MSU’s undergraduate student government groups are planning to address concerns they have with the accessibility of card-scanning security systems installed in residence halls.
But university officials say the systems largely are working, and any problems with the relatively new system come from trying to work out kinks in balancing security and accessibility.
Both ASMSU and the Residence halls Association, or RHA, have discussed system changes.
The card-scanning system, first installed with the renovation of Snyder and Phillips halls in 2007, has since been expanded to every residence hall and requires residents to scan their IDs to gain access, said” Residential and Hospitality Services”:http://rhs.msu.edu/ Chief Marketing Communication Officer Tony Frewen.
ASMSU College of Natural Science Representative Mitch Treadwell introduced a bill regarding the systems at an ASMSU Executive Committee on Student Affairs meeting last week, calling to revise the system.
Some of ASMSU’s committee members said the restricted access to some residence halls makes it inconvenient to visit friends in other neighborhoods, and people often let others inside regardless of where they live.
Some residence halls have living areas as well as classrooms or faculty offices, which requires students to have access to these areas without scanning their IDs, Frewen said. Others restrict students to only main door access, and all of the halls require card access to enter the residential wings, he said.
He said the systems work, but finding a balance of privacy, security and accessibility is the difficult part in monitoring them.
“It’ll take a while to find the optimal balance,” Frewen said.
He said the systems vary depending on building’s purpose and the time of day.
Communication sophomore Lauren Lee, who lives in Holmes Hall, said the system works for security purposes because it keeps out people who shouldn’t be in the residence halls.
She said sometimes it is a hassle to search for her ID every time she wants to enter her dorm, but the scanners are safer.
“It’s more work but still just for safety so no one gets hurt,” she said.
The bill ultimately was tabled during the ASMSU meeting until the committee could determine a specific approach to take.
Another version of the bill also written by Treadwell was up for discussion at an RHA meeting Wednesday night but also was tabled.
Paul Manson, assistant director of facilities at MSU, said at the meeting the system is still a policy in the making and RHS needs to address such inconsistencies in card access.
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