Providing adequate security for college and university campuses is a much
more difficult task than it is for other types of facilities, such as
business buildings. While most businesses run during normal business hours,
students come and go freely on a 24-hour basis in many residence halls,
and many campuses offer late-night services in their libraries, sports
facilities, labs and student unions. The turnover is also much higher
than in the business world, with scores of students joining and leaving
the school each semester.
Prospective students and their parents
add to the daily entourage of on-campus traffic, in parking lots and throughout
nearly every facility. Add to this intramural sports, which bring off-campus
teams, fans and vendors to the properties; and college parties that attract
friends and strangers from near and far; and the well-intentioned security
strategies start to unravel.
In the past, schools used laminated picture
ID cards for student validation, library checkout and bookstore and student
discounts. Off-duty police officers or contract security personnel were
hired often as the sole eyes and ears of the school's security solution.
Many postsecondary schools still use the
same systems to protect students, faculty and staff, but many campuses
are now turning to electronic solutions, including access control, CCTV
and emergency phones, in addition to manned patrol. One of the more popular
solutions on the rise is the one-card system, which can accommodate a
variety of tasks and services, including building access, student debit
accounts for meal plans and laundry, bookstore purchases and library privileges.
Let's take a look at how three universities-the
University of Louisville, a state-funded school; the University of Tampa,
a privately funded school; and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a
privately funded specialty school-face similar challenges, with existing
buildings laid out on sprawling campuses.
University
of Louisville Cardinal Card
The University of Louisville comprises
137 buildings, including those on its three campuses and several off-campus,
leased buildings. The 177-acre main Belknap Campus is located three miles
from downtown Louisville, Ky. The Health Science Center, situated in the
downtown area, is home to the school's health-related programs and the
University of Louisville Hospital. The 243-acre Shelby Campus, located
about 13 miles from the main campus, houses the National Crime Prevention
Institute and the University Center for Continuing and Professional Education.
Thirty-nine of these buildings are currently
wired for electronic access control, and as new structures are erected,
wiring for access control may be included in the construction. "As
buildings are modified for other uses, our intention is to retrofit them
for access control, but only as the demands of the building and budget
considerations require it," explained Joe Gahlinger, coordinator
of computer operations for the vice president of finance and administration.
The university has used 260 Wiegand readers
and cards for the past 15 years, and is now transitioning to a multi-technology
card to create a one-card solution. "Formerly," said Gahlinger,
"a student who had security access to a residence and who was on
the meal plan carried an access card, a meal plan card, a library card
and an ID card. Copier and Uniprint cards in the computer labs were also
available."
To meet everyone's needs as efficiently
as possible, Gahlinger established a working group including the Student
Government Association, faculty, school administrators, the student administration
and staff from the Health Sciences Center campus. The group reviewed card
vendor options and prioritized its wish list for the card.
As a state institution, the university
had to follow a stringent bid process that a private school or company
might not have to go though. But, Gahlinger admitted, "the RFP forces
you to look at all possibilities, and it forces you to have a clear idea
of what you want the card to do." Without that requirement, he believes
that many organizations might not complete such a thorough due diligence
process.
The process resulted in CyberMark Inc.'s
SmartWorld, dubbed the Cardinal Card in honor of the school's mascot.
It contains a smart chip module, proximity and magnetic stripe technologies
and a photo ID. It is used as a debit card for food service (both cafeteria
and vending machine purchases), an ATM/debit card at the sponsoring bank,
an ID card and a library card. "The proximity feature for access
control is on the card," said Gahlinger, "but we are still integrating
the new prox readers and database system."
As the card evolves, it will be used for
student elections, computer lab log-on capabilities and digital identification.
"We specifically postured ourselves with a smart chip technology
card for its digital identification, or PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)
capabilities," said Gahlinger. "In the future, we can implement
PKI at our Health Sciences Center to meet HIPPA regulations for patients'
medical records privacy." But, he added, those capabilities are just
more steps in the evolution of the card usage. He forecasts a minimum
of three to five years for total card functionality.
"The integration of the CyberMark
system with the existing Andover Controls access control system is one
of the most challenging aspects of the installation," said Gahlinger,
"as we've already integrated this card with our student and human
resources database system, and that wasn't a trivial task."
