A host of universities in the state of Michigan are beginning to lay out plans for students to return safely to campus in time for the fall semester. Some of the early measures that Michigan colleges are discussing provide an early snapshot of what life on campus may look like for students.

While it’s unclear when schools will welcome back students, campuses need to be prepared for a new normal. Allegion’s Rob Lydic discusses two solutions to consider — contactless credentials and touchless access control hardware — and their ability to help reduce contact transmission and cut the number of surfaces that people touch on campus.

In response to the COVID-19 virus, classes at a growing number of universities have been moved to an online format for the remainder of the academic year, and students that have left for spring break are being encouraged not to return to campus. These continuing developments, alongside others, have led universities to determine ways to best move students out of on-campus housing while meeting health and safety guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

HID Global has revealed HID Signo, the company’s new line of access control readers. The Signo line greatly simplifies system deployment and management, and is designed to set organizations up for smarter, more connected access control.

This week at its annual client conference, Transact announced a new collaboration with HID Global that will enable Transact Mobile Credential to be accepted on HID physical access control readers. Transact Mobile Credential supports student IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Pay, and enables students to use their mobile device to secure access to campus facilities and residence halls, as well as payments for dining, laundry, vending, and retail.

Door locks are a common point of discussion when considering campus security and the personal safety of students and staff. Whether for basic, everyday security, or for more serious scenarios like campus lockdowns, the hardware on the door is vital. Assa Abloy has recently refreshed its status indicators for its mortise lock offerings to better safeguard classrooms, high-traffic campus facilities, residence halls and single-occupant restrooms.

George Washington University has expanded its use of card access at more on-campus residence halls and dorm rooms. The GWorld campus card will now be available to all but one campus residence hall for students to unlock their doors, providing an alternative brass keys.