DePaul University and PNC Bank have partnered in a campus relationship to provide banking services, with an emphasis placed on student and faculty money management and financial accountability.

With the new partnership, students and faculty at DePaul University will be able to link the DePaul identification card to PNC bank accounts, adding ATM and purchasing power to the campus card – already used for daily functions such as entering residence halls, checking library books and accessing meal plans. ▸

sQuid is launching a smart card and biometric solution that will allow students to make cashless purchases at school.

With the new system, parents can load money onto their children’s smart cards or biometric devices via a secure Web portal. Students can then use them to buy school lunches, print and make photocopies, or even pay for school trips online, eliminating the need to handle (and potentially lose) cash. ▸

With more than 53,000 students, the University of Central Florida has chosen to incorporate viaRadio’s ENVOY Emergency Solutions platform to cover its 1,415-acre Orlando campus.

The ENVOY system delivers unlimited, time-sensitive text messages to viaRadio’s HEARO Local Alert Receivers, which are strategically placed to alert listeners of looming weather conditions, NOAA weather warnings and other emergencies. ▸

Blackboard unveiled its new open-loop prepaid card program, Blackboard Pay, enabling institutions to disburse financial aid and student payroll to the campus ID card in a Title IV compliant manner.

In partnership with Discover and First Data, the Blackboard Pay program reduces the time and costs associated with the issuance of paper checks. It provides students and staff direct access to their funds and protects them from overdraft exposure and related fees. ▸

The CBORD Group announced that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is using its CS Gold campus card solution in combination with NICE System’s NiceVision intelligent video solution in order to better manage access controls and other security operations across campus.

The university’s CS Gold card system integrates with NiceVision to instantly alert campus security operators of when and where a breach took place, automatically displaying live video from the scene. ▸

Vending machines at the University of Maryland aren’t getting as much business as vendors would like. But students say they would be more inclined to buy food from the vending machines if they were equipped to accept student ID cards for payment, according to the Diamondback Online, an independent student newspaper for the University.

At many schools, machines are equipped to accept student ID cards to make purchases. Students at the University of Maryland typically use the machines as a last resort, because on-campus shops not only have a larger variety of items, but also accept student ID cards for payment. ▸

Blackboard announced the availability of Release 3.6 of Blackboard Transact, and with it the introduction of a contactless campus system that aims to make the student experience both convenient and secure.

Utilizing Sony’s Felica technology, Blackboard Transact permits equipped cards and mobile phones to make payment and grant entry with a wave or a tap. Students can get into secure buildings and facilities, pay for books, meals and laundry and even access campus events. ▸