Trend Toward Product Implementation

Product ImplementationWhat are on everybody’s minds in 2017 are events like what occurred at Virginia Tech in 2007 and, more recently, at Ohio State. Our campus communities are very concerned about the ability to prevent those types of events, train them on what to do should they occur and what technology is available to assist us.

What I’m seeing as a trend is installation of products and policies related to integrated notification systems so that, when an event occurs, we are able to respond to it from all angles and notify our communities as to what we need them to do, such as evacuate or take shelter in place. I’m also seeing a trend toward installation of electronic access control systems, which offer benefits that physical keys cannot, such as reporting when and by whom a door was accessed and offering immediate ability to disable lost cards or change a user’s access level.

The result of implementing these products is that students can be about the business of learning and not be worried about the police department’s strength and ability to respond to an event.

Implementing these products allows administrators to proactively market to prospective students and their parents with the message, “We are as prepared as we can be, and we are engaged in a living and breathing method of keeping our campus safe in terms of adding technology and methods as it makes sense to our community.”

About the Author

Rodney Chatman is executive director of Public Safety and chief of Police at University of Dayton, OH.

Featured

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.