Varying Concerns
In Asia, some universities and colleges are housed in single buildings, while most US campuses sprawl like small cities, open to the public almost 24/7. Security requirements differ depending on the school type and location. Institutions with single or stand-alone buildings require simpler security systems and configurations compared to larger campuses.
Open Campuses
For colleges with dozens of buildings and systems spread across a geographically large area, the management and integration of them must be considered to unify the video views from wherever the cameras are located in addition to integrating with other systems, said Gadi Piran, President of On-Net Surveillance Systems (OnSSI).
Unlike an elementary school, a college is not a single building with controlled access. Universities in the U.S. typically feature anywhere from 15 to 50 buildings and are open 24/7. The variety of buildings on one campus — shops, recreational facilities, libraries, labs, student lounges, classrooms, dormitories — attract permanent and transient populations and make campuses self-sufficient communities. Perimeter security generally is not used in colleges. Instead, emergency call stations are used to allow students on campus to call campus police for assistance if they feel threatened.
With such an open environment, security systems are not just one-dimensional but multidimensional. For instance, system scheduling can be configured to require extra layers of security for those qualified to access facilities during specific hours.
Single Buildings
In single-building campus configurations, security solutions should be designed to combine with other life safety systems, such as fire alarms, elevators, building management and HVAC, Piran said. A converged solution can combine alerts from physical security and other facility management components with events captured by cameras. This enables instant investigation and follow-up, to manage all security and building systems on a single platform.
Different Locations
The campus location affects an institution's threat level. Suburban universities are typically looking to protect against vandals or unacceptable behavior from students, such as public intoxication and fighting. Urban campuses have those same challenges, along with accommodating their metropolitan surroundings. “For urban campuses, there is a real possibility of crime spilling over onto the campus from surrounding areas,” Piran said. “In some cases, public streets go right through the middle of a campus, or parts of a campus might not be contiguous in an urban area.” This convenience could become a problem at night, with people walking into the campus and increasing the risk of vandalism.
Whether a campus operates 24/7 in the city or enjoys rustic tranquility in the countryside, it is crucial to understand individual needs and tailor security responses accordingly. The primary objective of higher education is to facilitate learning, not police students. Implementation of security differs between regions, depending on cultural preferences. As security usage is subject to prosecution, local legislation must be considered during implementation.