in emergency understand if there's an emergency, we're going to lock campus.
We're going to take every single door and we're going to push the button, which for us is the system button. We're going to go log in and say lock, and then we can lock in seconds.
And then if it's identified that, you know, building XYZ has a direct threat inside the building or directly outside the building, then we'll put building XYZ into emergency mode and we'll send out alerts saying don't go to building XYZ, seek shelter elsewhere.
So we work really closely on that protocol and helping our campus understand what that means.
There's been a big campaign from our emergency management team to say this is what we do in this scenario, this is what evacuate means, this is what shelter-in-place means, this is what run-hide-fight means.
So I'm getting them to define that all for the community and to give it out in safety trainings, in signage in the classrooms, in other places on social media.
They get it out wherever they can so that we can really make this common sense for our customers, our students, our faculty and staff, so that when that emergency happens, they're not having another freak out of okay, what do I do now?
We're giving them instructions that are clear and concise and they know the drill, they know what to do.
To get buy-in from other peers on campus via the police department, emergency management, maybe facilities that separate and does card access, I would recommend really trying to scare them, not in a bad way, but being realistic about if we don't work together and if we don't have a policy on how to lock down campus and we don't have a set procedure on how to do this, these are the consequences.
In an emergency, seconds matter and having the person properly trained so that when there is an emergency, you're not relying on one person. So have those upfront conversations with people, even if you don't have the existing relationship. I didn't have those relationships when I first came into my role, but I had to find the path to them.
But like I said, that's what was keeping me up at night and now it's other stuff keeping me up at night.
So, CBORD has been great for that. I can do it from my phone. I log into the VPN, I log into CS Gold. It takes 30 seconds at the most, but it shouldn't even take that long. I can do it from a desktop computer, but CS Gold, you can build it so that colleagues in other departments can have limited capabilities.
And so that was an important thing for us. Our emergency management team does not have full access to CS Gold, but they have full access to the lockdown module. Same thing with our police department. And when we were building that out, we said we want these people who help us in an emergency, we want them to be able to do emergency mode and we want them to be able to do lock mode.
We don't want them to do unlock mode because we don't want them to accidentally unlock anything. That's not their responsibility. Unlocking, we don't ever want somebody to just accidentally unlock them. We want unlocking to be a very thoughtful process.
And so having the ability to cut pieces of our system and say you can log into this part and you can't log into the other part.
We've actually worked with our police department and IT to have these are parts of CS Gold that the police department security operations center is supposed to be locked into at all times so that if there is an emergency, they can click these couple of clicks and it does what they need to do.
That has been a super powerful tool that I wouldn't be comfortable giving them if CBORD didn't give us the ability to limit their access and really customize what we wanted them to do.
In terms of who makes a decision in an emergency, we do have a matrix that our emergency operations team put together. I don't have that in front of me today, but it's basically, you know, for a lower-level emergency, it's like a police sergeant and higher. For a higher-level emergency, it is like a police chief or the VP who oversees both police and our team.
That's all documented so that I don't have the issue of someone calling and asking me to do this and then wait, do you have the authority to do that?
The idea is we give the people who have the authority to do this also the tools to do it themselves so that they can do this and they don't have to rely on me or another team member to answer the phone and do it for them.
We have an EMTF. Emergency Management folks love their acronyms, but EMTF stands for Emergency Management Task Force and that is a group of people leaders across all of campus.
From a student experience side, from an academic side, we'll have representatives from every school in that. We'll have representatives from athletics, law, representatives from facilities, and my team, and all of these other teams that keep campus running on a day-to-day basis.
If there's an emergency, if there's a power outage, a data center outage, a network outage, any of these smaller things or if there's a protest kind of effecting buildings or it's effecting students. Then we have a process to quickly pull together this team and say, hey, we're getting on a call in 25 minutes.
Everybody gets on. We've got an established e-room to meet in. And we all get on that and we all talk about, hey, what are the issues keeping operations going for your unit?
What about card access? What about dining? How can we still feed our students in that situation?
And so having the ability to pull together that group of leaders on campus and have a conversation and know that we have our time here at the table.
A new study by the Cybernews research team examined a dataset containing more than 19 billion passwords made public in recent breaches. The goal was to determine the number of weak vs. strong and unique vs. reused passwords.
The results were far from encouraging.
Researchers looked at exposed credentials from about 200 breaches that occured between April 2024 and April 2025.
