NCJ Number
200588
Journal
Campus Safety Journal Volume: 11 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 32,34
Date Published
June 2003
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the use of electronic locks for student housing has improved safety and the quality of life at Connors State College in Warner, OK.
Abstract
The electronic locks use special "smart keys." Smart keys are different from traditional keycards in that they are shaped like standard metal keys. They are made from a durable polymer and contain a small computer chip in the bow and contacts in the blade. When the blade is inserted in the lock, the lock reads the key then determines whether or not to grant access based on the specific information encoded into the key chip. Each time a key is inserted, the action is logged on the key and in the lock. The student residence complex at Connors State College consists of three buildings, one reserved for family housing (two-bedroom apartments) and two for single students (primarily quad suites with four individual bedrooms and a common living area). The electronic locking system is able to grant different types of access to the various types of living quarters. For the two-bedroom apartments, the keys are programmed to open every door in the unit. For the quad suites, each student's key is programmed to open the entrance to the common area and to his/her individual bedroom in the suite, but not the other bedrooms. During periods when students are on extended breaks and the college is locked down, locks can be automatically programmed to deny access to all keys for a specified time period. Further, keys can be cancelled without having to recode all of the door locks.