Harvard Updates Identification Cards to Improve Security

Harvard has updated its identification cards to include magnetic strips, a move which officials hope will improve security and streamline access to University buildings.

The new multipurpose cards, which will also be used to enter dining halls and libraries by next year, will be distributed within the next two weeks.

All staff members, who did not have their pictures on the old ID cards, will also receive the new cards within the next few months. Next year, most students will be able to use their ID cards to enter their dormitories. As of this fall, first-years and North House residents will use separate keycards to access their rooms.

"This is the first year of the new ID's and we wanted to make sure the ID system was working well before we placed the card access on top of it," said Michael N. Lichten, director of physical resources for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "We didn't want to mix up two different processes."

Lichten said Quincy House and Mather House will implement the keycard system this year, but by next fall the ID's will be used to enter most dormitories. "This is a very gradual change," Lichten said.

The keycards, and eventually the new IDs, will help improve security, Lichten said. "Once a card is lost or stolen, it's just a matter of seconds to disable the card," he said. The system reports when doors are not locked.

Officials will also be able to program when certain doors will accept the cards, making the system easier to convert for summer school students.

J. Woodland Hastings, master at North House, said students will favor the change from keys. "The cards are a lot easier to carry around," he said. "They are more secure."

The process of printing the 40,000 new cards will cost about $150,000, which is less than the cost per card under the current system.

But David R. Wamback, project manager for ID cards, said because the cards are less transferable than old ones, the University will save money in the long run.

"People used to lend the old cards out, and that was a loss of revenue for the University," he said. "There was a lot of time spent on being extremely responsible about how we do this. We're not throwing money away."

Michael P. Berry, director of dining services, said the new ID cards will be used to keep track of students at meals. Dining hall checkers will remain a familiar sight to hungry students, as they will slide the cards through a machine instead of checking students off manually.

"It's not something that will speed things up, but we will be able to keep a more accurate record of where students eat," Berry said.

Berry also said the new system, which will cost about $300,000 to install in the dining areas, could allow students to transfer some of their meals to Harvard-owned restaurants.

"Eventually it will give us the flexibility to change the meal plan," he said. "If everything were manual, there would be no way to keep up with it."

Library officials, who have been lobbying to update security for three years, are also pleased with the change. "We're thrilled," said Barbara A. Mitchell, head of access services at Widener library. "People can use other people's ID cards once in a while and this ought to cut down on that. The cards will be less transferable."

Mitchell said pictures on staff ID cards will also improve security. A computer in the Harvard Police station will record information each time the keycards are used, but only ID numbers will be flashed on the screen, not names.

Temporary ID cards will be issued on Registration day, and old cards can be kept as souvenirs.