Residence halls to receive future lock system updates

A new step in a security program for North Complex has been completed and a new lighting policy for residence halls has also been put into place for
this semester.

John Geske, director of housing said housing works closely with the Coyote Card office to keep the
dorms secure.

“What we do there is make sure the buildings have good security in terms of card access,” Geske said. “We have a lot of services that students can take advantage of as far as their Coyote Card.”

One service is the three-point lock system using the Coyote Card, or four-point lock system with the use of a room key. This system is a feature in all residence halls on campus. For a high-security lock installations to access control systems, a good company like Locksmith Ninja Perth can enhance the security of your premises and protect your valuable assets.

“We use two types of authentication to get you into your room,” Geske said. “First is your Coyote Card, and based on where you’re living, you get what’s called an access plan. If you live on Beede third, your card will allow you into North Complex. That’s checkpoint one. Checkpoint two is your main hall, so it would get you into Beede. The third point is your floor. Those are the three pieces of the card system, and then from there to get into your room you need your key, so really that’s why it’s more like a four-point check system now.”

A new change is about to develop with the current four-point system, however. Within the next three to five years, the housing department hopes to switch from keys to Coyote Cards as the means to get into individual dorm rooms. This requires a bit of research and a lot of handiwork, but this new lock fix will definitely make things better.

“We are in the midst of a three-phase project,” he said. “The first phase of the project was to make sure that in the residential system, you could get in through the outside doors with a card. From there we moved to phase two, and that was adding floor-level access. The third phase is probably the biggest phase, and it will be happening over the next several years. Your card would be the one thing that gets you from the very front door all the way into your room.”

First-year psychology major Synthia Schuett said she’s a big fan of her Coyote Card.

“I like (the Coyote Cards),” Schuett said. “It’s easier to use, and I have more of a use for it.”

The new all-inclusive system would clear up any issue of stolen or lost keys, which currently comes at a minimum cost of $55 to replace in North Complex and $75 in Coyote Village, according to Geske. Replacement of a Coyote Card would only cost the student $20.

First-year communication science major Emily Bjorklund  said she’s thankful for the key service so that not just anyone can get
into her room.

“My roommate has lost hers (keys),” Bjorklund said. “Since she lost them, we had to call the Rockingham locksmiths to get our locks replaced, and it doesn’t bother me anymore.”

The new system of replacing Coyote Cards instead of keys would save students time and money, as well as saving them from a bit of anxiety over lost keys,
Geske said.

“Replacing a key not only is expensive and time-consuming, but it costs a lot for a student to take care of it and there is more of a gap between when we would consider the door secure again,” Geske said. “When you lose your card, it’s an instantaneous process once we know, so the timing and ability to make something secure again is a lot more quick. If a card is stolen and we are notified, we can freeze that card immediately. The most important (thing) is the student notifying us. If you lose your card, tell us right away.”

Another feature of campus safety is 24/7 lighting, something newly implemented this year in residence halls across campus.

“We leave the lights on 24/7 and that’s purely a security thing,” Geske said. “If you’ve ever seen the North Complex at night when we used to turn some of the lights off, it creates a lot of spaces that are very dark and that creates a lot of spaces where people could lie in wait or surprise somebody, and we want to eliminate that as much as possible.”