Physical Security Best Practices for Campus Residence Halls

A security breach in a residence hall involving an injury or sexual assault of a student can be devastating to the University community, to impacted families and the reputation and brand of the institution. The primary goal of residence hall security is balancing openness with providing a reasonable level of student safety from potential threats, crimes and dangerous situations. This article will cover some of the many physical security best practices for campus residence halls, drawing on guidelines from my own experience of more than 30 years as a veteran in campus security and respected organizations such as the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I). The topics to be covered include:

•  Building physical security
• Exterior considerations
• Education and training of students and residence hall staff
• Auditing
• Other considerations

Physical Security of the Residence Hall

Access Control: The foundation of residence hall security lies in controlling who can enter the building. It should be standard practice that residence halls are access controlled on a 24/7 basis, but sadly, in some places, this is not the case. Business Protection Specialists, Inc. (BPS) and IACLEA recommend using secure key cards or fobs to implement electronic access control systems. Electronic access control systems in residence halls should leverage the alarm monitoring capability of these systems so that residence hall staff, security, or Public Safety is notified if a door is propped or forced open. It is also important that access control systems are designed by an experienced professional (Security Design) considering the flow of students. We have observed the incorrect incorporation of request-to-exit devices on high-traffic doors, resulting in thousands of “nuisance alarms” each month.

Visitor Management: An important element of physical security in a residence hall is visitor management. ACUHO-I emphasizes the importance of robust visitor management protocols with some of the more important ones listed below:

• Implement a sign-in/sign-out system for all guests. Ideally, this would be electronic.
• Set and communicate clear visiting hours and overnight guest policies.
• Set a maximum number of guests per resident or per room. This discourages parties and other disruptive behaviors.
• Maintain a staffed front desk during peak hours to monitor visitor traffic. Many universities use residence hall staff while others opt for contract security. The latter choice usually causes more issues than it is worth. Piggybacking and tailgating into residence halls is here to stay. No amount of training will stop it, particularly with a population that turns over as often as students do in residence halls. This also illuminates the need to minimize entry points, ideally to one.

 Key Management: It would be irresponsible to discuss electronic access control without including commentary on keys and key control. It remains an important backup system in the event of electronic failure but presents a significant risk if not properly coordinated with the overall program. Here are two examples of what we have observed when conducting risk assessments:

1.  Facilities upgrade locks on the perimeter of 50 residence halls on a major campus. Public safety was not informed, and officers could not enter the residence halls during an emergency when the electronic access control system failed.
2. Because mechanical locks were not considered when electronic access control was installed at a major university, maintenance personnel continued to enter residence halls using keys, which generated daily alarms and destroyed the access control system's audit trail.

ACUHO-I recommends implementing strict key control policies, and BPS routinely leans into the first item on the list as the most critical element of an effective program. When not using a restricted key system, none of the other elements of the program can be assured. We would go further to say that locks on card reader doors should be keyed to a special key and not associated with any master keys in circulation. These specially cut keys should only be found in the fire department’s Knox Box and in a secure location with security or Public Safety.

• Use restricted key systems to prevent unauthorized duplication.
• Maintain a secure key management system.
• Regularly audit key inventories.
• Have clear procedures for lost or stolen keys.

Video Surveillance: While there are differing opinions about video surveillance, BPS and IACLEA support the judicious use of cameras in residence halls. These can serve as a deterrent and provide important forensic evidence in the event of an incident. While privacy concerns must be balanced, strategic use of surveillance cameras can significantly enhance security. Cameras may be considered in the following key locations in and around a residence hall:

•  All entrances and exits
• Elevators and stairwells
• Common areas such as lounges and laundry rooms
• Exterior perimeters including parking areas

Cameras should never be placed in private areas such as bedrooms or bathrooms. Clear signage should inform residents and visitors of camera presence.

Exterior Considerations 

Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial for safety and security perception. This article will limit the focus on the exterior. There is a lot of debate among security professionals (particularly forensic witnesses and experts) regarding lighting’s direct correlation to crime rates. We will not wade into those debates here but rather set a couple of practical guidelines to consider. Then, we will cite some of the professional organizations that can be consulted for specifics on lighting standards. When assessing lighting, we are asking ourselves a few basic questions:

1. Can a campus user safely move from point A to point B (e.g., observe tripping hazards)?
2. Is there sufficient lighting for the video surveillance system to produce usable live and recorded video in hours of darkness?
3. Do the light levels and conditions contribute to natural surveillance, a cornerstone of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)? 

There are several definitive sources for lighting standards that might be applied in a residence hall setting:

• IACLEA which requires membership (https://www.iaclea.org/)
• The Illuminating Engineering Society which sells standards (https://www.ies.org/)
• In April 2022, the New York State SUNY University Construction Fund updated its lighting standards. SUNY Lighting Standards

ACUHO-I recommends conducting regular lighting audits of building exteriors and surrounding areas. Pay special attention to:

• Entryways
• Walkways and paths
• Parking areas
• Emergency phone locations

 In addition to lighting audits for functionality, reviews should include an assessment of whether foliage or landscaping is inhibiting light from reaching the target area or fixtures that are dirty or degraded (e.g., from sun damage).

Environmental Design – Landscaping: Landscaping around campus residence halls plays a role in aesthetics and security. It is best to be mindful of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. Some of which indicate a need to:

• Trim shrubs and trees to maintain clear sightlines. Keep shrubs and bushes trimmed to a maximum height of 3 feet. Trim tree canopies to a minimum height of 6-7 feet from the ground. Avoid dense vegetation that could provide hiding spots, particularly by building entrances and exits. Use landscaping to naturally guide foot traffic along safe routes.
• Ensure the landscape doesn’t obstruct lighting. Use low-growing plants near light fixtures.
• Keep BLEP’s cameras and signage visible. Avoid letting vegetation obstruct important sightlines.
• Implement a consistent maintenance schedule. Promptly remove dead vegetation or debris.

