Drake University has added more contactless door readers following positive feedback on campus.

In response to faculty, students and staff, Drake Public Safety officials have are adding 11 new doors to the university’s electronic locking system.

As reported by The Times-Delphic, Drake implemented contactless card technology at the beginning of the 2014/2015 academic year, with each student and employee receiving a contactless Drake Card. The Drake Card serves a number of functions on campus, including:

• Access authorized buildings outside normal operating hours
• Check out items at campus libraries
• Access student rec center
• Ride the Des Moines DART bus system free of charge
• Purchase meals via student meal plan system

Drake purchased the new security system last February through a bid process with Blackboard. The original bid was to install one access point per set of doors at 36 of the buildings on Drake’s campus. The university increased that number with the addition or more buildings to the system.

The system was implemented to help secure the campus in the event of an emergency. With the new system, Drake Public Safety officers don’t have to run from building to building manually locking every door. Instead, all doors on campus that are tethered to the system can be locked from a central command – a campus IT center or from public safety dispatch.

The doors do come at a cost, however, at $2,000 a pop. This is, in part, why the system will be installed in phases, with additional doors being added as needed over time.

University officials feel confident that they chose the most modern and expandable system. In the future, Drake is keeping the door open for students to be able to use their smart phones or fingerprints to access buildings on campus.

If the current installation goes as planned, the new doors will be up and running by the end of the month.