Students now need ID cards to enter residence halls at all hours, in a new policy adopted by campus security last week.
“Hillsdale College is a very safe campus, and we strive to do everything we can to keep it that way,” Director of Security and Emergency Management Joe Kellam said. “We strive to keep a balance every day between an open campus and a totally locked facility.”
Kellam said the decision had already been planned, but was prompted following the recent security incident with Joseph Bruneau, who was seen on campus and later arrested on a warrant for domestic assault.
“After putting his picture out to campus and receiving multiple responses of his interactions with students in the week prior, we decided to limit his potential access until he could be located,” Kellam said. “There were a couple of other additional concerns from events around the world that had us extend the locked status through the weekend as a precaution.”
Sophomore Jonathan Williams, a resident assistant in Simpson Residence, said the decision to leave campus doors unlocked is understandable as they are more open to the community. He also said he thinks the new system makes dorm access more difficult, but that it is an understandable security measure to take.
“Residence buildings being locked down does create an inconvenience in needing to always have your ID, not being able to get into another dorm when needed, or simply going in and out of the dorm,” Williams said. “However, I do appreciate that security and the college is taking our safety seriously enough, and I think they don’t have any other goal in mind but the safety and well-being of the students.”
Students currently use their physical student ID to gain access to residence buildings. But Kellam said the college is planning on releasing a new system where students can gain access with their phone ID.
“The plan was to lock the doors as soon as the new phone app ID access was launched at the end of the year, but this incident just stepped up the time frame,” Kellam said. “The new phone ID is in the final hardware and software phase and we, along with the IT department, are testing it now for planned implementation during the spring semester.”
Assistant Professor of Medieval History Charles Yost said he thinks these precautions are reasonable and still allow for the community to move freely.
“There is this sense of security at the college that I’ve never seen anywhere else, but it is understandable that during certain times we have to take special security measures,” Yost said. “I’m so glad that we’re not using this incident, though, as an excuse to put ourselves behind extreme layers of security, rather than continue to rely on the strength of this community of people that love each other.”
