York University is the latest to go digital with mobile identification cards
Moving away from plastic is more sustainable, efficient and aligned with student expectations.
York University is the latest institution to usher in digital identification cards. The mobile YU-card can be uploaded onto phones and into digital wallets to access buildings and services – such as libraries, meal plans and recreational facilities – on the Toronto-based university’s three campuses. Students, staff and faculty will still be able to obtain plastic cards, but the YU-card will have additional features, such as easy access to campus security and safety phone numbers and increased security through two-factor authentication.
In 2021, the University of New Brunswick became the first Canadian University to issue digital ID cards.
At York, the digital ID card is also estimated to cut 400 kg of plastic and PVC consumption and save more than 12,000 hours in queue time at the YU-card office per year. Darrick Chin, manager of the YU-card office, said that the new system demonstrates York’s commitment to innovation and sustainability – and is more aligned with student needs. “We know that students have an expectation for digital services,” he said.
In the first few weeks since the launch, over 65 per cent of incoming students had opted for the mobile card.
Featured Jobs
- Occupational Therapy - Assistant or Associate ProfessorDalhousie University
- Marketing - Faculty Position, Tenured or Tenure TrackUniversity of Alberta
- Vice President, Finance & AdministrationOCAD University
- Canada Impact+ Research ChairInstitut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
- Health Sciences - Assistant ProfessorSimon Fraser University
More from News
-
Universities Canada, CAUBO warn federal action is needed as Canada’s universities face worsening financial outlook
A coordinated immigration policy, tax relief and fiscal crisis safeguards are recommended to sustain sector.
-
No more ‘soft touch’ on student visa fraud, IRCC vows
New technology and better enforcement will pre-emptively deter rule-breakers, deputy minister says.
-
NDP urges federal government to provide biometrics options for Palestinian students awaiting study permits
Critics accuse Ottawa of bureaucratic double standards.
-
Committee urges penalties, random audits to crack down on foreign student visa fraud
Lax oversight, followed by a bungled foreign student permit cap, have wreaked damage on institutes of higher education, a parliamentary committee report concludes.
More from Campus news
-
Strike over, but strife remains at Laurentian
Faculty ratify new collective agreement, but say the deal still puts them behind other Ontario universities.
-
Faculty strike at Laurentian
Negotiations fail, picket lines rise at northern Ontario university.
-
Quebec universities weather an unprecedented storm
The province’s institutes of higher learning are navigating immigration restrictions, language policies, budget cuts and challenges to academic freedom.
-
Reflecting the cultural temperature
A look back at some of Spring’s convocation speeches at Canadian universities.
More from Articles
-
Entrepreneurship is weaving its way into engineering schools
Engineering schools are broadening their scope—without losing sight of their technical foundation.
-
Medical profs question Ontario’s “merit”-based admissions law
Societal needs should be considered alongside academic prowess in med school admissions, doctors argue.
-
$21 M allocation gives USudbury ‘a solid foundation to build on’
Provincial funding allows the northern Ontario university to continue operating after its breakup with Laurentian.
-
The human face of Arctic research
Q&A with Jackie Dawson, Canada Research Chair in the Human and Policy Dimensions of Climate Change.
Post a comment
University Affairs moderates all comments according to the following guidelines. If approved, comments generally appear within one business day. We may republish particularly insightful remarks in our print edition or elsewhere.