From Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. Blog — February 15, 2021, Katie Kochelek
As standard and custom kiosks spawn innovation and provide convenience across several industries, college campuses can capitalize on many of the same benefits for students, faculty, and staff.
From streamlining student services to delivering information and ensuring public safety, there are countless opportunities for college campus kiosks to transform the higher education sector.
Streamline Student Services
Simplifying processes is a major advantage to self-service kiosks. College campuses can utilize the technology to provide easy access for students to register for classes, print student IDs, pay tuition bills, and more. Below is a sampling of cases where college kiosks can fill a need on campuses.
- Automated mail lockers
- University bookstores
- Student ID printing
- Tuition, housing, textbook payment
- Library self-checkout
- Check-in at campus offices in lieu of a reception area
- Self-order kiosks in cafeteria
- Ticket purchase for campus events and sports games
Giving students the ability to complete these tasks independently helps schools reduce labor costs and redirect employees to more complex tasks.
In addition, outfitting college campus kiosks with near-field communication (NFC) or 2D scanners can allow for consistent access to the different types of kiosks found on site. With this simple network, students can easily eat lunch at the cafeteria and then check out a book from the library using only one student ID.
Provide Easy Information to Guests and Students
Any university freshman or new visitor knows the overwhelming feeling of trying to find the social sciences building or the student union. For large campuses, wayfinding kiosks can provide a simple solution to pointing guests in the right direction.
Along with interactive digital maps, college campus kiosks can also offer helpful tools such as a virtual IT help desk, access to teleservices like banking and healthcare, or courtesy charging stations for phones and laptops.
Ensure Student Safety
University campuses are essentially small communities, which means guaranteeing safety is important. Campus kiosks can aid in this endeavor.
Kiosk technology can be used to manage visitor check-ins for campus security offices by capturing photos, acquiring important data, and printing temporary badges. As facial recognition becomes more widely adopted, colleges can use this technology to aid in screening and registering guests and students as well.
Furthermore, kiosks can even be equipped with emergency service functions. Whether it’s a panic button feature, surveillance cameras, or first aid equipment, there’s a wide range of options colleges can explore to keep their premises safe.
Conclusion
Unsurprisingly, today’s world is highly connected, with digital technology found everywhere from our homes and cars to our wrists and back pockets. With the next generation comfortable in this automated space, college campuses are an ideal place to offer this technology, and the analytics capabilities kiosks provide can enhance the student and future consumer experience.
Embracing college campus kiosk technology to offer the same convenience the public has come to expect is a natural move for universities as they plan for the future.