The Future of Access Control: 2022 and Beyond

Providing a flexible, secure environment for students is on the mind of nearly every campus administrator. 

Safety is a growing concern and while students demand more flexibility and a secure campus, administrators are pressed to adapt to new technology that can meet needs as they change over time.

Currently, improving access controls leading the way. It fulfills student requests and gives administrators the ability to tailor capabilities that work best for their unique campus.

Let’s take a look at how access control is furthering campuses in 2022 and beyond.

Student ID Mobile Credentials are Offering Flexibility

Card-based solutions have been the primary source of access on and around college campuses. However, many administrators are beginning to see the negative effects of physical cards. They:

•  Are expensive to duplicate yearly or once they’ve been lost or stolen
•  Cannot easily be updated with new functions
•  Are often left behind by students

As a replacement, they are turning to student ID mobile credentials. These offer solutions to the downsides of traditional cards and provide unique benefits as well:

• Students can tap enabled devices on an access control system to get into buildings, pay for meals, use printing credits, and even enter events.
• Reduced theft and unauthorized access, considering students are rarely found without their phones nearby.
• They are easy to enable and disable as needed.
• When there is a need for a new function or upgrade, it can be pushed without reprinting cards or changing systems.

By relying on student ID mobile credentials, students and administrators are seeing these benefits, which boil down to improved flexibility and security on campus.

Liberty University Sets an Example

The partnership between Transact and Liberty University is the perfect example. Their desire to provide a modern credential experience students expect matched the abilities of Transacts Campus ID Solutions and NFC-enabled contactless campus cards and allowed Liberty to create an engaging experience across campus while reaching a balance of security, performance, and price.

 The flexibility of the contactless campus cards allowed students access to places like the:

•  Fitness center
•  Post office
•  Athletic venues
•  Laundry facilities
•  Vending
•  And other locations the pass was accepted

More Management Abilities For Campus Administrators

Not only are access control systems, like student ID mobile credentials, bringing flexibility to students, but they are also offering campus administrators more management abilities.

Configure Systems to Meet Your Campus’ Needs

The systems are configurable meaning administrators can manage the system with mobile monitoring, momentary unlock, lockdown/override options, including third-party vendor relationships, and more. This security feature extends beyond what is available with traditional cards.

Keep Students, Faculty, and Staff Up-to-Date

Another way universities can improve security through student ID mobile credentials is with emergency and mass notifications.

When mobile phones are integrated with access control, administrators can push notifications to distribute information to students, faculty, and staff. This feature proves useful in emergencies and is beneficial for updating students with day-to-day information.

Easily Control Access

While both physical and mobile credentials are easy to disable door access through software programs, once mobile credentials are removed, visual validation is no longer available. This means universities will no longer need to collect the cards of students who have had privileges revoked, saving time and, again, improving campus security.

This function is shifting the landscape of campuses across the country. As needs for heightened security and easier management abilities continue to grow, access control systems are adapting and offering more and more features to meet these needs.

Improving the Student Experience

At the tail end of a pandemic, the student experience is of high focus. Universities need to entice students back to campus with features that make them feel safe and secure while promoting an environment that offers convenience and flexibility.

For campus administrators, the best way to do this is to rely on technology that strives to improve the student experience.

As a way of demonstrating your university's strides to create a modern campus experience, highlight the use and importance of mobile credentials when giving tours to prospective students. This shows you are proudly modernizing your campus and are taking every opportunity, like a stronger access control system, to keep students safe.

The University of Alabama Heard its Student's Needs

The University of Alabama first got the push to move towards a better mechanism for student IDs from its student body, which tops out at more than 38,000. They were searching for quick, seamless entry to buildings that improved security and weren’t as easy to lose as traditional cards.

Their partnership with Transact offered the perfect solution. The staff worked with Transact to become an early adopter of its Campus ID Solutions, transforming the university into a convenient, mobile-centric, access-controlled environment. Students now have quick, seamless access to dormitories, dining halls, off-campus amenities, and more with secure mobile credentials. The implementation was easy and adoption was high with very few questions or concerns from students. Students are now enjoying campus life more than ever before.