Emmons Hall residents are pulling their IDs out of their wallets more frequently this semester.

When the students moved into their dorm rooms, they found themselves on the site of the first security improvements to a residence hall in more than 10 years.

The hall is now equipped with several swipe card machines on two exterior doors and all floor wing doors. Public areas remain open.

The changes are the result of recommendations made by the Residence Halls Security Committee more than a year ago, after an MSU student was threatened by knifepoint in his Case Hall dorm room.

"It's going well," Emmons Residence Hall Director Qiana Smith said.

Valerie Czuk, a pre-medical freshman who lives in Emmons Hall, said the system keeps people from roaming the halls.

"It is safer here, except that people want you to hold the door open for them," Czuk said.

The swipe system is the first security enhancement in MSU dorms since the early 1990s, when video cameras were installed throughout campus.

The Emmons Hall system could be evaluated during the spring semester to determine its effectiveness and decide whether to expand the program, said Director of Residence Life Paul Goldblatt.

On Sept. 2, an 18-year-old Emmons Hall resident was allegedly sexually assaulted by a hall mate. Another resident reported a misdemeanor sexual assault Sunday.

Some students said there are still flaws in the system.

Reisa Shanaman, a no-preference freshman and Emmons resident, said the system is inconvenient at times, but the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones.

"Often, my hands are full, and it can be hard to get the card out without dropping all the books," Shanaman said. "It is comforting to know that only residents can come in, but it is interesting that we have the first cases of sexual assault."

The University of Michigan dealt with similar issues several years ago, when there was an increase in larcenies and peeping Tom reports in residence halls, said Diane Brown, spokeswoman for the University of Michigan Department of Safety.

"The incidents were happening during the day, and we wanted to keep a living and learning environment," Brown said.

U-M officials locked all exterior doors 24 hours a day starting two years ago, and last year, workers began installing swipe cards on dorm room doors.

"It dramatically seemed to help," Brown said. "The 24-hour access program alone really decreased crime on campus."

Staff writer Margaret Harding contributed to this report.