Card, mobile credential, payment and security
Digital credentials first issued to students in early 2023 now open to all
Faculty, staff, and visiting scholars are joining students using the official Purdue Mobile ID. They add the new mobile credential to Apple, Google, or Samsung Wallet on iPhones, Apple Watches, or Android devices.
Though the mobile ID is mandatory for students, faculty and staff opt to use their phone in addition to, or lieu of, their physical campus card. Like students, they use it to access buildings, obtain services, and make purchases on campus.
Though the mobile ID is mandatory for students, faculty and staff opt to use their phone in addition to, or lieu of, their physical campus card.
Since the early in 2023 rollout, more than 45,000 students downloaded the new credential. All new undergraduates are required to use the mobile ID.
“With the smooth and popular rollout of mobile credentials for our students this past year, we are excited to invite our faculty and staff on the West Lafayette campus the option to join this technological wave,” said Loribeth Hettinger, senior associate bursar of Purdue ID Card Operations/Support.
Prior to full availability, Hettinger’s office conducted a year-long pilot of the new ID with a group of faculty and staff. Pilot participants gave the phone-based ID a 95% satisfaction rate, she says.
Still, Purdue is not mandating usage to non-student populations. Those who want to continue using their physical ID card are welcome to do so, and both options are fully supported.
Purdue is “Mobile First” for students but flexible for faculty and staff.
The decision to make mobile credentials optional for staff but required, or “Mobile First,” for students comes from understanding the different needs and workflows of each group, says Tim Riley, Purdue’s bursar and assistant controller.
The goal is to eliminate the need for hard-copy ID cards for all 50,000 West Lafayette students over the next few years.
It allows for modernization of the card system for those who benefit most from it, while offering flexibility to employees and visiting scholars who may prefer physical cards.
“Our Purdue students rely more heavily on smartphones for daily tasks, from scheduling to communications and campus navigation,” Riley says. “The goal is to eliminate the need for hard-copy ID cards for all 50,000 West Lafayette students over the next few years.”
Undergraduates who do not have a smartphone or a model that supports NFC credentials can still get a physical ID card.
Purdue laid the groundwork for mobile credentials a decade ago by working with Transact to update door readers and point-of-sale devices.
This was crucial because Transact’s platform integrates with Purdue’s on-campus payment systems, including its BoilerExpress accounts and meal plans. BoilerExpress users make payments at dining halls, vending machines, and bookstores using their cards and now mobile devices.
To date more than 1,000 faculty and staff are using mobile credentials. Ultimately, this could extend to a population of more than 18,000.
