Best College for the Money

Best College for the Money

If you’re thinking about sending your high school graduate to college, yes, the planning should have taken place a couple years ago, but I’m sure you’ve taken into account the kind of school and academic program your son or daughter is interested in achieving.

Have you thought about security? I bet you have.

Best College for the MoneyAs the ASIS group toured with industry editors, we had the opportunity to get close and personal with officials at Columbia College Chicago. They take security seriously.

The college is the largest private media arts school in Chicago’s South Loop, with 16 buildings and the largest property owner in the area. The students are mainly commuters who use rapid transit to get to school and back home at the end of the day.

Security officers monitor the campus surveillance system, work in a rather small command center and have posts at every building entrance. AlliedBarton security officers and college security patrol on foot, bicycle and Segway. There is a car, but it’s not the most visible feature of the security patrol.

Working with contract security staff, Robert Koverman says they all work together, and there is not a siloed approach. Koverman also said they work closely with the local chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association for controllable costs such as security officers, overhead and management fees.

What sets Koverman apart from other security interests is that he works closely with the IT department at the college. In fact, the IT department became the financier to develop the security infrastructure. The college went from having no access card readers to deploying more than 100 card readers, by installing a Lenel access control platform. The benefit was eliminating low-voltage burglar alarms and implementing network-centric products.

Columbia College is moving toward all IP cameras but still has a few analog in place. They will shortly be working on installing megapixel cameras because of the great relationship with the IT department.

For a college with 11,000 students and four residents’ halls, the overall security plan is to be more compliant as a housing institution and for human needs in the middle of an urban setting.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.