Lynchburg Tightens Campus Security and Student Access

Flashing blue lights, keycard checkpoints, and instant safety alerts at the University of Lynchburg; these measures are more than routine. They are part of a growing effort to keep the campus safe and secure while preserving its open, welcoming atmosphere.

The University’s Campus Safety and Security team has strengthened its approach to protecting faculty, students, and staff by increasing vigilance and deploying technology. From employing additional safety officers to using communication apps like Live Safe for real-time alerts and maintaining a strict keycard system, the university aims to ensure that the community feels both connected and protected.

From the student’s perspective, understanding the key card system and how it works may be difficult. 

What happens if a keycard gets locked in a dorm room? Why does a door that used to be unlocked now require a keycard? Who should students go to if they get locked out or lose their keycards?

Campus Security Director Dean Caifano outlined a few basic processes for students to know about the keycard system.

“This year, the new policy is only residents of that dorm or residential hall will have the 24/7 access. Other students no longer have visitor access. That’s per policy of resident’s life or residential living,” Caifano said.

Caifano explains that card access doors are built and programmed to protect the university’s equipment, information, and student population. In this case, the key access protects students living in dormitories from unwanted visitors, whether or not they attend the university.

Some current students reported noticing changes to the keycard system over the summer.

“I think this summer they made a rule of having access to the dorm you live in and not the dorm that others live in for a bit more privacy,” said second-year student Shefalica Thapa, who added that she used to have access to all residence halls with her keycard.

Student government president and senior Soliyana Atnafu believes an exception should be made for the dormitory lounges, saying she often visits other residence halls to hang out with friends or study.

“Because I’m a CA, I can have access to Westover lounge because I’m like the south side area of the CA,” said Atnafu. “But if you’re on the east side, like the freshman CA’s, I know you cannot access the lounge area in Westover because it’s locked for people who are not living there.”

In certain situations, students can contact the security office to request an exception that would allow them access to a specific residence hall. If not, students must have someone who lives in the residence hall let them in.

As the university undergoes changes, such as department or personnel relocations, keeping keycard access up to date can be tricky. Recently, the IT resources department moved to the first floor of Drysdale, where students had trouble accessing it due to keycard restrictions. 

Caifano explains that whenever card key access needs to be changed, new residents should email the security office to specify when they want the access keys opened and who should have access. In IT’s case, they have kept the door propped open to allow students access during business hours.

Many students who remember the power outage across campus last March may wonder what happens to key access doors when the power goes out. Caifano states that, for safety reasons, the doors automatically lock during a power outage, as power outages can affect the team’s ability to determine who has access.

Students are free to contact security, either by email or via the LiveSafe app, if they need to enter a locked room during an outage.

While key card access can be confusing and limiting in students’ eyes, concessions have to be made for the sake of safety.

“Sometimes people ask, ‘what are the reasons that card access is requested on a door or for what reasons does the university want it?’ Well, it’s for several different main reasons. The protection of assets and equipment inventory is one of them, we can call them tangible assets. The second will be protection of sensitive data or records, or intangible assets, maybe the HR or health center, for example and protection of human assets as in people.”

For more information, contact Dean Caifano at caifano.d@lynchburg.edu or the security office on the LiveSafe app.