• GUEST BLOG: Planning access control in accommodation & on campus

    960 640 Stuart O'Brien

    By 2020 CCTV

    It’s not unusual for a parent to be worried about their child when they venture off to university, especially when they’re moving out of the family home.

    And a video that went viral earlier last year that recorded students at Nottingham Trent University chanting racist comments in front of the door of another student in their university accommodation (halls) — will only have heightened concerns from a parent’s perspective.

    Filmed by first-year student Rufaro Chisango, her experiences were brought to the public’s attention when the video went viral on Twitter. Thankfully, with the advancements in technology and the implementation of access control systems in university halls, Rufaro was physically safe from any threat. But now, expectations must be higher to ensure that this type of behaviour, or risk, does not happen again.

    Why is access control important on campus?

    Access control should be an initial consideration when it comes to protecting a specific location, and there are two main functions to the systems that can be used. The first has a more basic yet effective approach and has the ability to enable or prevent someone from entering or exiting a location — this could range from the whole site, a wing of a building, or a singular room that needs protecting from unauthorised personnel.

    On the other hand, the second function enables internal systems to monitor movements around the premises — which then allow security teams to conduct data trails for future audits.

    When looking at university accommodation in particular, valid credentials are essential. The purpose of having such security measures in place is to help protect students from unauthorised access, which could potentially threaten their wellbeing or put their possessions at risk…

    This article originally appeared on Security Briefing – Click here to read in full.

    AUTHOR

    Stuart O'Brien

    All stories by: Stuart O'Brien

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