Finals Week: AVI for Universities

Printable Version: Finals Week-Blog

Finals Are Stressful. Parking Shouldn’t Be.

MAY 2016—Colleges across the country are gearing up for the most daunting time of the semester: Finals Week. Most students are burying their noses in textbooks to get in some last-minute cramming. Professors are busy planning their summer getaways and dreading the impending stacks of exams that need grading. But students and professors share one thing in common: no one wants to worry about fumbling around with inconsistent manual-access gates just to find a parking spot on test day.

Today’s leading universities invest heavily in structural parking systems, and integrators and installers stake their reputation on the success of the solution they choose to implement. Potential areas include student parking and faculty parking, new student parking and veteran student parking, parking specific to a school of the college, and even sorority and fraternity parking. In a rush to get to class on time during a bustling day on campus, it is not uncommon for unauthorized vehicles to fill a lot allocated to a specific group. This starts a chain reaction of parking inefficiencies and diminishes the value of having structural parking systems in the first place.

That’s why numerous universities, as well as airports, hospitals, and other institutions across the nation are turning to hands-free, Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI). AVI is the goldmine solution that structural parking users have been searching for, using automated cutting-edge Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.  After deciding to implement an RFID AVI platform, choosing the right solution is critical. TagMaster NA, the leading provider of RFID platforms, offers AVI systems that are ideal for applications at colleges and universities.

Hands-Free, Hassle-Free

Upon deploying an RFID AVI TagMaster system, students and faculty feel the stress of gaining entry and finding a parking spot lifted from their shoulders. TagMaster’s RFID Readers quickly verify a vehicle’s credentials to open an entrance gate and TagMaster Tags (transponders) serve as the identity authorization for a vehicle or individual. These systems allow students, faculty, and staff entry into their assigned lot without having to stop or roll down a window. This is especially helpful on rainy days, at night, during rush hours when queues are long, or when students are pressed for time because they stayed up all night to finish that 20-pager. Fortunately, the days of rummaging through the accrued stacks of paper inside a vehicle are over. Multiple options including dashboard, windshield, and rearview mirror mounted tags make TagMaster’s RFID AVI even more convenient since credentials will be in one stationary, secure place.

Benefits of TagMaster AVI in a University Setting

1. Safety. Colleges often have “emergency buttons” and phones stationed all over campus for students to use when their safety is threatened, but parking lots and garages remain vulnerable areas. Students using the library late at night or athletes attending early morning practices at the gym shouldn’t need to roll down their windows or exit their vehicle when entering a lot.
2. Security. 21^st century students have abandoned paper and pencils for expensive laptops, smartphones and tablets. While these technologies can aid the learning process, they also increase the chances of car break-ins and theft if students are forced to park in an open lot or on the street.
3. Customizable. Universities know that school spirit plays a crucial role in student retention, rankings, and even alumni giving. That’s why TagMaster NA offers customizable RFID AVI options for the tags that are prominently displayed on or in vehicles. Tags can be customized to include the colors and logo of a university, include zone restrictions and validation dates, and can even be color coded to easily identify unauthorized vehicles.
4. Tag Fulfillment. Budget planning is imperative for every business and organization, specifically for organizations in the business of education where budgets tend to be tight. Investing in a TagMaster NA AVI system also means investing in a convenient and efficient way to fulfill additional tag requirements. Universities have a constant flow of new students and faculty members, which makes streamlined tag fulfillment a must. With a tag fulfillment system in place, administrators are able to plan in advance for fulfillment shipments in an efficient and timely manner. These tags can be stocked on-site for quick and easy access when needed, or stocked by the system supplier for fulfillment on an as-needed basis.
5. Faculty Access. Professors are exceptionally busy, and rarely have time to meet with students outside of office hours. The best students, however, are exceptionally tenacious, and would eagerly stop a professor on the way to their car given the chance. Dedicated faculty lots that are efficiently and reliably enforced with RFID AVI systems prevent such unwanted interactions, and make it easier for the faculty, any university’s most valuable asset, to get to class on time, every time. Satisfied faculty is an essential factor when choosing an RFID AVI parking system.
6. Revenue One of parents’ most common questions is, “Should my student bring their car to school?” Colleges have enormous opportunity to benefit from increased parking revenues if more students and parents are confident bringing a car to campus. Not having to park on-street can even reduce insurance premiums. Word travels fast on campus! Now is the time to start reaping the benefits of TagMaster AVI.

For these reasons and more, TagMaster NA has been the trusted choice of higher education RFID AVI across the country for nearly a decade. Please visit us at www.TagMasterNA.com, and stay up to date with TagMaster NA on social media.

Good luck to all students and faculty, and congratulations Class of 2016!