New campus card readers increase safety, ease of use

New card readers are being installed on all doors across campus to allow for easier, contactless entry by students, staff and faculty, as well as to increase safety.

The new readers will allow for additional security measures for campus buildings while providing easier access for those affected. While swiping cards has been the norm for many years, the new readers will allow for radio-frequency identification technology utilizing Near-Field Communication to allow entry.

“Instead of swiping your card, you now simply present your card towards the center of the reader within about an inch distance until you receive an indication of the door unlocking,” Facilities IT Manager Glen Granberry said.

To utilize the new card readers, all students and faculty will be issued new cards that take advantage of the contactless entry. The cards will also have a magnetic strip on the back so that they can take advantage of the new system as well as the older swipe system as it’s replaced building by building.

“The focus for the summer is to try to update highly used student areas first in order to minimize interruption during the fall,” said Granberry. “The first buildings to have the new reader technology installed will be all residence halls, starting with the Quad dorms, with completion of all dorm buildings to occur about mid-June.”

Additional student facing buildings will continue to be upgraded leading up to the fall semester. “Work will continue in the fall with academic buildings school by school,” said Granberry.

Employees and students in buildings with new readers being installed will be issued new cards before work is started. The Onboarding Center has a schedule in place to refresh cards for all faculty and staff and will work with departmental HR offices to notify employees of the new card issuance.

“No change to the level of access to spaces will occur during the swap out of these new readers,” said Granberry. “The only thing that will change is the way users interact with the readers.”

Click here to read more about the new ID cards.