Students get new ID-cards
Published Aug. 21, 2007
In addition to moving in and getting reacquainted with campus, returning students had the additional task of obtaining a new student identification card from Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union.
Although the lines have been moving relatively quickly, some students found that when they swiped their new cards at the residence halls, the locks would not open.
"There is an intermittent issue with access to buildings," Director of Information Technology Terry Robb said. "IT and Residential Life are investigating."
The problem appeared to be contained to the exterior doors of some residential halls, Robb said. Signs were posted on some doors of the halls instructing students on what to do if their card left them locked out.
Robb said he doesn't know of any other problems with the new cards.
"The replacement process is going exceptionally smooth," he said.
Lines at Stotler Lounge appeared to be relatively short most of the time, Information Technology Manager Kathy Niederhelm said.
"Our biggest day was our first day, Aug. 8," she said. "The average wait time never exceeded a few minutes."
On August 8, old identification cards stopped working. At that time, though, the majority of students had not yet received their new cards. As of Aug. 15, only 38 percent of the identification cards had been replaced, Robb said. He said this was because the majority of students had not yet returned to school.
"I think that as the students return, it will get more and more busy," he said.
Many freshmen had already received the new card at Summer Welcome.
Students who just received their card had no complaints. Graduate student Erica Neely described the process as "very easy."
"I just walked in and picked it up," she said.
Niederhelm said a year of proper planning and preparation accounts for the smooth transition.
"We organized this thing to be as expeditious as possible," Robb said.
The new identification cards are required because of the new computer system that is being implemented on campus.
"It is a function of the PeopleSoft Oracle software," Robb said.
For students, the most visible change is the new myZou application, but it actually is a change to the entire campus network.
According to Robb, every student has a new, unique student number because of the new software. This new number had to be encoded on the magnetic strips of new cards so that it could function throughout the campus and with the new software system. Other changes include a new design and the removal of the student number from the face of the card for extra security.
Students are instructed to destroy the old cards to help protect their personal information.
The identification card office will move back to its home in the University Bookstore Aug. 25.