Passwords containing ultra-common terms like “password”, “admin”, and “123456” remain the most common.
One researcher called it an epidemic of weak password reuse, with just 6% of passwords being unique. For the other 94% of weak or reused passwords, the only defense against dictionary attacks is two-factor authentication.
Despite a decade-long effort to educate users about password security, there has been little progress.
Users included “1234” in 4% of all passwords. “Password” and “123456” have been the most common passwords throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
People's names were the second most prevalent component. The 100 most popular names of 2025 were included in 8% of all passwords. Common words like “love” and pop culture terms like “batman” were also extremely reused.
42% of all passwords are between 8 and 10 characters, but experts say 12-characters is the minimum to ensure security.
Most people use eight-to-ten-character passwords (42%), with eight the most popular.
One-third (27%) contain only lowercase letters and digits, significantly increasing vulnerability.
But this is changing.
Research from 2022 found that only 1% of passwords used a mix of lowercase, uppercase, numbers, and symbols. This 2025 study found that number has grown dramatically to 19%, likely due to stricter platform requirements.
In addition to researchers, attackers have access to these password lists and many others. As new breaches occur, they add to their lists and continually refine attacks.
Weak, reused, and obvious passwords increase your chance to fall victim to an attack. If you reuse passwords across multiple services and accounts, a breach in one system can compromise other accounts.
More than one-quarter of the passwords contain only lowercase letters and digits, rather than the recommended mix of uppercase, lowercase, digits, and special characters.
All users should take steps to improve their password habits.
CampusIDNews caught up with Detrios’ Amanda Imperial to discuss the company’s DAX product and its applications in higher ed. DAX is an off-the-shelf middleware solution that connects event management systems and housing systems to an institution’s access control system.
It automates door access based on scheduling data, assigning entry permissions in real-time for students and faculty.
For academic events, DAX can configure pre- and post-event access time windows, unlocking doors slightly before and locking them slightly after scheduled events.
For academic events, DAX can configure pre- and post-event access time windows, unlocking doors slightly before and locking them slightly after scheduled events.
In housing scenarios, it creates dynamic access maps to manage student access to dorms, common areas, and exterior doors.
It integrates with scheduling systems like 25Live, EMS, Mazevo, and Ad Astra, and housing systems such as StarRez and Adirondack.
Detrios supports more than 90 institutions – 50 using custom integrations and 40 using the off-the-shelf DAX product.
Listen in to hear how Auburn and Wake Forest have used DAX to streamline access operations and reduce manual workloads.
To watch the full interview, click the image at the top of this page.
Transcript:
My name is Amanda. I'm team lead for integrations at Detrios, and I'm going to talk a little bit about our DAX product.
It's an off-the-shelf integration middleware piece that sits between event management systems, housing systems, and an access control system.
So the way that it works is it automates those schedules from that system, and it unlocks and locks doors real time and assigns access to students or faculty as they need them based on their reservation system.
And the way that it works is that using for scheduling the event profiles that we build in DAX, you can say that for an academic class, you might want to assign a pre and post role, you know, 15 minutes or five minutes at the end.
And say when a reservation comes in from 25Live, EMS, Mazevo, Ad Astra, any number of those scheduling systems that based on that reservation time and it's an academic class and the pre and post role you set up, I want those doors to unlock a little bit ahead of that reservation and then relock at the end of that reservation.
And then for housing, for example for StarRez or Adirondack, those are the systems we currently support, we'll take those reservations that you put in at the beginning of the semester, between semesters, and it will assign access based on a dynamic housing access map that we create in DAX based on, say, the building and the room and the floor, giving students access to common areas, to their dorm room that they need access to, and maybe to any exterior readers that they need access to.
So Detrios has worked with higher education customers for a number of years, we have about 50 plus now, with a handful of different custom integrations, and then we have about 40 with our DAX product.
And we have lots of use cases for different ways that they use DAX or different ways that they've maybe used custom integrations that we wrote for them to help streamline their processes and automate and remove human error from those processes.
So a great example, you know, my co-presenter recently with Auburn University, we talked about our DAX product and how Auburn University uses DAX, as well as a Detrios cardholder import feed to automate their process for a student start to finish so that it's a seamless integration.
