The Cougar card is vital for students to have on them throughout their time on campus. All students need it to be able to enter buildings—which can lead to many being locked out if they happen to forget it.
For commuter students, this would mean either going back home to retrieve their card; or, calling the number for Public Safety to come allow them into this building. Neither of these options are ideal as both could result in said students being late for class or missing it entirely.
Forgetting your Cougar card is not just an issue for commuters either, as those on campus need it to get their meals. If they forget their card then it can ruin their chance to get a meal during their break period. A lot of students plan their days accordingly due to the schedules of classes—misplacing one’s Cougar card can completely derail a day.
Due to the aforementioned reasons, it is a complete no brainer that the Cougar card should be digitized for students. It can be kept on Saint Xavier University’s website with a QR code that students can use to scan on the doors.
Doing this would allow for students to always have quick access to their card, should they accidentally leave their physical copy at home.
This would also help when students inevitably lose their card on account of its size and the constant need to take it out to scan. These cards are so easily lost, and the fee to get a new one can be a burden on students who are on a fixed budget.
In the age of technology, it makes no sense to have the only means to get into all your classes be a single, easily lost card.
Now, it could be argued that some students may use this as an opportunity to get others into the building by giving up their password to their SXU portal. However, this issue is solved by having the QR code in a location that makes students think twice about giving out their codes.
This isn’t a case of just letting them into their social media where the most damage they can do is socially—this is a matter of financial information, grades, and class schedules. Most would not want to give up the security of their account to allow someone access to the buildings.
Having the Cougar card digitized would allow for students to have peace of mind that if they do leave their card at home or lose it—they have an option available to still make it to their classes and meals on time.