Cards serve important
By SCOTT BRODFUEHRER
News Writer
Every time a student swipes an ID card on campus, whether to gain access to a dorm or eat at a dining hall, a computer on campus records the date, time and location along with the identification of the person whose card was swiped.
The information is stored on various computer systems, including one to store information about dining hall access, usage of Flex points or Domer Dollars and access to gyms or other activities. Another system stores information about dorm access.
According to Tina Durski, Card Services Manager, the number of people who have access to this information is limited. If there is a dispute as to the number of meals students have eaten, dining hall employees can access a history of when the student has eaten in the dining hall for the past week on the computer in each dining hall.
RecSports employees do not have access to the database, although information is automatically entered into the database when students enter the building. The three members of the Card Services Office can view the entire history of transactions.
Durski said information is stored in the databases for the academic year, and is then filed away and not immediately available. However, the office could access the information if the need arose.
The information collected when a student swipes his card is not reported on an individual basis to offices, but is sometimes used to generate reports of usage.
"We've designed special reports so RecSports can see how many people are using the facilities," Durski said.
The main security feature on each ID card is the student's picture, which employees are supposed to use to verify the student's identity each time they swipe a card.
"The policy is that employees should be looking at the picture [when they swipe a student's card]. Sometimes in the dining hall, they get busy and can't, but I hope at the bookstore they are looking at the picture [because the purchases are larger]," Durski said.
In the past, ID cards included a student signature but ones made now do not.
The practice of having student signatures on cards was discontinued because of time concerns, and the fact that the only place the signature would be used on campus is at the bookstore.
"Three years ago, you used the magna-doodle pad and it could take up to eight tries signing before it was successful. It was frustrating for everyone. It's nice for the ID cards to have a signature, but the problems with the signature outweighed the benefits," Durski said.
Students who lose their ID cards are expected to report the loss immediately so the card can be disabled. According to Durski, the authentication system for the cards is online and the first two digits the machine reads from a card indicate the card's number (01 being the first card issued to the student).
If the student's first card had been cancelled, the machine would only accept cards where the first digits were 02, which prevents anyone from using the first card to gain unauthorized access to dorms or use of flex points.
According to Durski, no student has reported losing a card and then having Domer Dollars or Flex points withdrawn from the card.
"We're very fortunate. We've not really had a problem with fraud," Durski said.
If fraud did occur, Notre Dame's Debit Agreement states that a student would not be responsible for any loss that occurred after they reported the card lost.
If a student reports a lost card within two days of discovering that it was lost, and a theft had already occurred, the student would only be responsible for the first $50 that was lost. If the student does not report the card lost, they may lose up to $500.
The fee for obtaining a new card is $30, which is more than the cost of materials to print a new card.
"The fee has been around for a long time and is used as a deterrent [from losing your card]. When you print one card, it costs less than $30, but that doesn't include the cost of purchasing and maintaining the equipment to make cards," Durski said.
All News Stories for Thursday, November 2, 2000
