Talking Stick - September/October 2012 - 31

that helps students feel safe and comfortable in their new home. Fortunately, many design choices that promote a sense of community and home can also help students feel – and actually be – more secure. Elements to consider before finalizing a renovation, retrofit, or new building project may include the design of entrances and exits, length of corridors, traffic patterns in and around the building, access to views, flow between public and private areas, the size of the community, and the ability of students to control and customize their experience of the living space.

its students seriously. At the same time, access control systems must be seamless and integrated enough into student lifestyles that the students themselves aren’t tempted to prop doors and circumvent security measures. Technology is continually evolving to make this easier, though this kind of supervision remains a significant expense. Autospring hinges, for example, can lock doors behind students, so the door still gets locked when they’re in a rush to leave. Prop alarms can be installed to sound anytime a door is propped open. Card reader systems can be programmed at varying levels of sophistication to

restrict access to stairwells, corridors, wings, and individual rooms. Internal and external security cameras make it easier to monitor in real time who is coming and going. Some campuses, however, find that overly restrictive entry technology may have unintended consequences. Sean Duggan, managing director of housing and residence life at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, says his campus, for one, has shifted perspective, based on a broad definition of what constitutes a threat to security. It might not be an unwanted visitor, but a tornado, a fire, or an unsafe situation outside the building. “Initially, we were very

getting in anD out
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about residence hall security is how people will enter and exit the building. When Virginia Tech began its recent renovation of 1960s-era residences, including its 1,200-student Ambler Johnston Hall, directing the inflow of traffic through designated main entrances was a key component. Other doors became exit only. While the design required working around existing campus walkways and redirecting from more intuitive places of entry, central entrances created a way for students to cross paths and become more familiar with the faces of other residents – as well as making it easier for the campus to monitor entry. Research backs up the idea that a clear and directed traffic flow through the entry and exit points of a residence hall – limiting access and creating clear opportunities for physical surveillance – can enhance its residents’ psychological sense of security. Likewise, other visible physical safety measures can ease parents’ and students’ minds when it comes to residence security. The quality of doors and locks, placement of security cameras, use of secure windows, and access to clear views into and out of a space can all send a message that a campus takes the security of

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Talking Stick - September/October 2012

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