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

Some Pitt students want return of swipe access at campus buildings

CampusIDNews Staff   ||   Jan 19, 2023  ||   ,

The University of Pittsburgh implemented swipe access at all on-campus buildings and residences using its campus card in August of 2020 as an added precaution during COVID-19. The expanded swipe access policy for campus buildings remained in place until July 1 of 2022, at which point the campus reverted to its normal card access protocols.

Now, according to opinions gathered by student publication, The Pitt News, some students are calling for a return of increased swipe access on campus, expressing that the card swipe policy from 2020 added a layer of security and a sense of safety when navigating campus buildings.

Currently, swipe access is required to enter on-campus residential buildings and apartment-style dorms, but no other on-campus buildings require the same swipe access.

Part of the call for more card swipe access could be related to a spike in safety concerns at the university's Oakland campus following an alleged sexual assault last October on campus. A subsequent online petition calling for increased police presence, building access restrictions, and more security cameras received some 6,000 signatures.

The Pitt News report published a few of the opinions in favor of the more stringent card swipe policy.

A freshman student told the student publication that she feels safe on Pitt’s campus, but believes that swipe access should be required for entry to university buildings, stating that "the extra level of security would benefit students."

A Pitt sophomore told The Pitt News that she felt less safe on campus after the university stopped requiring swipe access.

“Pitt’s not a campus that’s closed off to the public,” commented one Pitt student. “We’re just in the middle of a city, so I definitely think that they should bring it back. I feel safer with it.”

“I liked it better during COVID with how everyone had to swipe in,” said another student. “Even visitors had to do an online visitors pass, and I felt more safe.”

There are no current plans to return to the COVID card access policy, nor is there any indication as to just how many within the student population want to see card swipe policy return. Nevertheless,  swipe access via the student ID card seems to have made a notable impact on students' perception of campus safety, and serves as a reminder that the student credential plays a valuable role in security.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

RECENT ARTICLES

Brista Hurst UT Tyler

Learn to analyze card system data at NACCU’s popular Data Summit

In a recent CampusIDNews Chats interview, Brista Hurst-Kent, Business Technology Services Manager at the University of Texas at Tyler, shared her experience attending the NACCU Data Summit. This two-day workshop focused on empowering participants to use common reporting tools – specifically Microsoft Excel with Power Pivot and Power Query – to create interactive dashboards that […]
Credentials 101 Series banner

Understanding chip options for contactless campus cards

Three main components underly modern credential technology – chips, formats, and encryption. Each are applicable to both cards and mobile credentials and understanding them is key to making informed decisions for your campus card program. In this series of articles, we will dive into each component, but first a brief preview. Chips are the core of […]
Apex OrderHQ Array modular lockers
Jul 02, 25 /

Modular locker solution streamlines campus order pickup

Apex Order Pickup Solutions launched a new modular system of automated order pickup lockers that can be stacked or setup in custom configurations. The OrderHQ Array Series lockers work in any floor plan without expensive remodeling. In an interview with Food On Demand, Kent Savage, founder and executive chairman of Apex Order Pickup Solutions, compares […]
CIDN logo reversed
The only publication dedicated to the use of campus cards, mobile credentials, identity and security technology in the education market. CampusIDNews – formerly CR80News – has served more than 6,500 subscribers for more than two decades.
Twitter

Attn: friends in the biometrics space. Nominations close Friday for the annual Women in Biometrics Awards. Take five minutes to recognize a colleague or even yourself. http://WomenInBiometrics.com

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

Load More...
Contact
CampusIDNews is published by AVISIAN Publishing
315 E. Georgia St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.AVISIAN.com[email protected]
Use our contact form to submit tips, corrections, or questions to our team.
©2025 CampusIDNews. All rights reserved.