And then another use case, our pilot customer for DAX, Wake Forest University, they were seeking a solution for, you know, we've got event schedules, and we've got tons and tons and tons of rooms and readers, and it's a manual process. There's a lot of, you know, calling security at 8 p.m. after hours, and it's, you know, it's not supportable.
It's a lot of man hours.
So Detrios was founded about eight now. We were acquired in 2022 by Swift Connect as our parent company now and obviously their focus is in mobile credentialing.
And so Detrios' focus and the reason that the partnership and that relationship came to be is that, you know, Swift works with access control systems and mobile credentialing, and Detrios' expertise is in decades of working with access control systems.
So they found that, you know, putting that relationship together, taking our experts at Detrios that make certified integrations with access control systems, we have a good relationship with those manufacturers and those vendors, and utilizing that to create solutions that are well supported.
They're designed well from the get-go. They're meant for long-term; it’s not put it in place and then never hear from us again. They're long-term supported integrations and solutions.
If you want to learn more about what Detrios does, you can reach out, email us at [email protected] or [email protected].
We can talk about custom integrations, access control solutions, and most importantly our DAX product.
In today’s digital world, QR codes have become a pervasive tool for sharing information quickly and conveniently. From restaurant menus to concert tickets and campus mobile apps to marketing campaigns, QR codes offer a contactless, efficient method of bridging the physical and digital worlds. But what exactly are QR codes, how do they work, and where did they come from?
QR code stands for "Quick Response" code. It was invented in 1994 by a Japanese engineer named Masahiro Hara, who was working for Denso Wave, a subsidiary of the Toyota Group. The company was looking for a more efficient way to track automotive parts during manufacturing.
They were experiencing two major problems with traditional one-dimensional linear barcodes. First, they were limited in the amount of information they could store. But more importantly, they required precise alignment for scanning, which slowed down production processes.
Hara and his team developed a two-dimensional barcode that could hold much more information than standard barcodes and be read at high speed from any angle. Inspired by the black and white patterns of the board game Go, the QR code was born. Denso Wave decided not to patent the QR code, which allowed for its free and widespread adoption – a decision that proved critical to its global success.
Though they were developed in 1994, they did not take off globally until smartphones equipped with cameras and internet connectivity became mainstream.
Initially used in industrial settings, QR codes gained popularity in the early 2000s in Japan for commercial and marketing purposes. They took off globally when smartphones equipped with cameras and internet connectivity became mainstream. By the 2010s, QR codes were being used for a wide range of applications, from advertising and payments to ticketing and identity verification.
The Covid pandemic gave the tech another significant boost as the world sought contactless ways to share information.
At its core, a QR code is a type of matrix barcode made up of black squares arranged on a white background. Unlike traditional linear barcodes that store data horizontally in just one direction, QR codes store information both horizontally and vertically. This allows them to hold hundreds of times more data than a traditional barcode.
Here’s a breakdown of how they work:
(1) Data Encoding: The information – such as a URL, text, or student ID number – is first encoded into a series of zeros and ones known as binary format. This binary data is then mapped onto a two-dimensional grid of black and white squares.
(2) Structure: A typical QR code includes several key components:
(3) Scanning and Decoding: A QR code scanner – typically a smartphone camera with the right software – reads the pattern, processes the encoded binary data, corrects for any errors, and then displays the decoded information.
The first QR codes could store up to 41 numeric characters or 25 alphanumeric characters. If you consider a product number, student ID number, or a short URL, this was sufficient. Even the very first codes could store enough data to link to a website like campusIDnews.com.
QR Code with link to CampusIDNews.com
These numbers have grown massively over the past two decades.
Currently, the maximum symbol size can contain more than 31,000 squares and store 7,089 numeric characters or 4,269 alphanumeric ones.
Currently, the maximum symbol size can contain 177x177 squares. This totals more than 31,000 squares, or 3KB of data. A QR code of that size can store 7,089 numeric characters or 4,269 alphanumeric ones.
The ability of QR codes to be scanned from various angles and still function even if partially damaged makes them particularly useful in real-world conditions. Over the years, they have evolved from a manufacturing tool to a versatile medium for information sharing across many industries. Some of the most common uses include:
On college campuses, QR codes have become a versatile tool for enhancing communication, streamlining services, and improving student engagement.
Dining services often use QR codes for contactless menu and mobile ordering, making the dining experience faster and more convenient. In some cases, they are also used for access to dining halls and meal plan utilization.
