Most universities have expansive campuses that often blend seamlessly into the surrounding community, creating open and welcoming spaces. This openness is central to campus life, encouraging collaboration, supporting learning and fostering a sense of belonging.
But it also creates unique security and operational challenges, especially when those campuses span hundreds of buildings and serve tens of thousands of people. For example, UCLA has more than 160 buildings and Columbia University has over 300.
Yet, many institutions still rely on access control systems designed for a bygone era of campus life, such as badge-based entry. Once the standard, these systems were never built to handle the speed, scale or complexity of modern campus life.
Campuses are intentionally open, which invites both opportunity and risk. That openness means anyone can walk in without challenge, and intrusions into residence halls, classrooms or sensitive research labs can go undetected.
The risks are not hypothetical. The National Center for Education Statistics reported more than 23,000 criminal incidents in the most recent year. The takeaway is simple: an open campus must be paired with everyday safeguards that work quietly and keep the wrong people out.
Modernizing without starting over
Improving security does not require scrapping existing infrastructure. Universities can strengthen current capabilities by adding layers that work quietly in the background. Prioritizing high-risk access points delivers the most immediate impact with minimal disruption.
Many of these capabilities are now powered by AI to adapt in real-time, recognize patterns and reduce false alarms. Most AI-powered systems are designed to improve over time, rather than requiring heavy upkeep. Retrofitting access control to be smarter and more seamless delivers immediate value without ripping out what already works.
We are seeing a major shift toward biometrics as a key way to modernize existing access control systems. The global biometrics market is projected to grow from $45 billion in 2024 to $173 billion by 2033, and higher education is following suit.
And it’s a natural shift for students and staff. Seventy-nine percent of smartphone users already use biometrics, such as FaceID, to unlock their iPhones. Students are familiar with and trust the convenience and speed of modern authentication methods.
Privacy as the foundation
In higher education, privacy is often the first barrier to adopting new technologies. Universities hold vast amounts of sensitive data on students and staff, so any security solution must address privacy from the outset.
A biometric system, for example, should be fully privacy-compliant and transparent about how data is captured, stored and used. No personal images should ever be stored, and biometric data must be encrypted and irreversible so it cannot be reconstructed.
Security should work without creating barriers. On a campus, that means authorized students and staff move naturally through spaces.
Real-time tailgating detection alerts security before a problem starts. Passive verification removes the need to stop, swipe or scan to keep students and staff on time to class.
These measures keep the campus open and welcoming while ensuring the right people are in the right places.
A safer, smarter path
Higher education does not have to choose between being open and being safe. By starting with the highest-risk areas, upgrading in ways that protect privacy, and using AI as one tool among many, universities can create security that is both adaptive and unobtrusive.
When campus leaders get this right, they leave behind systems built for another era and move to solutions that match the way their institutions live and learn today. They create an environment where security protects without intruding, where privacy is built in and where a welcoming, accessible campus remains part of the institution’s identity.