Blue Light Emergency Phones (BLEP): BLEP’s are common on college campuses today. While the use of these devices is extremely low, these devices are not going to go away any time soon. IACLEA recommends maintaining strategically placed emergency phones that connect directly to campus security and Public Safety. So, the next question becomes where to deploy these devices on or around the residence hall:

•  Place phones near the main entrance (s) of each residence hall. Ensure visibility from both inside and outside the building.
• Install phones in parking lots and structures serving residence halls. Position them at corners or central locations for maximum visibility and coverage.
• Place phones along major pedestrian routes to and from residence halls. Aim for spacing that allows visibility from one phone to the next.
• Install phones in less-trafficked areas near residence halls. Consider locations like rear exits, service areas, or secluded courtyards.
• Ensure emergency communication in elevators for multistory buildings.
• Place phones around the outer edges of residence hall clusters or complexes.

Another important element to consider is that despite the low usage, BLEPs can be purchased with wide-area broadcast capability, which can make up an important element of a campus crisis communications plan. This plan notifies people on campus who may not be enrolled in the official campus alerting system available to students, faculty, and staff. BLEPs should also be integrated with the campus video management system to allow for rapid assessment when a phone is activated.

Education and Training

Education and training will require a two-part strategy. 1) Engaging residents in their own security is crucial for creating a safe living environment. 2) According to ACUHO-I, residence hall staff selection and training are also crucial for maintaining a safe living environment.

Student Training: A safety/security orientation is a logical place to start with students during move-in and orientation periods, but messaging must be repeated and delivered creatively. Messaging should include:

• Building access procedures
• Emergency response protocols
• Personal safety tips
• Reporting procedures for suspicious activity

 Advanced training topics might include:

• Alcohol and drug awareness
• Sexual assault prevention
• Mental health resources

Bystander intervention is an important student training strategy to prevent and address various harmful behaviors, particularly in social settings. Focus areas of bystander intervention include but are not limited to:

• Increasing awareness to help students recognize potentially dangerous or harmful situations.
• Promoting responsibility and encouraging individuals to act rather than remaining passive observers.
• Preventing harm by intervening early to stop problematic behaviors before they escalate. This provides immediate support to potential victims who may be at risk or have experienced harm.
• Empowering individuals, giving them the skills and confidence to act when they witness concerning situations.

Residence Hall Staff Training: As residence hall staff are responsible for passing along security information and expectations to students, it is important that staff training include such topics as overall campus policies applicable to the residence life environment, emergency procedures, and role-specific responsibilities. As residence hall staff must enforce rules and make referrals for discipline, it is wise to include conflict resolution and de-escalation training in the scope. Staff should be educated to recognize a student who may be on a pathway to violence or self-harm and be prepared to make the necessary referrals to the institution’s behavioral intervention team for a threat assessment and potential intervention. Residence hall staff should also know the proper protocols to document and report security incidents. Memorializing these events is vital for root cause analysis and informs risk assessments in the future. Lastly, the role and relationship with campus public safety, police, or security personnel are vital as there is often a “hands-off” approach to the events inside the walls of a residence hall, which are left to the residence hall staff to manage. A siloed approach to security is never a good idea. This must be a team game.

 Regular Security Audits

Both IACLEA and ACUHO-I stress the importance of regular security assessments. BPS recommends annual security audits for residence halls involving all systems and procedures to drive ongoing improvements in security systems and protocols.

 Maintenance and Testing: Maintaining and testing mechanical and electronic security measures is essential. Residence hall doors take a beating, and it is very difficult to maintain serviceable doors that are self-closing and latching. It is not uncommon to find a door ajar on the perimeter of a residence hall, enabling anyone to pull it open and walk in. This common condition underscores the importance of door monitoring alarms, which alert security or public safety if a door is ajar or a door is pulled open without using a card. Lighting and landscaping require regular inspection and present a unique opportunity to engage students and Public Safety in building a shared sense of community and ownership of the safety and security program.

Other areas that may be appropriate to include in the scope of an annual audit would include:

•  Access rights in the badge access system
• Accessibility to keys
• Emergency responder access in a crisis
• Emergency response protocols and contacts are up to date

 Other Considerations

Avoid Non-Residence Space Allocation: Minimizing traffic into the residence halls is a key security objective. Sometimes, universities add classrooms and support service operations (e.g., package pickup, retail operations) inside residence halls. This practice should be avoided. As soon as a non-residence function is introduced into the building, it licenses non-residents with bad intentions to enter the space. 

Conclusion 

Creating a secure environment in campus residence halls requires a comprehensive, multifaceted approach that combines physical security measures, policy development, education, and regular assessment. The best practices outlined in this article provide a solid foundation for institutions to enhance security for residential communities.

Key takeaways include:

1. Implementing robust access control systems and visitor management protocols.
2. Maintaining proper lighting and landscaping with CPTED principles in mind.
3. Strategically using video surveillance while respecting privacy.
4. Providing thorough education and training for both students and staff.
5. Conducting regular security audits and maintenance checks.

By being intentional about residence hall security and fostering a culture of awareness among students and staff, colleges and universities can create living spaces that protect their residents and contribute to a positive and enriching campus experience. Ultimately, the goal is to balance maintaining a high level of security and preserving the open, community-oriented atmosphere essential to the residential experience.