{"id":861,"date":"2024-02-19T09:33:14","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T17:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/?p=861"},"modified":"2024-02-19T09:33:16","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T17:33:16","slug":"the-key-to-the-future-the-university-transitions-to-keycards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/19\/the-key-to-the-future-the-university-transitions-to-keycards\/","title":{"rendered":"The Key to the Future: The University Transitions to Keycards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Students may have noticed black sensors being installed on various buildings around campus. What they might not know is that these sensors mark the coming of a new keycard system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out with the Old<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The University of Redlands operates with physical keys. Each student that lives on campus has at least two: one for their dorm building and one for their room. Public Safety is in charge of opening and closing campus buildings, which usually remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the university website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a system that\u2019s \u201cantiquated,\u201d said Chief of Public Safety Tony Gorrell. Maintaining a campus that uses physical keys for all its doors \u201cbecomes problematic and expensive,\u201d Chief Gorrell added. Whenever keys are lost, the doors have to be rekeyed, an expensive process according to Gorrell. He estimated that the average cost to rekey a room, involving calling a locksmith to change the core of the lock, is $275 for a double. Gorrell also said that an interior room key is $27. If 1000 students choose to live on campus in a given academic year, that\u2019s $27,000 spent only on interior room keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that isn\u2019t the biggest issue with the current system: safety is even more important than cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since most buildings on campus remain unlocked throughout the day, anyone can access them. This lack of control and security poses a threat to students and faculty alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facing concerns as prominent as cost and safety, the university jumped to action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In with the New<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With a budget of $1.5 million and the involvement of various departments across the campus, the University of Redlands is finally making the transition from physical keys to keycards, Chief Information Officer Steve Garcia shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a big change that will impact campus security. Exterior doors will remain locked, only unlocking when a card that has access to the building is scanned by the adjacent sensor. That means every key will have a unique programming based on various factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019d like to do is tailor each card\u2019s access schedule and access locations to the person. We\u2019re still in discussions on how to effectively do that,\u201d Garcia commented. \u201cIf a music student, for instance, has been authorized to be in one of the music buildings at 3 o\u2019clock in the morning, it\u2019d be nice if we could just authorize that on the card rather than having to involve Public Safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most doors will be accessible via keycard, that doesn\u2019t eliminate Public Safety\u2019s role in securing and unlocking buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe idea is that Public Safety will still be available to help folks get into secure buildings, but ideally those calls would drop pretty dramatically,\u201d Garcia stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That won\u2019t be the only remnant of the old system, though. Physical keys will still unlock doors on campus, even those with keycard sensors. In fact, the university is not completely phasing physical keys out. Individual dorm rooms will not be accessed by keycard, but rather by the physical keys the school has been using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cost of doing individual doors is pretty steep, and it would have to be carefully considered. But at present, that\u2019s not part of this project; [it\u2019s] focused specifically on exterior doors of buildings on campus.\u201d Garcia explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Safety Points<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are some main safety points to note with the transition to a keycard system, as shared by Garcia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.       Only those who need access will be able to get into buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.       All doors can still be opened with a key in case of a power failure or a technological malfunction with the sensors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.       Keycards can be deactivated remotely, so immediately after an employee or student leaves the institution, their access can be revoked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.       In the case of an emergency, all armed doors can be locked remotely by Public Safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.       Only exterior doors will have keycard access; all interior doors will be unlocked with a physical key<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many ways, the keycard system is expected to make the University of Redlands a safer campus, both in everyday life and in an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Keycard Specifics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What will these keys look like? Garcia shared they will be a physical ID card with a student\u2019s name, photo, and identification barcode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although that may not be the case in the future \u2014 Garcia hinted at the possibility of a digital keycard using phones\u2019 NFC (Near-field Communication), a feature that allows phones to make credit card transactions and connect to Bluetooth devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s in the future. Step one is rolling out the keycards,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garcia shared that the cards will likely \u201cbe a blunt instrument\u201d when they are first released, but that eventually they will be refined and calibrated to each student and employee. In other words, the keycard may have limited capabilities when students first receive it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case that a card is lost, the financial consequences are expected to be significantly reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m imagining we\u2019ll end up somewhere less than twenty bucks,\u201d Garcia estimated. That is a massive drop from the $250 charge for a lost key that was in place this year. As is the case with physical keys on campus, Garcia shared, the first card will be free, but each additional one will have a fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The keycard system won\u2019t stop at students and employees, it\u2019s going to extend to visitors too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe idea would be that if someone shows up on campus and needs access to certain areas, cards can be quickly programmed and given to that person. Then they turn it back in when they leave so it can be reused,\u201d Garcia shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Three Phase Plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The transition to keycards is a multi-phase plan, as explained by Garica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase One:<\/em> Install the keycard sensors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The installation of the sensors is in progress. \u201cOver the summer we\u2019ll be doing the testing and integrating the software system that manages all those doors with our student information system and our human resources system,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase Two:<\/em> Launch the keycards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the sensors being installed this semester, the keycards will not be cycled into use until the fall semester of 2024 at the earliest, Garcia shared. \u201cWith projects of this size and complexity, there\u2019s always things that can happen, but we\u2019re pretty confident that we\u2019re going to meet that goal,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase Three:<\/em> True One<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transitioning to keycards is only the first step of the university\u2019s master plan. \u201cEventually we would like to transition the university to a True One card system,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s a \u201cTrue One\u201d system?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transact<\/a>, a company Garcia said the university is communicating with regarding the True One plan, states it is \u201ccontactless campus-wide access with one card.\u201d Payments, buildings and services alike will all be integrated into one common system that can be accessed by a mobile device or a physical card. Garcia added that it would potentially work for food and laundry service, and even the campus bookstore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lingering Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the campus begins its transition to keycards, there remain some unanswered questions that could impact students, employees and visitors alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
    \n
  • Will community spaces such as The Table at Irvine Commons and The Launch remain unlocked, or will they be accessible only by keycards?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • How could a total campus lockdown affect students who are not secure inside a building?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • How will building access and hours be determined?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • What negative impacts may arise regarding students accessing buildings they need to?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Will individual rooms eventually be transitioned to a keycard system?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    These are all questions that will hopefully be answered in the coming months as the university gets closer to switching to this new system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe\u2019re going to try and be more transparent about what that schedule looks like so people know what to expect,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One thing is for certain though, despite questions or doubts: the keycard system was chosen with safety in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThere\u2019s no comparison. It\u2019s so much safer,\u201d said Chief Gorrell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Students and employees alike will soon be able to see for themselves how the keycard system will impact campus life. It\u2019s out with the old and in with the new.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Students may have noticed black sensors being installed on various buildings around campus. What they might not know<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[168,169,120,170],"class_list":["post-861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-keycards","tag-keys","tag-public-safety","tag-security"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/nicolae-valera-9iDicEWzyRs-unsplash-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=861"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":864,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/861\/revisions\/864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}