George Washington University has made changes to its residence hall visitor management policies that will keep the campus in line with COVID-19 restrictions. Students living in on campus housing can now invite one guest from their residence hall into their room at a time.

In this CR80Chat, Allegion’s Business Development Manager, Jeff Koziol discusses the limitations of the age-old brass key. We talk so much about the emerging technologies in the access control space that we almost entirely forget that many campuses are still leaning on metal keys for accessing secure or sensitive areas on campus.

The University of Oregon has installed Gantner smart lockers to secure student valuables on its Eugene campus. The smart locker deployment is being used throughout a major science building on the campus with multiple usage configurations ranging from daily rentals to assigned lockers for personnel and staff.

Scheduling solutions have quickly jumped to the forefront as a vital campus service – not just for normal times, but even more so now in response to new regulations surrounding COVID-19. Wake Forest University is leveraging ASSA ABLOY Aperio locks and a software-based scheduling solution from Detrios to help coordinate busy day-to-day life on campus.

As higher education grapples with new options for access control and security on campus, issues surrounding credential technologies, reader technologies, future proofing, and open standards are forefront. CR80News caught up with Rich Price, Director of User Experience at WaveLynx Technologies to learn about the company’s work in these areas. We also get an update on WaveLynx’s work at the University of Georgia in an interview with UGA’s director of IT for Auxiliary Services, Bill McGee.

HID Global’s new Signo line of access control readers has been awarded New Product of the Year for 2020 by Security Today magazine. Recognized in the Access Control Devices/Peripherals category, the new access reader line was chosen for features that foster an adaptable, interoperable and secure approach to access control.

A group of colleges and universities are turning to a new, automated temperature screening technology that leverages facial recognition biometrics to ensure facility access for students who pass a daily health check. The combination biometric system is called PopEntry+ and a few institutions see potential for it to help ensure a safer return to campus life amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Security products and solutions provider, Allegion has announced the launch of Schlage Mobile Access Solutions, a comprehensive, secure and flexible access control portfolio. Schlage’s Mobile Access portfolio encompasses a complete cloud-based ecosystem that enables the use of mobile credentials at openings across an entire property or campus.

HID Global is offering its higher education customers a new support program to help provide valuable information and guidance for campuses plotting technology migrations. The program will draw from HID experts to provide support and resources that address things like creating a connected student experience, credential issuance, tightening campus security, and prepping for mobile.

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.