Posters and bulletin boards across campus frequently include QR codes linking to more information, sign-up forms, or social media pages, allowing students to engage with campus life instantly. Campus organizations use them for event check-in and campus safety links to emergency contact information, safety apps, and anonymous reporting tools.
Additionally, QR-coded ID cards support library services, exam check-ins, and package pickups, providing a contactless way to confirm identity and streamline processes.
With the rapid digitization of services and the ongoing need for contactless solutions, QR codes are likely to remain a staple of our everyday lives. They are now integrated into digital IDs, business cards, smart packaging, and even augmented reality experiences.
As technology advances, QR codes may become more dynamic and secure. Newer variations like dynamic QR codes can be updated with new information without changing the code itself. Innovations in visual design are also making QR codes more aesthetically appealing and brand specific.
From their humble beginnings in a Japanese factory to their current role in global commerce and communication, QR codes have proven to be a remarkably adaptable and powerful tool. Their ability to store information in a compact, scannable format has made them an essential bridge between the physical and digital realms.
In a move to modernize campus access, University of California at Irvine trialed Amazon One, a contactless biometric system that uses palm vein recognition for identity verification.
Wayne Fields, UC Irvine’s Assistant Director for Student Affairs IT, says he was inspired by a visit to Whole Foods where he saw the biometric devices in action. He’d been looking for a way to streamline access on campus, and he thought this might be the answer.
His goal was to find a faster, more secure way for students to access campus services – especially dining halls – without needing to present a card or phone.
The university already partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS), so acquiring the necessary hardware was a straightforward process. Over the summer, the pilot was launched in campus dining facilities, and the response from students was overwhelmingly positive.
UC Irvine has 9,000 new students each year and 17,000 residents on campus, most of which have a meal plan. Enrollment of all those people will be a challenge so a self-enrollment option is key.
Amazon One's contactless palm vein technology offered a quick, secure, and hygienic alternative to ID cards. Students were eager to try the new system, while Amazon welcomed the opportunity to gather real-world feedback.
He says the biometric project aligns with broader institutional goals of sustainability and cloud-based solutions. As part of the University of California’s sustainability initiative, the campus is transitioning from on-prem servers to cloud-based infrastructure.
“I think that folks should keep their eye on the cloud-based technologies and where they're evolving,” he says. “That's really where we need to get to.”
Transcript:
I first learned about Amazon One by going to the Whole Foods store and at the time Amazon was trying to do their Amazon Go grocery stores and they've kind of stopped that effort.
But what interested me was that they had this hardware that I saw was contactless and in my mind I was like, okay, fingerprint readers are very, you know, they're everywhere, right?
They're pretty across the board, but you have to still touch it. And coming out of the pandemic I was like, what type of contactless technology similar to mobile can we use but is going beyond mobile credential?
Because I see biometrics as the next logical step where students don't actually have to present anything other than themselves to verify their identity.
And so that's really what started me thinking about, well, can I get some type of this hardware? Our campus has an agreement with AWS and I reached out to our representative and said, hey, can you get me some terminals, I'd like to test this in dining.
And so that's how we got the ball rolling.
So last summer we partnered with Amazon One to bring in their hardware to our dining halls to do a pilot program to see the adoption among students and whether we could get them into the dining hall faster than is currently happening with their cards or their phones, scanning the QR code.
So what we found is that students were really excited about this and Amazon was very excited to learn, you know, what it is that students are looking for, what could they do better.
Over the course of the summer we came up with a list of lessons learned to try to give Amazon some ideas for their future roadmap.
Well, I think what we're seeing now is you're starting to see everyone really rushing the gold rush of mobile credentials, right?
We've moved away from plastic, we've moved away from mag stripes, we're moving away from barcodes and mobile credentials is where everybody's going.
But I'm already thinking past that, right? I'm thinking like beyond mobile credential, biometric is the next thing.
Now, facial is problematic. A lot of campuses tried facial, but there's been a lot of pushback because of privacy and security reasons.
And so I thought, you know, the palm vein technology is more accurate.
And it's not as problematic in that students will have full control through Amazon to delete their template at any time or to share their template between our campus and let's say the local Whole Foods.
So if they want to go shopping, they can basically go into Amazon one app and say share my template.
And when they walk into Whole Foods, if they've got a credit card tied to their account, they can make purchases there.
So this is where I see things are really going to progress to. It's much easier, less friction.
On our campus, I see a very definite digital divide between the students and the staff and the faculty.
