Smart cards come to Australian universities

By Vanessa Tripodi

While university students are notoriously short on cash, it makes sense to make spending and managing the funds they do have as easy as possible. New technology,  in the form of smart cards, allows University of Canberra students to join other technologically-forward universities around Australia to do just that, as the credit card-style cards can:

• Act as a student ID card with a current photo of the card holder on the front.
• Allow access to secure areas of the university campus.
• Allow students to borrow library books.
• Be used to make photocopies around the university.
• Be preloaded with up to $1,000 for purchases, with a $100 maximum limit per shop.

The smart cards use tap-and-go technology, so the student doesn't need to swipe their card. Instead, she taps the card against the screen to complete the payment. While there is often controversy when two different types of information are combined, in this case, the mix of personal identification and spending habits has been met with wide acceptance by the students at the University of Canberra.

According to the university's Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker, the introduction of the smart cards is part of a comprehensive program to upgrade the university's facilities through renovations to make way for high tech communication hubs. With the university at near full capacity and a high demand on enrollments, it is hoped the inclusive card technology will bring greater security and ease of use.

The implementation of the smart cards within the University of Canberra was partnered by Commonwealth Bank, who is now looking at how the cards can operate outside of the university, in a retail environment. This would mean greater benefits for students, if they could pay for public transport or school supplies not available within the campus.

The convenience of the cards outweighs the possible security risks for many, plus, students are able to opt out of the banking feature if they are truly concerned. The ease of swiping a card to pay is also expected to cut down on the queues around campus in the cafe especially.

Universities also make the ideal environment for the adoption of smart card technology with the pressure on the service areas of campus being able to be relieved by easy payment methods.The smart cards are a logical step from the student identification cards already used in universities around Australia, and the opportunity to carry less cash, fewer cards and adopt new technology will help convince even more universities to implement the system.

Article by Vanessa Tripodi

Published: March 8, 2011