Last year, the Department of Residence Education and Housing Services, REHS, began a pilot program for residents in both Brody and North Neighborhoods allowing them to enter their halls after midnight without having a night receptionists swipe them in. Residents would instead use the electronic access system to get into residence halls.

This decision was made under the inspiration that REHS could use money and resources in a way that might be more effective in ensuring student safety and security, which is REHS’s first priority, Charlie Thompson-Orsua, who is the Assistant Director of Residence Education, Brody Neighborhood and University Apartments, said.

“North and Brody were identified as, what we call, the pilot neighborhoods,” Thompson-Orsua said. “Those we would give this try to, see how it goes, do it for one year, and then re-asses at the end of that year. That was last year, so we’re now in year two.”

After this, an assessment was done to analyze how the pilot program went over the 2013-2014 academic year, using a number of criteria.

“We looked at a number of factors,” Thompson-Orsua said. “We looked at residence perceptions of their experience in the halls, we looked at financial impact as well.”

In terms of the cost-effective measures, funds were used to hire a full-time community police officer through MSUPD who works out of the neighborhoods without night receptionists.

Thompson-Orsua said that the incoming students’ reactions were difficult to judge, since there was nothing to compare the results to, however returning students “appreciated the way that we went about security” more.

Natisha Foster of REHS lead the committee on the removal of night receptionists, but was unavailable for comment.

Whether the removal of night receptionists will be done in East and South neighborhoods has yet to be decided, as officials have not decided whether they will expand the program or kill it for the future.