It’s 2 a.m. You’ve just arrived back at your dorm after an exhausting night cramming at Van Pelt-Dietrich Library. All you want to do is collapse in bed. But as you reach into your pocket, it feels suspiciously empty. You search again. Then again. Nothing. That slow, sinking dread sets in: no PennCard.
Let’s be honest: There’s no pain quite like it. That 4-by-2 inch card has caused me more stress than any midterm ever could. And with the looming “10 strikes” policy hanging over our heads, every forgotten PennCard feels like a step closer to my own personal “Hunger Games” reaping.
So here’s what I don’t understand: Why, at a university that prides itself on being a leader in innovation, are we still clinging to flimsy, outdated plastic IDs?
Introduced in 1990, the PennCard was revolutionary for its time, consolidating campus access for students, faculty, and staff into a single access point. But 30 years later — an eternity in tech years — it remains largely unchanged.
Meanwhile, schools across the country have already made the switch to digital. Duke, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, the University of Virginia, and Temple — and even our favorite name twin Penn State — are just a few that have adopted digital ID systems. Many have partnered with Apple to integrate ID functions directly into Apple Wallet and Apple Watch. Others, like UVA, use hybrid systems that even let students log in from a friend’s phone in emergencies. With Face ID and fingerprint authentication, digital IDs are leagues ahead in security compared to their physical counterparts.
The benefits for Penn students are obvious. No more expensive replacement fees. No more temporary card headaches. No more late-night lockouts.
For College first year Kevin Chen — who has forgotten his PennCard seven times (and is three strikes away from a $35 fine) — digitizing IDs would be a dream come true. “Most of the times I’ve forgotten it, it’s for something dumb like going to do laundry. The card’s right there on my desk, but I’m locked out anyway. The whole process is a pain.”
And the process of obtaining a temp card? That’s another hurdle altogether. In dorms like Hill College House, Lauder College House, Fisher-Hassenfeld, and Stouffer College House, the offices for getting a temp card are, ironically, located … inside the building. Which means if you’re locked outside, you either have to flag down security or hope for a kind soul to let you in. And once you do get a temp card, you still need to return it to reactivate your PennCard — or risk needing a temp for your temp. Yes, that’s a thing. I learned it the hard way.
And beyond the headache, we can’t ignore the obvious environmental toll. Since 1990, Penn has produced over half a million plastic PennCards, enough to cover Franklin Field several times over. Most of these cards, with their short lifespans, have likely found their way to landfills, where they’ll linger for centuries. For a university that champions sustainability with initiatives like the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, replacing plastic IDs with digital alternatives seems like an easy, meaningful step forward.
The good news? A digital PennCard initiative is already in the works. According to Courtney Dombroski, director of communications and external relations for business services, a cross-divisional team — including representatives from the PennCard staff, Information Systems and Computing, and the Division of Public Safety — began work in January to evaluate the technical and logistical challenges. “We recognize that many people rely on their digital devices and would appreciate the convenience of a digital PennCard,” Dombroski said.
But here’s the bad news: There’s no timeline yet. “The scope and complexity are broader than anticipated, and we still have yet to set a firm date as to when implementation might occur,” Dombroski explained. With nearly 200 buildings on campus and thousands of access points to update, the transition is no small task.
I get it. Transforming an entire campus isn’t exactly a walk down Locust. But that said, this is Penn. If we can fund a shiny new AI building and pour millions into cutting-edge research, surely we can prioritize a solution that directly improves student life and enhances our reputation as a leader in technology and sustainability. The framework already exists — PennMobile integrates some card functions, like meal swipes and dining dollars — so the transition may not be as daunting as it seems.
This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about progress. Penn prides itself on being a leader, not a follower. It’s time for our ID system to reflect that.
DIYA CHOKSEY is a College first year studying cognitive science from Mumbai, India. Her email is dchoksey@sas.upenn.edu.
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