UK’s Association of School and College Leaders, representing secondary school and college personnel, is fighting legislation that forces schools to seek approval from both parents before they can use their child’s biometric data.

It would be a “huge bureaucratic burden” for schools using fingerprint recognition systems for cardless libraries and cashless canteens, the association said. The new Protection of Freedoms Bill also gives pupils in schools and colleges the right to refuse to give their biometric data and compels schools to make alternative provisions for them.

Until now, schools have only had to explain to pupils and parents what they are doing, but seeking permission has not been obligatory. The association said schools already running the systems may see a surge in those deciding not to opt in. They also fear pupils may refuse to give their data just to make trouble.

The thousands of schools that already use the technology will also have to seek parental permission retroactively, even if their systems have been established for years. Read more here.

Campus cards with debit functionality are catching on among universities, according to this article in Nebraska’s Lexington Clipper-Herald, which calls the card “a must-have accessory.”

About 2,000 U.S. campuses now issue such cards, which can be used to purchase books, items from vending machines and almost anything else with a price tag.

However, the MavCard issued by the University of Nebraska at Omaha is not a true debit card because students there did not request that a banking relationship be added to the card, said a university spokesperson. Instead, money is placed in an account at the university’s MavCard Services Office.

The card went off campus for the first time last fall. Ten stores now accept the card.

Meanwhile, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, students, faculty and staff can link their card to a Wells Fargo Bank checking account to make purchases on and off campus. The card also can work as an ATM card.

Read more here.

Seattle University’s new student ID card with debit functionality is probably more secure than standard cards. For example, the U.S. Bank-backed card has no account number on the face of the card. As one university spokesperson said: “Everyone’s pretty protected because your digits aren’t out there. It’s got your face on it, and it can be canceled immediately any time.”

The new card with the debit option was launched in January in response to student polls and surveys. The university wanted to make sure that implementing the debit card option would be seen as a positive action to the students.

The debit part of the card is optional and students can cancel the debit function without affecting any other services associated with the card.

In Additon, with U.S. Bank’s zero liability policy, the card holder is not responsible for any unauthorized transactions that occur after a card is lost or stolen. The bank will refund the individual if any fraud should occur.

Read more here.

Students at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, can now use their campus cards to pay for on-campus parking by simply swiping their cards at designated meters.

“We are providing as many payment options as possible to our students to increase convenience,” said a university spokesperson. “This will allow students to make non-cash payments without incurring a credit card charge.”

The university is also looking into allowing the campus card to be used at nearby off-campus merchants, such as restaurants, bookstores and convenience stores.

Read more here.  

The CBORD Group, a provider of food and nutrition management and campus and cashless card systems, has added a video surveillance system to its menu of services that can oversee retail point of sale transactions.

With CBORD POS Video Security, users can look up transactions in real time, or look up specific transactions after the fact. The system enables managers to search through transactions using different variables, then view receipt details together with a picture or video of the transaction.

One of the system’s “key advantages is…the capability to query by suspicious transactions, such as ‘no sale’ or ‘void’ transactions,” said Read Winkelman, CBORD’s vice president of sales.

The CBORD Group serves health care facilities, colleges and universities, chain restaurants, supermarkets, senior living facilities, corporations and a host of other market segments.

Instead of signing in, as employees at India’s Karnatak University normally do, they’ll now have to register their attendance with fingerprints, according to the Times of India.

The manual system had caused problems for the university’s department heads, preventing them from accurately tracking an employee’s attendance and whether he was on time or not.

The university has also installed IP-based closed circuit TV at libraries, the administration building, examination building and the main annex to keep a watch on the behavior of students in libraries and the movement of employees elsewhere.

The biometric system “is being used in important departments like finance, administration and examination,” said a university spokesperson. “The biometric system is being run on a trial basis in some departments. It should be in place at all the departments in the next two months,” he added.

Read more here.

The University of Texas at Arlington has upgraded its one-card system to the point that the students and staff ID cards can be used to access appropriate buildings, make on- and off- campus purchases, and clock in and out of work.

The university’s one-card system, implemented by campus card provider CBORD, is the cumulative effort of 15 years of updates and added functionality, according to this article in Campus Safety. The magnetic stripe card controls access to campus buildings, tracks meal plans, records time and attendance and provides identification on university grounds.

This system not only keeps students and university employees safe by restricting access to sensitive areas and university events, it also allows cardholders to take advantage of privileges such as meal plans and campus laundry facilities.

The same system also tracks an employee’s time and attendance through PC-based virtual clock user interfaces that allow employees to clock in and out.

Read more here.

Campus card provider CardSmith has rolled out a “cash-to-card” solution that enables existing cardholders to check a card account balance and re-value their account using cash. An optional card dispensing module is also available enabling campus guests to purchase and use visitor cards.

The Self-Service Card Station is good for busy locations such as libraries, copy centers and computer/print labs. The station creates a new service channel for cardholders and, when coupled with CardSmith’s Web-Based 24/7 Account Center and Live-Agent Phone Care services, provides additional cardholder benefits.

Cardholders swipe their card to get their current balance, and then load any combination of $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills to revalue the card. The station securely communicates with CardSmith’s software as a service processing center via the Internet using 128 bit SSL encryption.

Internal meters track all cash and card dispensing activity allowing administrators to perform reconciliations and audits. Online reporting from CardSmith’s On-Demand Web Reporting Server provides real-time insight into station usage and performance.

The Self-Service Card Station only requires access to a standard AC power outlet and Internet data jack. The station is made using a high security steel cabinet and T-handle lock and can be wall mounted or placed on an optional stand. It also comes standard with a high capacity bill stacker and integrated thermal receipt printer.

Students on college campuses across Canada this fall will have the opportunity to rent, instead of purchase, textbooks, using their campus cards, financial aid, or other forms of payment.

Last year, Follett of Canada, an operator of college and university bookstores at 26 schools in Canada, saved students more than $500,000 in a pilot program at six Canadian locations. It is projected that its Rent-A-Text program can save students 50% or more off the cover price of the most popular textbooks.

“Our value-driven rental program offers students convenience, promised savings and multiple ways to pay, including financial aid and campus cards,” said Thomas A. Christopher, Follett of Canada president.

Follett of Canada’s Rent-A-Text program, which will continue to be managed locally and draw on materials and merchandise sourced from Canadian publishers, is available to students at their local bookstore and online through efollett.com. Rent-A-Text allows students the opportunity to highlight and take notes all within the normal wear and tear associated with course work.

Students at Australia’s University of Canberra are getting a new student card backed by one of the country’s big four banks that can be used to make purchases across the campus and beyond. The contactless PayPass card can be used to make purchases under $100. Contactless readers have already been installed at retailers, cafes and other outlets at the university.

The new cards have other uses as well. Students can use them as traditional cards for identification, to access secure areas of the campus, to borrow library books and make photocopies. The cards can be pre-loaded with up to $1,000 for making purchases, with a maximum limit of $100 per transaction.

Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker said the cards’ introduction was part of a wider program to upgrade the University of Canberra’s facilities, including renovations and the introduction of high-tech communications hubs.

”We’re almost at full capacity and demand on enrolments are at their highest point ever,” added Parker.

Read more here.