Campus Facilities Safety

The general public can access a limited number of campus facilities during specified hours and may attend cultural and athletic events, with access restricted to the event's specific location. When the college is officially closed, most buildings, except those with administrative offices, are locked to everyone except faculty, staff, and designated students with proper identification.

Residence halls are secured around the clock with an electronic card-access system, which provides entry to all students. Certain faculty and staff have access on an as-needed basis. Each student's card is uniquely coded, allowing lost or stolen cards to be deactivated for security. Students are advised to ensure the security of their residence halls by not propping open exterior doors, reporting unfamiliar individuals in the halls, and locking their room doors when not present or when sleeping. Apartment-style housing units use key locks, which cannot be duplicated, and residents are responsible for securing their units and reporting any lost keys.

A sophisticated computer-based life-safety system in the Campus Safety Office continuously monitors intrusion-detection and fire-safety alarms throughout the campus. This system also tracks alarms from mechanical, heating, ventilation, and environmental conditions in sensitive areas, mechanical spaces, and emergency telephones.

The college’s security systems—including fire alarms, electronic card access, intrusion detection, and emergency telephones—are regularly inspected and tested by the Campus Safety Office, Facilities Operations Office, Tyco/Fire and Security, Simplex/Grinnell. Any issues are promptly addressed. A full-time locksmith is employed to maintain and repair all security locking hardware.

When planning lighting, landscaping, and grounds maintenance, public safety and security considerations are taken into account. Special attention is given to minimizing obstruction by shrubs and trees in pedestrian areas. The Campus Safety Office is involved in the design and construction of new and renovated facilities, focusing on physical security, locking hardware, and electronic life-safety systems.