And it's really funny because the students during the Amazon One pilot, they were jazzed, they were excited. They were like, this is new, this is cool, we want to try this. And when we told HR, we want to bring this for staff and the faculty, we're pushing back. The faculty are already like, we need a physical ID, we have to visually verify students based on their photo.
And I'm like, but you have a biometric that's literally been verified.
So this digital divide, it's kind of funny for me to see the students are all embracing the technology, but the staff and the faculty are not there yet, they're not in that place.
So it's a constant education process.
I guess one of the points that really sold us is that it is all cloud based.
Our campus is really, we just entered into a contract with Amazon to literally forklift all of our on premise servers into the cloud.
And so over the course of the next year, we're really pushing from a sustainability point.
The University of California has sustainability goals that they're trying to meet.
And part of it is moving servers into the cloud, reducing energy costs.
And I think that products that speak to cloud based are really where people should be heading.
There are some vendors out there that are still doing some on prem things, but I don't agree that that's the right pathway.
So I think that folks should keep their eye on really the cloud based technologies and where they're evolving and they're getting more security because that's really where we need to get to.
So I think that's the right pathway.
When Julia Lehman first arrived at State Fair Community College (SFCC) in Sedalia, Missouri, she was lost and unsure where to head.
“I was a bit disoriented, and like, ‘Where is the nearest map?’” said the incoming freshman business management major.
Lehman didn’t have to look far for help to find her way around campus. She pulled out her mobile phone, opened her school’s campus app, and began navigating.
“We have Google Maps in there,” said Tammie Montgomery, director of enterprise communications for SFCC. “Students can even drill down to the building, find the room numbers, and take a look around. They can see where their classrooms are before they get here.”
SFCC uses 360u from TouchNet as their campus app platform. It houses the student ID and connects students to campus services and resources to navigate student life. Users simply scan a barcode on the app to make payments and access a wide range of services.
Using the 360u app to navigate unfamiliar surroundings is one of the first ways it can help students as they transition from a structured day in high school to being fully responsible for their schedule.
Incoming freshman Ziek Barth-Fagan knew going to college would be a big life change and that he would rely on the app during the transition.
When I downloaded the app, I felt like I was finally in college and out of high school. It made me feel accomplished.
“Transferring from high school to college – definitely going to be a struggle,” he joked. “The app will give me structure, help me plan my schedule, and get through the next two years. When I downloaded it, I felt like I was finally in college and out of high school. It made me feel accomplished.”
Setting their students up for success is one of SFCC’s goals. As students begin arriving on campus for their first classes, the college hosts a program called “First Two Weeks,” designed to help students acclimate to college life.
“During those first two weeks, we have multiple activities each day for students, and they use the app as for entry to those activities,” said Brent Bates, SFCC president. “It helps us track students’ participation to evaluate the success of our events, and it also helps us make informed decisions about what is working and what is not.”
Data from OneCard – the student ID system that powers 360u – not only helps improve student activities, but it can alert campus workers to those who may be struggling.
Students access their digital student ID within the 360u app to use their meal plans. These transactions create data that alerts campus workers to potential problems.
One of the reports I use regularly shows students who haven’t used their meal plan in the past week. It’s an early notification that maybe a student might be struggling.
“One of the reports I use regularly shows students who haven’t used their meal plan in the past week,” said Montgomery. “It’s an early notification that maybe a student might be struggling. I send it off to the residence director, and they can check up on the student to see if there’s a problem.”
In addition to maps and meals, students can use their campus app as a declining balance account. Students can load funds to their student ID that can be used for purchases at vendors including the campus bookstore where they can pick up school supplies and swag.
Having the ID on their phone comes in handy as younger generations rely less and less on traditional wallets.
“Students appreciate their digital IDs on their cell phone because they’re never too far away from them,” said Nancy Theisen, account receivable specialist at SFCC. “They grew up with cell phones and have their phones with them all the time. They may not have their wallet or a physical ID card, but now it's always handy on their phone.”
The digital student ID prevents students from paying for a new ID, because they are less likely to lose their mobile phone than a physical ID card. Not only does a digital ID save money and time for students, but it does so for the business office as well. In addition to reducing the number of physical cards printed, each student can upload their picture within 360u, eliminating the need for campus employees to snap student photos.
