New Tulane ID Cards Make a Splash

This month, Tulane Card Services is introducing new identification cards for all faculty, staff members and students.

Students have their new and improved Tulane identification cards in hand. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)

"On May 18, the existing Tulane ID cards will become inactive and the new Tulane Splash Card will be activated," says Doug Olson, director of Tulane Card Services.

Distribution of the new Tulane Splash Cards for the uptown campus is taking place at the Lavin-Bernick Center in the Pederson Lounge today (April 8), April 9 and April 12–16.

The downtown health sciences campus will receive the new ID cards on April 20 at the Collins C. Diboll Gallery in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St.; on April 21 in the lobby of the School of Medicine at 1430 Tulane Ave.; and on April 22 in the lobby of the Murphy Building, 131 South Robertson St.

Distribution at all locations takes place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The administration office at the Tulane National Primate Research Center is distributing cards to employees there.

The Tulane Splash Card is technologically advanced, operating as an upgrade from the previous version of ID cards, Olson says. Dually embedded with "tap 'n' go technology," the cards contain a microchip with an antenna and a magnetic strip to allow access to campus buildings, dining facilities, libraries, copiers and some off-campus merchants (beginning in August).

A further improvement is the inclusion of a new identity number for every student, faculty and staff member. Since social security numbers were previously used, newly assigned numbers will reduce opportunity for identity theft.

Campus card readers are currently being adapted to accept this new technology. The process of converting and adding card readers on all campuses will continue for three to five years.

"We used the photo on file to pre-make over 12,500 cards for this distribution," Olson says. "Some employees with ID cards issued before 1995 will need to come to the card services office in Bruff Commons next week to have a new photo captured and card printed."

Those who have questions or cannot attend one of the distribution events should contact Tulane Card Services at 504-865-5629.