Page 20 - Campus Security & Life Safety, January/February 2020

"By staying on the cusp of innovation, OU is maintaining a safe environment for its community."
made possible thanks to Transact, the first campus credential solution to announce NFC-enabled, contactless student IDs for Apple Wallet. Most people, especially college students, carry their phone at all times. Teens and young adults use mobile devices for streaming their favorite show or YouTube channel, shopping, communicating and navigating. So, it is only natural that we would leverage smartphone technology in higher education. The ability to use a mobile device as
an ID has streamlined the student experience on our campus. Mobile IDs enable students to access campus buildings and make purchases with their phones. There is also an added security fea- ture, since mobile wallets are built with safety in mind. Features such as “Find My iPhone” automatically wipe clean any credentials on a lost or stolen device, keeping user information and our campus secure. We have also seen that students are less likely to lose their phone compared to a plastic ID card. By taking student needs into account, we have had a high success rate with the upgrades we have
made on campus.
Supporting Students
The success of rolling out mobile credentials is directly correlated to the implementation process. Prior to launching the Transact Mobile Credential, we conducted beta testing on campus, helping us to iden- tify any issues with the technology. We had 300 students and staff involved in the beta, and it was a comprehensive and somewhat chal- lenging process.
But, without the beta, we would not have been able to identify unforeseen needs for the system or prepare for launch day.
The official launch occurred in October 2018. To prepare, we set up a command center that was ready to take questions and resolve issues. The Sooner Card leadership team, Transact and Apple were involved and ready to troubleshoot any problems. But, we received almost no calls. Instead, what we saw were countless students successfully downloading and using their credentials to Apple Wallet – an addi- tional testament to the value of pre-launch testing.
Post-launch, initial adoption was mild, likely due to our introduc- ing the technology mid-semester. But, the adoption rate changed drastically this year. Currently, about 9,000 students are using the mobile ID. And, 68 percent of this year’s freshman class signed up for the mobile ID prior to stepping foot on campus.
For mobile IDs and other campus technology to be beneficial to students, campuses must offer support early. In addition to offering the download of our mobile credential ahead of time, we have incor- porated a session about the Sooner Card and mobile ID to our day- long student orientation. During this time, students are trained on how to use the mobile credential, walk through the process and have an opportunity to test the IDs.
Since implementing mobile IDs, we have seen more student engagement on campus. We streamlined the process for access and transactions, and students are taking advantage of it. By considering the modern needs of students, we have been able to meet their requests.
Our willingness to be open to new ideas on how to improve cam- pus has led to an increase in student feedback. Our students have been paramount in bringing attention to areas that we may not be thinking about, and new technology that we may not have heard of.
Opening a dialogue between students and faculty is critical in ensuring the campus environment is meeting expectations and work- ing for everyone. It makes life a little easier for the student popula- tion, and provides more tools to students and faculty.
Supporting Faculty
When introducing new tech on campus, faculty support is impera- tive. When introducing a campus update, gaining executive and C-Level support should always be a first step – especially when it comes to implementing new technology.
My advice: get an audience who can get you an audience, and com- municate regularly.
Technology updates can be a lengthy and expensive process, so having a timeframe and required budget in mind avoids any sur- prises down the road. And stressing the importance of bringing cam- puses into the 21st century is another solid point to make.
Once the implementation of new technology begins, support staff members with training and resources. Generation Z is prone to understanding and adopting technology at a faster rate than other generations. Without providing the proper resources, it can be diffi- cult for staff to take on new tools, which can be detrimental to adop- tion. Providing consistent support through training and other helpful resources can make a huge difference.
A benefit of mobile credential technology that faculty enjoys is the ability to use it for campus events and training. When students use a mobile ID to access a campus event, we are able to gain some insight into what drives attendance and how we can improve offerings.
The Sooner Card team recently partnered with OU’s Gender + Equality Center to ensure that students are signing up for and attend- ing required training. We also use mobile IDs to confirm attendance to alcohol awareness training since building access and event atten- dance are trackable metrics.
A Note on Interoperability
In addition to ensuring student and faculty support, it is important to consider how new tech integrates with other campus hardware and software. The Sooner Card team has remained conscientious of campus areas that may require upgrading to integrate with new technology.
As an example, this past summer we found a large hole in our student check-in process that would have caused major logistical issues during student move-in. We use StarRez for student housing bookings, which must communicate with Transact to provide door access control. The existing app would not accept the mobile ID. We needed an app that could accept the mobile ID and communicate to both systems, and since we identified the problem early enough, we were able to build a new, streamlined app in 10 weeks.
Continuous auditing of campus tools also helped us discover hard- ware that needed to be replaced prior to this school year. It is impera- tive to find ways to bring old tech into the current era, and having a consistent monitoring process in place is one way to do it.
Updated campus hardware led to our ability to implement mobile credentials. But, without interoperable systems, streamlining tech is much trickier.
Being Prepared for the Present and Future is Required
Generation Z, and every generation that follows, will expect modern technology on campus. Predicting trends, and updating facilities, software and services as resources allow can help universities avoid a large-scale, expensive campus overhaul down the road.
Having an implementation plan in place for new technology and offering continual support to students, families and faculty are evergreen strategies for changes on campus. The OU Sooner Card team is lucky—we have been able to oversee the implementation and management of new tech and the difference that it is making for students. Without a culture of open communication, this would not be possible. I urge other digital and higher education leaders to advocate for the advancement of tech to meet the needs of current and future students.
Tyler Webb is the director of the Sooner Card at the University of Oklahoma.
Identification
20 campuslifesecurity.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020