“Printing cards costs money because we have to order the supplies, the cards, the ink, the ribbons, and the printer,” said Montgomery. “So, we save by not having to print for every student. We also have extended campuses, so now we don’t have to print the cards and courier them to the other locations. We don’t need staff to take pictures, print cards, manage the cards, or mail the cards.”
Physical cards cost money because of the supplies, cards, ribbons, and printers. Now we don’t need staff to take pictures, print cards, manage the cards, or mail the cards.
For Barth-Fagan, the 360u app is not only something he’ll use as part of his college life, it mirrors the rise in technology he’s grown up with.
“My phone is my go-to instead of my wallet. I use my phone for basically everything from keeping my documents organized to paying for whatever I need at stores. Technology has played a major role in my life.”
To learn more about TouchNet 360u and the OneCard Campus ID platform, visit touchnet.com.
About Melissa Medeiros
With over twenty years in the payments industry, Melissa has partnered, brought to market, and managed multiple innovative solutions. With expertise in security and compliance, breaking down complex concerns into easy to understand solutions is what she does. Melissa brings that expertise to support a team of high-performing professionals committed to driving solutions for higher education by simplifying and building consistency with familiarity in student and administrative engagement across campus.
During its general assembly on April 22, the University of Texas at Austin Student Government introduced a bill to push for the implementation of digital student IDs to replace the existing physical cards.
The assembly referred the bill to a committee for review, and it will vote on the bill at an upcoming meeting at the end of April.
Jeremiah Clarke, the Ethics & Oversight Chair and bill co-author, introduced the resolution for the mobile IDs, saying it would reduce the inconvenience and cost associated with lost or damaged physical cards.
Of course, the legislation also stresses the advantages of accessing campus buildings and sporting events using smartphones or smartwatches.
A Student Government officer acknowledged that a significant hurdle to be cleared is upgrading the campus reader infrastructure to support mobile credentials.
Like other student-led efforts to push their institutions to consider going mobile, this bill highlights other peer institutions that have already implemented digital IDs, including the University of Alabama and the University of Oklahoma.
In an article in the Daily Texan, Clark says, “it is something that other SEC schools have (and) other Texas schools,” Clarke says. “It just makes sense for students, (and) it makes sense for the administration.”
The article notes that the Student Government’s goal is to implement the new IDs by the fall, though the University has not confirmed the timeline. Of course, unless the institution has been preparing for the move already, that launch date is highly unlikely.
A Student Government officer acknowledged that a significant hurdle to be cleared is upgrading the campus reader infrastructure to support mobile credentials.
Student Government officers have met with both the President’s office and the Dean of Students’ office to discuss the project.
This is not the first time the Student Government has discussed its desire for mobile credentials. Shortly after the initial launches at Duke University, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama in 2018, the group discussed the idea.
While the bill is almost certain to pass the vote by the full assembly and the recommendation be made to administration, what happens next is always the challenge for student-led initiatives.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Bill 10 into law on April 16, 2025, eliminating university-issued student IDs as an acceptable form of photo identification for voting. The bill’s passage marks a significant change to Indiana’s Voter ID law, first enacted in 2005.
The Indiana House of Representatives approved the amended legislation on April 2. The bill then returned to the Republican-majority State Senate, which passed it in a 39-9 vote along party lines.
Students who previously relied on campus IDs must now travel off-campus to DMV offices to secure the necessary identification, a step that voting rights advocates say could discourage participation.
Indiana’s decision reflects broader national debates over voter ID requirements, with Republicans arguing that stricter identification laws protect election integrity, while Democrats criticize such measures as tools to suppress voter turnout – especially among students and marginalized communities.
Before the new law, student IDs from Indiana’s public universities were valid photo identification at the polls, provided they included required elements like a photo and expiration date. However, registering to vote in Indiana has always required proof of residency, meaning students also needed a document showing where they lived – whether in the campus community or in their home state.
Where the prior Voter ID law allowed student IDs, Senate Bill 10 removes them from the list of acceptable credentials. Now only Indiana driver’s licenses, military ID cards, Indiana photo ID cards, and U.S. passports are accepted.
The number of Purdue students registering to vote locally fell sharply from 7,000 in 2020 to just 3,000 in 2024. Opponents of the new law expect that number to drop further with the elimination of student IDs as valid voter identification.
The change specifically impacts out-of-state students who previously used their university-issued IDs to cast ballots in Indiana.
