UCLA is finishing up installing new access card readers in residence halls, causing mixed reactions among students.
Students with new BruinCards can tap them on the new card readers to enter the residence halls, instead of swiping. Students with older BruinCards still have to swipe on the new systems.
Housing officials began replacing the old hardware around June and still have to replace about 20 percent of the readers. The project cost one million dollars, said BruinCard Center operations manager Chris Ramos.
Ramos said the new readers were installed because the previous BruinCard readers were about 10 to 15 years old and needed to be updated. The newly installed hardware is less likely to be worn out by magnetism, he added.
The hardware currently being installed has been used and tested in other schools, officials said. The project’s managers said the new hardware is meant to increase the card owner’s convenience. The tap motion is quicker than swiping, and will reduce wear and tear on the BruinCard from swiping, they added.
Though many students said they appreciate the change, some said they have issues with the new system. Some said they wish the card readers would be more sensitive so that they would not have to take their BruinCards out of their bags to open doors.
“What I preferred about the old software was that swiping the card for access was pretty straightforward,” said first-year Design | Media Arts student Emily Kang, who lives in Hedrick Hall, which had the old system for the first four weeks of the quarter. “The tapping can be a little more frustrating. I love this new change but sometimes when I don’t have my card the right way, it won’t scan it and let me in.”
Other students, mainly continuing students who do not have this year’s modified BruinCard, said they have to continue to swipe every time and that they wish they were able to “tap” their cards like most new students.
Second-year psychology student Rachel Lee, who lives in Dykstra Hall, said she cannot tap her card because it is old.
“I think this change is really convenient, but when I’m carrying a lot of material I don’t like having to go through the trouble of putting it all down,” she said.
The managers of this project said they think these student concerns stem from the cards’ use of near-field communication technology, which prevents wear and tear but could pose security issues because of its high sensitivity to unlocking doors in close proximity.
Ramos said the transition to the new card readers will always cause issues for students who have BruinCards that aren’t compatible with the tapping readers on some buildings. Old readers that have yet to be replaced cannot read the new BruinCards.
Ramos added that if a card has high sensitivity, it could open doors when the card owner does not wish to open them, allowing the entry of people they may not know.
Currently the UCLA Information Technology department and the BruinCard Center do not have any new features planned, given that the cards and readers are modern upgrades from the old hardware.
Information Technology Services Project Manager Jairo Ospina said they are currently still replacing hardware anywhere there is a BruinCard reader on campus.
Contributing reports by Edward Pedroza, Bruin contributor.
If they were truly interested in innovation, they would make the BruinCard a mobile app card like the Starbucks card or Apple Pay. This would also save students the hassle of needing to carry their card everywhere when not needed (e.g., going to the gym, attending events, etc. since the card could be scanned from their smart phone). This NFC technology could also apply to opening the doors for the residence halls. If students were to lose their physical card they would still have their mobile one until a new (phyisical) card could be replaced. At a minimum, make the BruinCard mobile so we can scan into the gym.
You know…I actually really like the new card. It’s very convenient to tap instead of swiping my card and most times I don’t have to remove my card from my wallet. It really depends on what kind of wallet you use. I approve!