Currently NJIT
students are required to have a plastic ID card with a magnetic strip for
building and Gourmet Dining Services purchases, a separate card for laundry, US
tender for the school store, a bar code sticker from the library, and two more
stickers for the year and class of a student. Some campus ID’s look like
passports and if one of these students were missing a sticker or didn’t have
cash on them, they could very well have a bad day ahead of them.
The implementation
of the smart card system would improve security as well as make life just a
little easier for students and faculty. Every action could require the student
to also entire his or her PIN ensuring that the student had not stolen that
card. Students and faculty would have secure usage of Xerox machines, vending
machines, laundry machines, library services, and dining halls just to name a
few.
The problem on
campus is that a single student or faculty is required to have several forms of
identity and currency to get anywhere. This problem could be fixed with the
integration of smart card technology campus wide. Never again would one have to
scrounge for lose change to make copies at the Xerox machine.
The entire point
of the smart card system is to make everyone’s lives easier. With very limited
hardware installation on the campus, students would immediately begin to enjoy
easier access to the campus.
►School
Store
►Building
Access
►Copy
Machines
►Campus
Dining
►Library
Usage
►Vending
Machines
►Laundry
Machines
►Computing
Labs
Some students have
parents that just don’t want them to have a bunch of cash on them, especially
in Newark. For some parents it is
easier on their minds to put the money into the school’s account for the
student, which would be easy to do on a secure online page for account
management. Just as easily, the student could either put his cash into the
system via ATM-like machines to add to his or her account or take out cash from
the account.
The picture above shows a vending machine that is utilizing
the smart card system. A card holder would make his or her selection, swipe the
card, and enter their PIN.
Image taken from CCSU
[3]
The most
interesting part of the smart cards is that the information stored on them is
almost limitless. The stored information on the card could have the same
information as the hard wired system as a form of redundant security. The
system can expand as required to meet the needs of new implementations to the
system. Future plans could be, but are not limited to deals with local
businesses and venues.
Schools across the
states have already put the technology to use with local restaurants and mini
marts. With time and the local redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhoods
of NJIT, contracts could be made to accept student’s cash over the cards. A
problem that some current students have is that they have money on their cards
but do not have access to US
tender cash. An example would be if a student who wishes not to eat from the
campus Gourmet Dining Service served food would like to order Chinese food from
King Wok across the street. The student in this instance would not have the
money to make that purchase and will either choose to eat something he or she
doest not want to or just not to eat at all.
In 2004 the University
of Central Florida gave their smart
cards a test with off campus venues. Students would be able to use their campus
money at a local restaurant. “The McDonald’s restaurant selected as the debut
site is located across the street from the UFC campus. But more off-campus
businesses will soon be available to take advantage of this UCF venture.” [2]
*Image taken from UCF
[2]
Current smart card systems are already out there being taken
advantage of by colleges and universities. However the school would like use
them are entirely up to the school, but just remember that their
implementations are almost limitless. It can’t be stressed enough how much the
simplicity and security improvements are over the current system.
[1]
http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/EC/ChipIntro.html
[Useful
information on the design and application of chips]
[2]
http://www.cr80news.com/library/2004/07/22/university-of-central-florida-goes-offcampus-with-their-chip-card-id/
[Small
news article of examples of off campus usage at Florida
State.]
[3]
http://www.cardoffice.ccsu.edu/merchants.htm
http://www.cardoffice.ccsu.edu/html/faq.html
[CCSU’s
main page for their campus card usage]
[4]
http://www.niu.edu/OneCard/huskie_bucks/vendors/VendingMachines_Snacks.shtml
[NIU’s
main page for their campus card usage.]
[5]
http://java.sun.com/products/javacard/smartcards.html
[Sun
Technology’s overview site of smart card processing chips.]
[6]
http://www.contactlessnews.com/news/2007/02/27/support-for-iclass-contactless-technology-added-to-smartcentric-offering/
[Smart
Chip advocate site promoting the wide spread usage of smart cards.]
[7]
http://www.unibz.it/ict/chipcard/index.html?LanguageID=EN&
[Chip
Card development team and their notes.]
[8]
http://www.korea.edu/life/life_01_04.php
[Korea
University’s main page for their
campus card usage]