Under the new law, students who wish to vote in Indiana must present both proof of residency and a government-issued photo ID – that is no longer their student ID. Those who do not already have an Indiana driver’s license or other valid ID must now obtain one or pay $165 for a U.S. passport.
A report in the IndyStar cites similar concerns among critics of the new law, suggesting it places an additional burden on college students, especially those from out of state. Students who previously relied on campus IDs must now travel off-campus to DMV offices to secure the necessary identification, a step that voting rights advocates say could discourage participation.
The Purdue Exponent reported that the number of Purdue University students registering to vote locally fell sharply from around 7,000 in 2020 to just 3,000 in 2024. Opponents of the new law expect that number to drop further with the elimination of student IDs as valid voter identification.
At the NACCU 2025 Annual Conference, the association presented its yearly awards for everything from best marketing to innovative technology and distinguished service to outstanding volunteers. Recipients included both longstanding industry leaders as well as rising stars.
The award recognizes an institution’s use of video to communicate the purpose and intent of the card program. The recipient is chosen by popular vote from NACCU members. To check out the video, click the image at the top of this page.
Winner: University of Notre Dame
NACCU 2025 Best Card Design AwardThe award is presented annually for the submission which receives the most votes from NACCU members. Voters are asked to consider the visual impact, creativity and representation of the institution.
Winner: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The award recognizes the success of a NACCU Institutional Member that has introduced a unique technology-based solution to address a challenge at their institution in support of services used by campus card programs.
This year’s award recipients combined two IDs – campus card and the transit card – into one. Without no solution available in the market, they created a customized integration between three universities and transit providers. Their work has eased administrative workloads cut costs, and the improved life for more than 70,000 students.
Winner: University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and Algonquin College
The award recognizes an individual who has worked for no more than five years with campus ID systems but has made significant contributions to their institution, the industry and to the association.
Winner: Nelson Olivier from Mississippi State University
The award honors an individual whose volunteer service to the association during the current or previous calendar year is unmatched, encompassing the ideals and commitment to the NACCU community.
Winner: Anthony Condo, Swarthmore College
The award recognizes individuals who have significantly advanced their campus card programs through advocacy, collaboration, and support. These champions have made outstanding contributions to their campuses and credential programs — regardless of their departmental affiliation.
Winners: Liam Gingrow, University of Pennsylvania and Sharon Webster, University at Albany
The award is presented annually to a NACCU member who has continually advanced the industry, exhibited entrepreneurial spirit, and served the community through exceptional service to advisory boards, education, and other contributions.
Winner: Deborah Nightingale, Liberty University (recently retired)
This premier award is given to institutional or corporate members who have been pioneers or spurred the growth of the campus card industry, significantly helped NACCU members advance systems on their campuses, and been instrumental in the growth of the association.
Winner: Jennifer McNeill, TouchNet (formerly University of Alberta)
On April 8 at the NACCU Annual Business Meeting, Kim Pfeffer began her new role as President of the NACCU Board of Directors. Her term will last through the NACCU 2026 Annual Business Meeting. Outgoing President Janet Rauhe passed the ceremonial gavel in front of a packed house in Henderson, NV.
Pfeffer currently serves as Director of the EmoryCard program and Interim Director of Campus Life Technology Services at Emory University in Atlanta. She has spent more than 20 years working in various areas of campus life and auxiliary services, but according to a NACCU announcement, she “found her home in the campus card industry.”
In 2020, she was named NACCU Volunteer of the Year, and she has been on the Board of Directors since 2021. She is a faculty member for the Industry Essentials Institute and a frequent conference and webinar presenter.
She joined Emory in 2018 after working at LaSalle University and Thomas Jefferson University.
Her accolades from – and service to – NACCU and the campus card industry are impressive. In the past decade, she has served in virtually every available volunteer role.
In 2020, she was named NACCU Volunteer of the Year, and she has been on the Board of Directors since 2021. She is a faculty member for the Industry Essentials Institute and a frequent conference and webinar presenter.
Through participation in NACCU professional development programs including the Standards and Guidelines program (SAGs) and the Data Summit, she has continually added to her expertise.
Pfeffer earned a B.A in History from Millersville University and an Ed.M. in Educational Administration from Temple University.
On a personal note, Kim has been a great friend, supporter, and contributor to our team at
CampusIDNews over the years. We thank her for her help and dedication to our industry, and we congratulate her on this new role.
