St. Joe’s began distributing new contactless, electronic access ID cards to all faculty, staff, students, guests and contractors at the start of the fall 2021 semester. Currently, contactless readers are installed for use at many entrances including Bellarmine Hall, Campion Student Center, Hogan Hall, McShain Hall, Mandeville Hall, Moore Hall, The Perch, Quirk Hall, Science Center and Saint Mary’s Hall.
Starting Aug. 20 students were able to pick up their new cards in the Office of Public Safety and Security in Campion Student Center. Public Safety plans to install additional contactless control readers throughout campus over the next few years, said Arthur Grover, director of Public Safety and Security.
“The new Hawk Card leverages smart card technology, which is more reliable, secure and has faster responsiveness than traditional cards,” Grover wrote in an email to The Hawk. All of the new cards’ updates are tied to enhancing safety, but the key initiative in leveraging swipe-less card readers is to “take advantage of optimal advances in technology for the safety and convenience of our community,” Grover said.
The branding and design of the new ID cards were made in collaboration with the Office of Marketing and Communications to reflect the university’s updated logo, according to Grover.
“The university refreshed its brand last year, and the cards are in alignment with the branding standards currently in place,” Grover said. “With regard to the timing of the issuance, we are leveraging advantages in technology for the benefit, short and longer term, of our community.”
Gabrielle O’Brien ’25 agreed that the new technology will improve her campus experience.
“It’ll definitely be more convenient than having to take out your card every time because I keep mine in the back of my phone case, but I think it will also make it feel safer,” O’Brien said.
“Sometimes at night when I’m going to the library and I have to swipe, trying to get it out and swipe takes a while. It’s the little things.”
Those who are not first year students had to “surrender their old ID card when claiming their new one, as the former card will no longer be effective for access,” according to an Aug. 20 university announcement from Public Safety.
This created a challenge for both incoming first year students and students who had the old Hawk Card during the first week of classes, with lines forming outside of the Public Safety office.
“On move in day, I didn’t really know where [my ID card] was,” Katherine Schaffner ’25 said. “I was running around and it was definitely a little bit complicated because some people had theirs ready when they were moving in, and I didn’t.”
Schaffner said she also struggled with swiping into McShain Hall when using her new card.
“It’s not really [working] at the front desk. It’s been down,” Schaffner said. “There’s been some times where I couldn’t even swipe in if I wanted to.”
For juniors and seniors, Public Safety planned for their current cards to remain active until replacement, so the opportunity to exchange cards was available beyond opening weekend, Grover said.
“My experience was okay,” Julia Moser ’22 said. “I was also picking up my parking pass, but overall, it didn’t take too long, and the women working [in the office] were fast and helpful.”
