The challenges educational institutes face today are unlike those of the past and they’re changing the way schools and universities operate.
Chief among them is the need for heightened security while evolving with student expectations for quality digital experiences.
As technology advances, our campus security solutions must also evolve. Traditional school access control systems, such as ID cards and keys, have proven to be inadequate in the face of these modern challenges, being prone to loss, duplication, and administrative inefficiencies.
To meet the needs and expectations of today’s students, universities and schools need to rethink their approach to access control. The answer lies in adopting smart access control for education including digital-first solutions like keyless entry for schools and universities.
The shift towards mobile access control for universities offers a secure, scalable, and user-friendly solution, simplifying access management while improving safety for students, staff, and visitors, and enabling digital-first campuses.
Challenges of Traditional Access Control in Education
Schools and universities are dynamic environments where thousands of staff, students, and visitors interact daily. Key or card-based systems have long been the standard for access control technology in education. However, managing access with these traditional school access control systems has become increasingly complex and their limitations are more apparent than ever.
Lost & Stolen Keycards
Keycards are small and easily lost or misplaced, making it necessary to replace them frequently. Printing and encoding of replacement cards is both expensive and time-consuming.
Additionally, losing accommodation keys can leave students stranded and vulnerable, especially late at night when they have no way to enter their dorms, compromising their safety.
Unauthorized Access Risks
If lost keycards fall into the wrong hands, they can allow to unauthorized access to sensitive areas like research labs. Such breaches can lead to financial losses from damage or theft of valuable equipment and compromise safety of students and staff.
Secure mobile credentials for students provide a safer alternative, effectively reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Administrative Burden
Each year, a new wave of students enrolls, while others graduate. This constant turnover means manually issuing, replacing, and revoking access for thousands of students and staff. This process is extremely labor-intensive, causing administrative bottlenecks and increasing the risk of human error.
Adding to this burden, some schools still use paper-based sign-in sheets for visitors. In an emergency, these systems do not provide real-time information about who is on campus, jeopardizing visitor safety.
Scalability Issues
Managing access to multiple buildings including libraries, labs, dormitories, and parking areas with outdated school access control systems is a significant challenge. These systems are often not centrally managed meaning security staff do not have real-time oversight of campus security.
These systems also lack automated access management for universities and schools, leading to administrative inefficiencies, higher access control costs, and increased security risks due to manual processes.
Additionally, these systems lack the adaptability of modern solutions like smart access control for education, which can seamlessly grow with the institution, providing the centralized control, automation, and real-time updates needed for evolving campuses.
Poor Student Experience
Traditional school access control systems often hinder the student experience by creating unnecessary barriers and frustrations. For example, relying on keycards can cause disruptions if they are lost, forgotten, or damaged leaving students locked out of essential areas like classrooms, libraries or dorms. These inflexible processes make campus life feel less seamless and fall short of student expectations for a modern educational environment.
The significant challenges of traditional access control methods highlight the need for mobile access control for universities and schools.
Benefits of Mobile Access Control for Universities & Schools
Mobile access control for universities and schools offers a dynamic solution to many challenges faced by educational institutions. The demand for these seamless, tech-forward solutions has soared, driven by students and staff who already use their smartphones to manage nearly every aspect or their lives.
Mobile student ID access refers to the use of digital credentials stored on a student's smartphone or smartwatch to access campus facilities and services. This modern approach eliminates the need for physical ID cards, providing a more secure, convenient, and efficient way for students to interact with their campus environment.
By leveraging mobile student ID access, educational institutions can enhance security, streamline administrative processes, and improve the overall student experience.
Increased Security & Reduced Risk of Lost Credentials
Safer than traditional key-based systems and more convenient than ID cards, secure mobile credentials for students provide a simple, yet effective, solution to education security needs.
Since mobile credentials are stored securely on a student or staff member's smartphone, which they are less likely to lose, the hassle of reissuing lost keycards is eliminated. If a phone is lost or stolen, it's easy to deactivate the person's access remotely.
Mobile student ID access systems also support multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security. For example, Gallagher’s Mobile Connect offers optional two-factor authentication, using a PIN or biometric like a fingerprint or facial recognition.
The ease of use and familiarity of mobile devices encourage higher adoption rates among staff and students, leading to better compliance with security protocols.
Convenience for Students & Staff
Staff and students already use their smartphones for activities like communication, transactions, and even accessing event tickets.
Implementing mobile access control for universities and schools allows students to also use their smartphones or smartwatches to access buildings. This approach provides convenience, enhances personalization, and creates a seamless, digital-centric experience.
Digital credentials for schools can be integrated with campus apps. For example, Gallagher’s integration with Transact Campus enables students to:
- Access campus buildings and doors
- Borrow library materials
- Print, scan and photocopy
Students can also access a host of other campus services, all with a tap of their smartphone or smartwatch at a Gallagher Reader making campus life more convenient and user-friendly.
Streamlined Access Management for Administrators
Students aren’t the only ones benefiting from the efficiencies of digital credentials for schools. The burden of administrative tasks and managing credentials can also be lifted freeing up administration, facilities, and security staff to focus on other important tasks.
