Returning students at Keene State College may notice that entering a building is a bit different than previous years. Campus Safety has been working on a new access-control system for more than five years and has finally put the new technology to the test. Instead of a swipe to gain access to the building, a quick little tap is all it takes. Though it may look like a small change, there is a lot more than meets the eye.
According to Director of Campus Safety Amanda Guthorn, the new system idea was introduced in 2009 by a group of KSC faculty as a one-card proposal. Instead of having multiple cards for different purposes, the system was compacted into one card. Students were now able to use their card everywhere on campus; from a last-minute buy at the bookstore, to a favorite afternoon sizzler.
“We needed a bigger platform,” Guthorn said, “We needed a system that could do more.” Guthorn said she was one of the first, along with her colleagues to introduce the idea of the one-card system.
The new card system uses chip technology which increases security throughout campus. When the old card was swiped, the magnetic strip read a simple yes or no for access to a building. According to Guthorn, a chip inside the card sends a message to the receiver which feeds back more information than the previous system. With just one tap, a signal is sent to Campus Safety that tells who you are, what dorm you live in and if you are allowed access to the building.
Changing an access control system takes many years to complete.
The first step was a request for the proposal.
The board members must send in their outline of the new system then proceed to wait for a company willing to create their design.
Laura Seraichick, the Chief Information Officer at KSC, said the new ACS is sourced from CBORD, a provider of campus security solutions.
Seraichick said the new system cost KSC approximately $800,000.
After the program had been reviewed, work began to install the system.
The first phase: updating the residence halls.
Campus Safety had to produce a way in which students could get in and out of the buildings.
New improvements in the system include the ability to control the alarms, such as turning them on and off when needed.
This aspect of the new system came in handy on move-in day; Campus Safety was able to shut the alarms off, making the move easier and more efficient according to incoming freshmen.
Colin Middleton / Equinox Staff
Once everyone was settled in, the doors were locked and armed.
Phase two involves installing the ACS in the academic and administrative buildings. In order to enter an academic building after hours, a student must complete a form to submit to Campus Safety.
This rule still applies with the new system, however students are not limited to how many after-hours they use.
Before installing the final product, the system must be tested. Guthorn assured that small groups of faculty were chosen to test the system; they received new ID cards to access their buildings as well as food.
This process was called the pilot program.
Whatever didn’t work during the test, Campus Safety and CBORD would work together to fix.
“The Access Control System is a work in progress; it is always improving to increase stability at Keene State College,” Guthorn said.
She said she believes it is important for students to “take on responsibility” while using the new system. If people “do not use it correctly,” Guthorn says, “the system will breach.”
New ideas are abundant now that our technology has improved.
Some ideas include being able to use the Owl Card downtown as well as tapping the card for attendance, instead of the usual roll-call.
Seraichick oversees all technology throughout campus and said she believes students “see more benefits when they get more services.”
The new card system also allows students to check the card balance.
The students may not realize how much has actually changed, but what they do notice is the change in price of a replacement ID.
Due to the new chip software, the ID card replacement increased twenty dollars as compared to the old replacement price of five dollars.
Some students don’t mind the new cards.
Paul Mazzola is entering his fifth year here at KSC as a Residential Assistant in Randall Hall.
“I really like the new system,” Mazzola said, “I don’t even have to take the card out of my wallet.”
The new chip technology makes gaining access to a building easier, as it can be detected through tough material such as a wallet or pocket.
Other students think differently about the new system. “I like the swipe better,” Lauren Sherman, a sophomore at KSC said, “I don’t have to stand there forever trying to get in.”
Sherman said she believes that the swipe read the card much faster than the tap.
Haley Gardiner, a first-year KSC student, is not familiar with the old system but is concerned with the cost of the new ACS.
“I understand that safety is important,” Gardiner said, “but I believe there are important things on campus that need extra funding, like more financial aid to students who need it.”
Students have mixed feelings on the new ACS, but as Amanda Guthorn said, Campus Safety has worked long and hard to produce a new and improved system that will gain more capability as well as stability, for both students and faculty.
As a work in progress, the new Access Control System can only be enhanced, making KSC a safer community for all.
MacKenzie Clarke can be contacted at mclarke@keene-equinox.com
