Security to Bolster Apartment Entrances

With an eye on security of faculty dorm apartments, PEA is considering the use of a keypad and card-swipe, instead of a manual lock, to apartment entrances.The potential change would allow for more controlled access to faculty apartments to prevent just anyone from entering the dormitory through the apartments.Director of Facilities Management Roger Wakeman has been working on determining the best approach to the issue.“Right now we’re in an evaluation situation, where we have recognized that we do have some vulnerability in the faculty apartment entrances, and it’s something we identified a while ago,” Wakeman said. “The issue is trying to make sure that our dorms are safe. We do have locks on all the faculty apartments, but what we have been evaluating is if the manual locking of faculty apartments is effective to keep the dorm locked down.”Principal Tom Hassan has issued a requirement that all dormitory faculty members lock their doors, and Campus Safety is checking to see if this is being followed fully, to further analyze the necessity of the new measures. Both faculty and students received an “active shooter” training during the winter term in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.The new electronic lock system is already in place in two dorms, Bancroft Hall and Dutch House.The varied layout and structure of the dorms on campus complicates the implementation of the new lock system, Wakeman said. Some entrances to faculty apartments are on the ground floor, while others are off of the staircases that lead to student dorm rooms.“In general we’re looking at the doors on the ground floor where people can get in,” Wakeman said. “What we’re also looking at is the transition from the dorm faculty apartment into the dorms. Some dorms are different, and whether you’re in a ground floor apartment or a third floor apartment, it’s different. That’s what we’re evaluating, if we go with the electronic control - do we put it on the outside door, do we put it on the inside door, do we put it on the door between the faculty apartment and the student space.”Wakeman has had meetings with faculty and the response to the idea has been varied. There are faculty in full support of the keypad, and those who express concern.“Wentworth was against an internal security mechanism, so that there are no barriers between me and students,” Nahin Jorgge, Wentworth Hall dorm faculty, said. “Overall, I personally thought it was a good idea. I think this is something that will really enhance the security.”Gwynneth Coogan, McConnell Hall dorm faculty, was worried about the proposed alert that would go off if the door was left open for more than three minutes, prompting a phone call from Campus Safety.“When I’m going to be here, I want to come out and talk to the girls easily,” Coogan said. “It’s going to be more of a challenge. I won’t be able to stand in the doorway and talk to someone. Everyone is so far away from their home, [the dorm] like their second family. It’s going to be strange being more blocked off because of the security.”The decision will affect the children of faculty as well. Clara Hobbie, daughter of science instructor Alison Hobbie, lives in a faculty apartment in Langdell Hall.“I understand that they need to protect the students. The first priority is students, but it will be kind of weird if they have to knock on the door for homework help, and I have to buzz them in like an apartment complex,” Hobbie said. “Getting up and coming to the door to let them in makes it a little more formal for students to come to our house and they might feel not as welcome.”Lower Kenny Berger thought that there would be minimal effects within the dorm.“The faculty on my floor never uses the student entrance anyway,” Berger said. “There would be no effect on dorm life. I’m not sure it’s necessary, but if faculty have a better piece of mind with it around, why not?”The new measures are still in the planning stages, and for the time being Facilities Management and Campus Safety are relying on faculty to consistently use the manual lock currently in place.“We have agreed that we are going to continue to study it right now,” Wakeman said. “We’ll be making some decisions probably after this term, as far as where we go and how fully to implement it.”