The access control system is controlled
via an Andover Controls Continuum? software system, installed and
maintained by SimplexGrinnell. The system runs on the Windows NT?
operating system, and also monitors the fire alarms, intrusion alarms,
elevator panic alarms, office panic/duress alarms and mechanical alarms.
"By law, you have to install a phone line or a panic alarm in your
elevators," said Doug Givans, physical security coordinator of the
Public Safety Department. "We installed alarms, which come into our
central station, and that saved a lot of money on additional phone lines."
The primary benefit of utilizing a smart
card module is the convenience on the campuses. But Givans sees an even
more important benefit arising from the merging technologies. "The
current database has not been credible," he said. "Going to
the one-card system gives us a fresh database and allows us the opportunity
to develop policy and keep the database credible, which we didn't have
before."
Of the 21,000 students and 5,000 staff
and administration, about 8,000 will use HID Prox readers and DuoProx'
II cards with smart chips installed by Schlumberger. The Health Sciences
Center campus will use the new prox technology, as well as those in athletics
and engineering, due to the requirement for access rights. All others
will continue to use the cards without the prox technology invoked.
Three of the seven dorms will also use
proximity cards. The other four already have standalone access control
systems with magstripe entry. "If they don't need the prox feature,
we won't issue a prox card, due to the cost differential," said Gahlinger.
When the final merger is complete, the Public Safety Department will maintain
the database and assign authorization levels to each card. All other programming
will be done through the One-Card Office.
The university rounds out its security
program with 58 Ramtech Corporation emergency telephones installed in
the parking lots and throughout the campus, 22 Pelco color pan/tilt CCTV
cameras and roaming patrol.
The University
of Tampa
At the University of Tampa, President Ronald
L. Vaughn has made a priority of using technology to provide more intense
protection for students and faculty.
There are 29 buildings on the 75-acre downtown
campus, including three new nine-story buildings that were pre-wired for
electronic access control. Currently, the university is completing the
final touches on yet another nine-story, multi-use housing facility with
a complete electronic access control package. The first and second floors
will house the new Student Union, including food services on the first
floor. Floors three through eight are already in use as student residences,
and the top floor is being designed for conference rooms. The school has
opened permanent access to the third to eighth floors and first floor
food services, while floors two and nine remain blocked off until construction
is complete.
"We use HID's DuoProx' II proximity
cards," said Brian Sutton, director of procurement and contract administration.
"Access is based on time of day, from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. The
doors lock between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and students must then use
their cards to access both the building and their floor." There are
a total of 49 HID MiniProx' card readers in the building, including
handicap access doors, which meet all ADA requirements.
There is free elevator access to the second
and ninth floors, but if a student's destination is any floor from three
to eight, he or she needs to use the MiniProx readers that are installed
in each elevator. Since the stairwells are locked, enterprising students
trying to access a residence floor from the top floor will find it a long
hike down to floor two.
The dual-technology access cards provide
a student ID with access capabilities via proximity technology. The magnetic
stripe allows food service prepaid accounts, and a barcode is imprinted
on the card for library use. Sutton hopes to bring the bookstore online
this year, and eventually upgrade the cards to a smart card technology.
Thirty-six fixed, black-and-white Panasonic
security cameras monitor and tape activity in the parking garage, while
several Panasonic pan/tilt/zoom cameras provide the same service in the
student and visitor parking lots, the bookstore and the computer center.
The cameras are wired over fiber optic cable to the security offices.
The university has security gates at two
faculty and staff parking lots. TEM, the dealer for the parking lot access
system, recommended Secura Key's SK-NET? Access Control software
to configure the security gate operations and to maintain and update the
user database. Its high-speed RS-485 communications network uses twisted
pair shielded cable, and allows distances of up to 4,000 feet with virtually
any system topography.
Students and faculty use Secura Key's 28SA-Plus
Smart Access Control Units and Barium Ferrite cards. The readers control
access through the Bulwark USATM Barrier Gate, Model TMG010. This high-speed
gate requires only about 1.8 seconds to open or close.
