A couple of problems have emerged regarding the key card access around QU since students returned for the spring 2023 semester. 

Students are given a key card at the beginning of their time at QU which allows students access to their residence halls, Francis Hall, Brenner Library. These cards also provide access to student meal plans at the Student Center, or “The Cafe”.

Over the 2022-2023 winter break, maintenance installed card readers on each floor of Padua Hall. This requires students to scan their key card once to enter the residence hall, and once to enter into their respective hallways increasing the level of security.

“I don’t really see the point of the new card readers. I already have to use my key to get into the building in the first place. Now if I want to go to my friend’s room on a different floor, I have to wait for him to come open the door into the hallway which is getting old already,” Will Stockman, freshman, said.

This issue regarding the card scanners isn’t what the real problem is according to residents of Padua Hall. 

“I didn’t have a problem with the card scanners until I noticed that I could only open the door to the hallway on one side of my floor. One day it was cold so I went in the near entrance. When I got to my floor, my key didn’t work and I had to go back outside and around the other side of the building,” Dayne Sebranek, senior, said.

With the harsh winter weather still haunting us, this is an inconvenience for many students, especially residents of Padua Hall. No one wants to be stuck in the freezing cold when they don’t have to be. Students hope for this issue to be addressed not only for weather reasons, but for convenience reasons as well. 

Less importantly, another issue arose regarding the student key cards. As previously stated, student key cards provide access to meal plans at “The Cafe”, in which students must scan their keys to enter or purchase any food or drink.

On Tuesday, February 7, multiple students experienced malfunctions on their keys in “The Cafe” and around campus. 

“Today at lunch I tried to get some snacks with my flex dollars for later tonight and my key card wasn’t working. The light popped up red, the same thing happened to a couple other people I noticed. I wasn’t a happy camper to be honest,” Ty Phillips, sophomore, said.

Students also noticed oddities within the classrooms the very next day. 

“There were like six people in a row who’s keys weren’t working for the class I was in at Francis Hall,” John Jennings, sophomore, said.

However, it is speculated that the key cards were under construction and being updated on those two days. Since then there have been no more problems.