Fast-Track Dining: Touchless Turnstiles for Expedited Access

Founded in 1885 the University of St. Thomas is largest private Catholic university in St. Paul, Minnesota. With an enrollment of over 10,000 undergraduate & graduate students, the University is known for its high academic standards and exceptional student experience. As with any university campus, traffic flow and security are top priorities. In an effort to streamline meal plan access and prevent theft, the University invested in Smarter Security’s Fastlane® turnstiles with integrated touchless biometric technology leading to a 70% decrease in queuing and a 50% reduction in meal theft.

Challenge
In 2019, the University introduced an Unlimited meal plan for its students, which brought about a significant concern for the University: the theft of meals. This concern arose due to an increase in the number of students sharing their ID cards with friends, which was facilitated by the unlimited meals offering. Students not only handed over their IDs to others physically but also dropped them from the cafeteria down the stairs to another student waiting to catch and use them. To address this issue and enhance the overall student experience, the University sought a solution to deter such behavior. Drawing inspiration from the practices of other institutions, such as the University of Maryland and Notre Dame, who used biometric technologies and turnstiles to regulate student flow and prevent theft, the University decided to implement a similar solution.
In addition to theft, the University also needed help to manage the meal plans program and dining dollars better. The University’s challenge was finding an easier way for students to use these plans without physically presenting their IDs.

Further, The University’s campus experienced heavy traffic during regular mealtimes, with many student-athletes carrying large equipment bags, backpacks, purses, coats, and boots. They needed a solution to handle all these additional items without triggering false alarms.

Solution
The University’s goals and objectives for the installation were to find something simple, unique to the student, easy to maintain, streamline processes, and achieve cost savings. After researching various options, the University decided on Smarter Security’s Fastlane Glassgate 150 turnstiles as they offered the best system within their budget. The speed, proven performance (at other schools), and successful integration with the Idemia MorphoWave were key factors in their decision-making process.

The University chose the MorphoWave as it met their objectives and had a proven track record of success at the University of Maryland. Additionally, the MorphoWave solved the problem of students losing their ID cards and became a selling point when potential students visited the campus. The technology felt high-tech and had a wow factor that impressed students and staff alike.

Result
Installing the Fastlane Glassgate 150 turnstiles and Idemia MorphoWave at the University of St. Thomas has resulted in significant improvements in the campus traffic coming and going, particularly during regular mealtimes. Previously, there were long queues of students and many student workers swiping IDs, but with the new system in place, they only needed one worker at each entrance to assist. This, in turn, has resulted in a 70% decrease in queuing and a 50% reduction in meal theft, saving time and money and making it much easier for students to use their meal plans and dining dollars without needing physical IDs.

The students have adjusted quickly to the new processes, and they love the convenience and speed of the new system. The transition was seamless, with minimal complaints. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people appreciated the touchless element of the Morpho Wave, which was perceived as more hygienic and safer.

Overall, the University of St. Thomas is pleased with their investment in the Fastlane turnstiles and the MorphoWave. The system has successfully addressed their top concerns and issues, such as the theft of meal plans and the need for a simple and easy-to-use solution. The turnstiles and entrance controls have also helped the University to streamline their operations and improve the student experience. The cutting-edge technology has set the University apart and made it a more attractive choice for potential students.

About Smarter Security, Inc.

Smarter Security provides premium and innovative entrance control solutions to help organizations protect their people and assets in a world of ever-present threats. Since 1992, Smarter Security has offered Fastlane turnstiles, the most elegant and intelligent optical turnstiles available, which protect 50% of the Fortune 100, and thousands of commercial and government lobbies on six continents, including many of the world’s most iconic buildings. For more information, please visit http://www.smartersecurity.com.