Not All Universities are the Same

I’ve seen a lot of higher education campuses in my travels, and until late July, all of them have been beautiful, pastoral settings with buildings over acres of land. However, it was my pleasure and surprise to visit Pace University in downtown New York City.

Pace University is a higher education university that rises to the sky, rather than take up an abundant amount of acreage for buildings. It is an amazing university in that regard, and addressing their security needs is handled with all the care and concern you can imagine.

As a liberal arts university, Pace is well known for its business school, theater and arts programs, but its location also grabs some attention. It is located across the street from the NYC mayor’s office, less than a block from NYPD headquarters and is very close to Wall Street and the 9/11 Memorial. Being in a key part of the city, security is a big deal for school officials.

What I was able to observe is the partnership between Pace University’s security team and staff from Idesco, a security integrator. This partnership is strong and vibrant; in fact, they communicate on a daily basis about security issues, technology and products.

Pace University is building a new 36-story residential hall in the heart of downtown New York. As with any new build at a major university, security is critical. Idesco has had a hand in part of the new building since the project began. The university has selected great equipment in Axis Communications IP cameras and Vicon IP cameras, while individual doors inside the building will have wireless access control from ASSA ABLOY.

Idesco president Andrew Schonzeit and his staff maintain a close relationship with Pace security staff and the building crew at the facility.

Security is at the heart of the new building.

I had a great time touring Pace University, and I hope you will find the cover story useful and informative. I’m sure you will agree that higher education is concerned about security, and doing it the right way because what all campuses have in common is the need to provide security for students, staff and faculty.

This article originally appeared in the September 2014 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

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

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