It’s almost time for you to start scheduling for next semester. You’re experiencing excitement as you look at the new classes that’re going to be made available for you, but classes aren’t the only things that will be changing next semester. As you might have heard, U.C. has decided to update our beloved Bearcat Card, the card which is used all over campus and in 40 restaurants and several shops like Dibella’s, Chipotle, Adriatico’s, Keytstone and Dubois Bookstore just to name a few. The new card features an updated design which will no longer have the red, white and black color scheme that we currently have now. Instead, the new card will have a simple red design and continue to feature the student’s picture. The new graphics on the card aren’t the only new features, but the technology behind it has been updated as well.
The Bearcat Card we have currently uses a magnetic strip to verify our identities when we swipe in to use facilities like the rec center, check books out at the library and even make purchases at the UC bookstore. The updated card however will use contactless microchip technology that many credit card companies are starting to use as a way to secure their customers’ information. This is the first step in U.C.’s plan to implement the contactless microchip technology on campus; one of the card’s features is that it will be used in the many parking garages around campus as a way to verify students who purchased parking permits beginning January 11, 2016. In the next few years, U.C. plans to incorporate the chip technology so much that it will be getting rid of hanging parking permits.