Study: Only 18 Percent of College Officials Believe their Access Control is Effective

  • Sep 13, 2011

Data from independent research, Effective Management of Safe & Secure Openings & Identities, released from Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, a global provider of security and safety solutions and manufacturer of Schlage contactless smart credentials and readers, shows 82 percent of public, private and two-year specialized colleges and universities believe they are not very effective at managing safe and secure openings or identities. Only 18 percent believe they are very effective at granting or denying access to appropriate individuals or knowing who goes where.

“We found there are very differing mentalities on how access control systems are designed and managed,” reports Beverly Vigue, vice president of education markets at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. “Facilities and Public Safety, the key stakeholders in 57 percent of colleges, are more traditional in their approach while IT, One Card and Housing departments are more customer-/student-oriented. The focus is evolving from the former to the latter.”

According to Vigue, if the IT, One Card or Housing departments are the key stakeholders, the solutions are more innovative.  For instance, the One Card department considers convenience, customer service, improving customer experiences and including the students’ perceptions in the access control decision as primary concerns. IT’s major focus is measuring the return on investment to the higher education institution to improve options for upgrading.

In general, access control on campus is evolving from the traditional security/product-oriented focus of the Facilities and Public Safety departments to the broader definition of the IT, One Card and Housing departments. Differing mentalities typically do not occur on the same campus as colleges tend to be solely one or the other in their focus.

Respective of the way access control is viewed, the five leading concerns on college campuses are:

1. Minimizing the occurrence of tailgating/piggy-backing.

2. Maximizing the likelihood the students can comply with the intended access design.

3. Maximizing real-time notification when problems occur.

4. Minimizing the time it takes to lockdown a campus.

5. Maximizing the ability to locate building occupants in an emergency.

The study was conducted among more than 140 colleges and universities, including leading institutions such as the University of Michigan, MIT, UCLA and Columbia.

Featured

  • UL Solutions Launches Artificial Intelligence Safety Certification Services

    UL Solutions Inc., a global leader in safety science, today announced the launch of artificial intelligence (AI) safety certification services, enabling comprehensive assessments for evaluating the safety of AI-powered products. Read Now

  • ESA Announces Initiative to Introduce the SECURE Act in State Legislatures

    The Electronic Security Association (ESA), the national voice for the electronic security and life safety industry, has announced plans to introduce the SECURE Act in state legislatures across the country beginning in 2025. The proposal, known as Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures, provides a clear framework that allows candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for professional security services. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Ransomware Attacks Rise for the First Time in Six Months

    Ransomware attacks have risen for the first time in six months, increasing by 28% month-on-month to 421 attacks. While overall attack volume remained below 500, the uptick may signal a renewed escalation heading into the year’s most active period for cyber criminals. Read Now

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.