For university leaders, the safety of students, staff, and faculty is paramount. As threats and emergencies become more prevalent, security solutions play a foundational role in creating a secure learning environment.
With the complexity of managing a secure educational environment and rise of sophisticated threats, the current state of campus security is one that demands advanced technological solutions.
In this article, we explore campus security, why it’s important, and the benefits campus security provides, and tips to improve campus security. By fostering a collaborative approach between students, faculty, and administration, campuses can create a more secure and resilient environment.
What is campus security?
At its core, campus security is about creating a secure yet welcoming environment that encompasses all measures put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals on site. The goal of campus safety and security is to create an environment that fosters learning and growth without fear, while offering a wide range of strategies and protocols aimed at preventing and responding to possible threats.
Why is campus safety and security important?
In recent years, university campuses have faced a variety of security challenges, including theft, assaults, and active shooter incidents.
In September 2023, the National Center for Education Statistics released a report on the Condition of Education. The report revealed that more than 20,000 criminal incidents occurred at universities throughout the United States of America in 2020. Additionally, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the number of criminal incidents per 1,000 residents within a 3-mile radius of a university campus ranged from 35.5 to 180.3.
These statistics underscore the importance of institutions developing comprehensive campus safety and security strategies that address the unique needs and risks of their community. For students to thrive, it is essential that they feel secure and protected within their educational environment.
The benefits of campus security
Campus security offers a range of benefits that contribute to a safe and positive learning environment.
- Prevention and deterrence of crime
One of the key advantages of robust campus security measures is the prevention and deterrence of crime. By implementing campus security solutions, such as access control and visitor management, campuses can proactively identify and address potential threats. This proactive approach not only helps in preventing criminal activities but also creates a sense of safety among students, faculty, and staff.
- Risk mitigation
Security is often misunderstood as just keeping people in or out, but it can play a central role in risk management.
Security hardware, software, policies, and day-to-day management all directly protect against many physical risks. That protection also indirectly mitigates the less tangible impacts of political, reputational, and financial risk.
- Student well-being
Campus safety measures go beyond preventing crime. A secure environment fosters student well-being in numerous ways. Reduced anxiety about personal safety allows students to focus on academics and extra-curricular activities. Proactive safety measures also create a culture where students feel comfortable walking around campus at night and encourages the confidence to seek help and report concerns, ultimately contributing to a more positive and enriching student experience.
- Reputation
A secure campus can also enhance the reputation of a university. Parents and prospective students are increasingly concerned about safety when choosing a college or university. Additionally, some university ranking systems consider safety factors when evaluating institutions, and those with robust security measures in place are more likely to attract and retain students, leading to greater success in recruitment and enrollment.
How access control can improve campus security
Creating a safe and secure learning environment on campus is vital. With facilities designed to meet a range of different needs – from student accommodation to lecture theaters, libraries, labs, and more – creating a secure yet welcoming environment can seem like a complicated task, especially when considering the additional challenges of managing campuses spread across multiple sites. An integrated access control solution is a crucial element of improving campus security.
Improved campus emergency and lockdown procedures
An integrated access control solution can lockdown a campus in seconds, ensuring that, in an emergency, students and staff remain safe and accounted for.
Gallagher’s campus security lockdown solutions allow anyone to leave an access zone, but restricts entry to a predetermined, select group of cardholders, like security guards, first aid providers, or emergency coordinators. In emergency or lockdown situations preconfigured notifications and recipient lists allow school administrators and security personnel to send critical information and instructions by email, text message (SMS), or the Mobile Connect app, and with the ability to automatically trigger comms via designated alarms and events, notifications can be sent instantly, increasing the time to safety, and reducing human error.
One of the fastest growing districts in the upper Midwest of the United States, Harrisburg in South Dakota required a security solutions provider that understood the specific needs of educational institutions and selected Gallagher as their solution of choice.
Security measures were put to the test when the local high school was the target of a shooting. The incident resulted in one staff member being injured but was prevented from escalating further due to Gallagher’s Command Centre being activated by staff. From the time the emergency button was pressed, it took just four seconds for Command Centre to lock all outside doors, notify district authorities, and limit building access to emergency responders only.
At a time when concern over campus security is rising, the benefits of an advanced, interactive security network to protect faculty, staff and students is essential, and in some cases, lifesaving.
Centralized campus control
A security solution that operates from one single pane of glass provides complete campus control, delivering a seamless experience to keep people safe, protect assets, optimize facility use, and reduce cyber risks.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), a major Australian university, opted for Gallagher’s Command Centre, to manage security across their three campuses and multiple remote research sites. Using Command Centre, QUT’s security staff in the Central Monitoring Stations (CMS) can create building and cardholder schedules, quickly lock down areas, grant immediate access, and generate reports.
Integrations with Command Centre – including emergency control points and alarms for temperature change, fire, and flooding – ensures staff quickly identify, locate, and respond to any potential risks on campus.
Streamline security across multiple campuses
A major benefit of operating one central access control solution is the ability to streamline security across multiple campuses with a university-wide solution. For example, King’s College London previously operated a variety of access control products across their multiple campuses before choosing Gallagher as their platform of choice across the entire university.
Streamlining the differing systems into the college-wide Gallagher solution has created many advantages, including a considerable reduction in costs for training and operator skills, and an improved user experience, especially for students.
Automated campus access management
Zayed University, one of three government sponsored higher education institutes in the United Arab Emirates places strong importance on access to and from their campus. Their campus security provider, Serco, partnered with Gallagher, selecting the Command Centre security platform to automate the management of gate barriers and access-controlled doors.
The university manages student access using Banner, a comprehensive computer information system. Entry and exit requests are sent from Command Centre to Banner for approval. Based on the time of entry or exit and the student's schedule, Banner decides whether to allow the request. If approved, Banner sends a command to the Gallagher Controller to open the gate. This ensures only authorized individuals are allowed entry at specific times.
Universities have complex needs when it comes to creating a safe and secure environment. The benefits of an optimized campus security system are immeasurable; from deterring crime and automating access management to fostering a secure learning environment conducive for growth and learning. Universities that invest in campus security solutions ensure the well-being and satisfaction of their students, staff, and faculty, which is critical to the success of any academic institution.
Contact our team today to learn more about our campus security solutions, get expert advice, or find out how we can help keep your campus running smoothly and safely.