Date: October 26, 2009
Contact: safety@andrews.edu
Website: http://www.andrews.edu/services/safety/
Phone: 269-471-3321

ID cards are used for everything from getting chapel credit to purchasing food to borrowing library books. Now, ID cards are being used as a tool to access campus after curfew. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Office of Public Safety began use of a new card swiping system that allows safer, faster access to campus for anyone with an active, valid Andrews ID card.
  
The Office of Public Safety decided to implement the new swiping system for efficiency and heightened security.
  
“We’ve been doing the exact same thing for years, but before it was done manually with clipboard, pen and paper. Now, everything is computer-driven,” says Dale Hodges, chief of the Office of Public Safety. “Previously, people had to stop and provide a description of who they were and why they were coming in. Now, we will have a computer-generated record of who they are, and greater security because of the comparison with the person presenting the ID. We will know right away whether or not the individual needs to be on campus.”  

The new card readers are located on both sides of the gatehouse.

Drivers wishing to enter campus must swipe their ID card at the reader, which is attached to both sides of the guardhouse located on J.N. Andrews Blvd. Upon swiping, a guardhouse operator will receive an electronic, visual confirmation that the person wishing to enter campus matches the ID of the card swiped. The guard will then open the gate. Drivers exiting campus will also be required to swipe a valid ID card prior to the gate being raised.
  
For visitors who want to access campus, but don’t have an ID card, the gatehouse operator will manually collect their information before allowing entrance/exit.