The school installed the parking lot system
before it designed the residence access control system, but chose the
Andover Continuum? system after an initial research through the National
Association of Campus Card Users. This association is made up of schools
throughout the United States that confer with each other on various card
issues, and ask for input from schools that have already had an experience
with installation and service. The university selected Continuum partially
based on a recommendation from Georgia Tech. Sutton also liked the fact
that Andover's products had a strong energy management system as well
as security access.
Sutton said the system allows him to look
at events and correct problems as they arise. "The system alarms
really help us stay on top of things," he said, "like doors
that are left ajar." However, an initial lesson happened because
they weren't aware that all logged events were autosaved. The system accumulated
more than 450,000 swipes of the cards in just one building from August
23 to Dec. 10. The system was a little slow at deleting so many records,
so they had to delete a small number at a time.
The school has roaming patrol and security
phones from Ramtech Corporation. It is also looking at purchasing wireless
security phones with solar batteries. The cost savings from not having
to wire the telephones and hardwire for electricity make it worthwhile,
said Sutton. Wireless phones will allow them to pick up and move phones
as they build new facilities. The radio frequency technology will enable
the phones to be on the same line as the security system.
Future projects include securing the computer
labs with access control. They are also investigating the prospect of
adding the HVAC control capabilities that Andover's system offers. "Our
first priority is to our community-our residences," said Sutton.
"Second is our high-value equipment, then the physical classroom
facilities."
"The bottom line," said Sutton,
"is that 19-year-olds aren't aware of their own safety. Their parents
are, but the students aren't, so we have to be aware for them. I'm sure
the students probably think it's an inconvenience to have to use a card
in the elevator, but they adapt."
Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University
More than 4,500 students are enrolled at
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is located in Daytona Beach,
Fla. The school is specifically for those interested in a career in aerospace,
aviation, engineering and other related fields.
The school originally relied only on a
hard key system, which is still used in some of the 30 campus facilities,
and upon the services of roaming guards. Tim Martin, life safety systems
officer, said the solution was moderately effective, but although a safety
officer unlocked and locked the doors in the morning and at the end of
the day, there was no guarantee the door would be locked if faculty left
the room in the course of normal activities. Now, the school has had more
than half of the buildings wired for access control, with an emphasis
on computer labs and dormitories.
Embry-Riddle implemented its access control
installations in 1996, using the Blackboard: Transaction System - Unix
Edition. It is supported from the Phoenix Campus of Blackboard Inc., which
manufactures the integrated software system and the 33 standalone readers
that are installed in various facilities across the campus.
The readers range from the Sentry Security
Reader for access control, Midi- and Maxi-Wedge readers for point-of-sale
purchases (such as the cafeteria), vending swipe readers, as well as readers
for laundry, account management and copy machines.
The main purpose for the installation was
to provide additional safety measures for students in the dormitories,
and to afford a more reliable tracking system for building access in order
to protect high-value equipment. The installation also allowed the roaming
guard patrol to spend more time on the campus and less time inside the
buildings.
Each standalone reader is programmable
to allow people in and out by name and card number. All of the systems
are hardwired, with the exception of a special setup on the catwalk that
connects the classrooms to the flight simulator bay within the flight
simulator building. The catwalk has two entrances and two exits, which
are controlled on both sides of the doors by card readers. Each door has
a three-second timer programmed into the system, along with an "open
door" signal.
In addition to access control, the "Eagle"
magstripe cards are programmed to accommodate a debit card system. Students
register their cards online, then deposit money onto their account. The
cards can then be used to pay for meals, vending machines, washers and
dryers and bookstore purchases. They also function as library cards. Students
can check their balances online using a password.
Blackboard provides the card stock and
the DataCardTM video imaging solution to the school as well. The school
then creates the student photo ID and imprints the student number for
student verification. "It is easy to use and I can use it from anywhere,
including by laptop," said Martin. "If there is a bad lightning
storm, I can fix the problems from any phone line anywhere." Martin
said that the system is user friendly and that Blackboard provides great
technical support and yearly training. "In the future," said
Martin, "I'd like to see a standalone unit that is battery operated,
so we don't have to hard-wire it, and we can still use our current cards
and programming."
Joanne Harris is a writer and photographer for such magazines as ST&D, Control Engineering and PC104 Embedded Solutions. She has more than eight years' experience in marketing, PR and advertising for the aerospace, security, industrial automation and telecommunications industries. She can be reached at [email protected].
