Lafayette College introduced a new card reader system using ID cards for dining, transactions and building access for the 2024-25 academic year. Known as the “Pard Card,” the cards replaced the fobs that were previously used to gain access to locations on campus.
Jeff Troxell, the director of Public Safety, said that the Pard Card is designed to be more convenient as it consolidates the functions of both fobs and ID cards into one item.
“I think it’s more efficient and functional for the student,” he said. “Now you don’t have to be dealing with a key, a fob and an ID card. It’s all in one.”
In addition to residence halls, students can use the card for athletic events, College Store purchases, dining meal plans, library checkouts, recreation center access, transportation and ticket purchases at the Williams Center for the Arts, according to the Pard Card website.
Chris Murphy ‘27 praised the new ID cards for their convenience.
“I honestly think it’s a lot easier,” Murphy said. “I used to keep my fob in my wallet … it’s also a lot easier to scan in for meals, I find it’s a lot less time when we’re just tapping.”
Miles Parker ‘25 echoed Murphy’s statement, corroborating that it was much quicker for him to tap the ID card for meals instead of swiping.
Audra Kahr, the vice president for finance and administration, wrote in an email that the new system is meant to enhance safety.
“All exterior doors of buildings have now been equipped with systems that can be locked automatically by Public Safety in the event of an emergency,” Kahr wrote.
However, some students are concerned about the safety of consolidating services onto an identification card.
“I think the way they switched it, everything to the card, has made me realize that adds even more significance to our IDs,” Saira Ali ‘25 said. “We need to be aware of that. I can’t lose my ID because then that gives someone access to a building.”
There are plans to complete the college’s transition to fully card-based access by replacing keys to access individual rooms, a system already in place in the newly constructed McCartney II residence hall.
“Over time, we will continue to reduce the reliance on keys as a form of access, transitioning fully to Pard Cards,” Kahr wrote.
