UQ becomes a multi-function card-carrying society
University of Queensland staff and students are among the first in Australia to access a new multi-function card to replace a plethora of existing cards.
The University is adopting a multi-function card combining current major campus card functions including identification, library borrowing and photocopying, and building access.
Academic Registrar Neville Lamb said the University had contracted Universal Card Systems (known as Unicard) to manage its ID card requirements.
"In the past, staff and students may have had to carry numerous single-use cards. It makes more sense and convenience to offer a single card," he said.
"The Unicard will be easy to use, allow easy access to library photocopying and printing services, reduce the need to carry cash and so enhance safety, and it will also provide a proof of age for students."
The Unicard is an ID card, stored value card and an access control card all in one. The Unicard ID card has been used at the University for the past three years, and the Unicard stored value system for the past two years independently of each other. The new system will amalgamate all functions onto one card issued by Unicard under contract to the University.
Unicard senior sales executive Jacinta Allen said the University of Queensland operated the largest multi-function campus card system in the State with more than 50,000 student cards issued over the past three years. The group expects to produce 32,000 student cards and a number of staff cards per year.
Ms Allen said the company took over total production of student and staff ID cards in September, and was currently producing replacement cards for students and new staff cards. Peak enrolments would begin in February and Unicard would continue to produce replacement cards throughout the year.
"The University of Queensland is a leader among Australian universities as one of the first universities to incorporate stored valued within a student ID card, providing access to library loans, photocopying, network printing, security access control and identification," she said.
"The Unicard may be used as a stored value card for future cashless transactions on campus, a travel concession card for full-time students, and a retail concession card, for example, for movies, food outlets and software purchases."
Ms Allen said the Unicard, similar in size to a credit card, used a magnetic stripe to store information and monetary value.
Mr Lamb said students would now be directed to the Unicard desk if they required new or replacement ID and concession cards. To use them as stored value cards, clients took the card to a Unicard autoloader on campus, and inserted the card and money to add value to the magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe could also be encoded with information to access certain buildings and campus areas.
Current staff ID cards, with photo and magnetic stripe for building access encoding by the University's Properties and Facilities section, will also be available at the Unicard desk at level two in the Duhig tower of the Social Sciences and Humanities Library (telephone 3365 1350 or email unicard@mailbox.uq.edu.au)
Media contact: Neville Lamb telephone 07 3365 1971
Mark Perry Queensland site manager, Unicard, telephone 3365 1350, mobile 0414 982970.