For example, Gallagher’s Mobile Connect supports remote provisioning allowing users to be set up before arriving on site, with access scheduled to begin and expire as needed. This automated access management for universities and schools saves extensive staff time at the beginning of a semester, when many students need access to campus facilities and accommodation all at once.
Additionally, users are less likely to forget or misplace their phone than a physical access card. For administrators this reduces the costs and frustrations of replacing lost or stolen cards.
Scalability & Flexibility for Multi-Building Campuses
Smart access control for education is inherently scalable and flexible, offering administrators the ability to easily issue and manage digital credentials for schools as needs evolve.
For example, if new security protocols are introduced, updates can be pushed via software instead of replacing physical keys or cards, making the change almost instantaneous.
Mobile student ID access also supports multi-site security, covering dormitories, libraries, labs, gyms, and classrooms. This means staff and students only need one mobile credential to access a variety of places instead of multiple keycards and physical keys.
Keyless entry for schools and universities allows security operators to manage day-to-day security issues remotely. Tasks like unlocking doors, managing alarms, and disabling cardholders in the event of a lost credential can be easily managed on the go via a secure mobile app that communicates directly with the security software.
By freeing security operators from the control room, they can easily respond to security events from anywhere on site, as and when they arise.
Integration with Wider Campus Security Systems
Mobile access control for universities and schools doesn’t exist in isolation, it integrates with wider campus security solutions.
Mobile technology can play a vital role in ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements during security emergencies like evacuations or lockdowns. In an evacuation scenario, mobile technology can be used to verify the safety of cardholders, reducing mustering time and ensuring faster, more efficient evacuations.
Similarly, access control technology in education can significantly improve the lockdown process by enabling faster initiation and effective communication. In the event of a lockdown, Gallagher’s Broadcast Notifications Solution allows campus administrators to immediately distribute critical information and instructions to preconfigured recipient lists by email, text message (SMS), or the Gallagher Mobile Connect App.
Integrated mobile technology has proven effective in security emergencies in various settings, such as high schools, enabling fast responses and effective communication, ultimately ensuring a safer environment for all.
Real-World Case Study: How Gallagher’s Mobile Access is Enhancing Campus Security
Waipawa Primary School
Waipawa Primary School, was facing challenges with their outdated system that involved multiple keypads, access codes, and keys, making it difficult to manage and track who had access. They required a solution to streamline access and security that remained flexible and easy to use
Waipawa opted for Gallagher Security’s SMB security solution. With the SMB app, the school:
- Streamlined access and security
- Introduced remote access management
- Reduced time and money spent on technician call-outs
- Improved security and satisfaction among staff
Hastings Christian School: Generating Revenue
Over the years, Hastings Christian School (HCS), have expanded their buildings, but one sticking point has been the absence of a gymnasium. Without a gym, HCS has been forced to rent an off-site facility for student sports and school events.
In recent years, HCS has been working toward a goal of building a gym to improve the student experience, serve as a community hub, and generate an additional source of income for their growing school.
To achieve that goal, they implemented Gallagher’s digital credentials for schools, with this solution HCS was able to:
- Safely share their gym with the community while still protecting their school.
- Control gym access remotely
- Demonstrate the ROI of mobile access control
Gallagher’s campus security solutions have proven to be transformative for schools like Waipawa and HCS. By adopting digital credentials for schools, students and staff not only experience enhanced safety, security, and convenience but also realize a significant return on investment.
The Future of Access Control in Education
As schools and universities embrace this digital evolution, the traditional lock-and-key systems are giving way to intelligent solutions that offer improved security, streamlined operations, and real-time monitoring capabilities. These include:
- Biometric authentication: Biometrics, such as fingerprint or facial recognition are becoming prominent methods for secure and personalized access, reducing the risk of unauthorized entry while eliminating physical credentials
- Digital wallets: The integration of digital wallets is rapidly expanding amongst campuses enabling students to store their identification, campus payment methods, and access credentials in one place.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is transforming campus security solutions, by leveraging this technology schools can significantly reduce response times and freeing up administrative time.
- Cloud-based access control for schools: The cloud is another trend shaping campus security solutions, enabling institutions to centralize system management, providing administrators with real-time access to controls and data from anywhere. This particularly useful for distributed campuses and further enhance ease of scalability.
By embracing the latest access control technology in education, such as cloud-based access control for schools and AI, learning institutions will be better equipped to create secure environments that foster growth and success in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Mobile access control for universities and schools, represents a fundamental change in campus security solutions, offering benefits in terms of scalability, convenience, and efficiency through the use of secure mobile credentials for students.
By leveraging Gallagher’s access control technology in education, school facility directors can streamline their security operations, reduce administrative burdens, and respond dynamically to security challenges.
The integration of secure mobile credentials for students into wider campus security solutions ensures robust defense against unauthorized access and improved emergency procedures while also enhancing the student experience.
For facility directors and operations teams, investing in mobile access control is a strategic move towards a safer, smarter, and digital-centric campus experience.
Upgrade your campus security with Gallagher’s mobile access control solutions. Contact us today.