Despite the popularity of the keyless, wireless entry pilot program in South Hall this semester, Tufts officials are hesitant to say whether the JumboFob system will be implemented in other dormitories.
JumboFob, which allows South hall residents to access the building by swiping a small electronic "wand" at the front door, has worked well in its first semester of implementation, South hall residents and Department of Public Safety officials say. South, Tufts' newest dorm, was wired with the "proximity technology" necessary for such a system during is construction in 1991. Most other residence halls, which are much older, are not equipped with the new technology.
The Office of Public safety, along with Residential Facilities, Tufts Community Union Senate representatives, and the Dean of Students office, will meet again to discuss expanding the keyless system to include other dorms. According to Tufts University Police Department Captain Ronald Brevard, the committee has not yet established any concrete plans for other dorms.
Students and administrators have been enthusiastic about JumboFob's debut. "JumboFob has become second nature," South resident David Chen said. "Many of my friends in other universities have been using a similar system, and I'm glad that we finally decided to bring it to Tufts."
Brevard said members on the committee that originally implemented JumboFob have also found the system successful overall. He said that surveys from other universities - which showed that most were using electronic access - served as a driving force behind testing the JumboFob system at Tufts.
Last semester, South Hall residents received an e-mail survey asking their thoughts on keyless access. Brevard said most of the feedback voiced concerns about "not wanting to carry too many things, assuming the card was the size of a credit card, in addition to one's room keys." The actual fob is very small and can fit on a key chain.
Implementing JumboFob also addressed safety concerns. The wands cannot be copied, unlike most keys, and, if stolen, can be immediately deactivated by the public safety department. Though public safety has received few reports of stolen wands, officers stressed the advantage of deactivating them.
A "fob," which originally referred to the "small pocket at the front waistline of a man's trousers or vest, used to hold a watch," is now defined as "an ornament or seal" attached to a key chain.
