AUCSO to Expand Services Around the Globe

  • By Matt Jones
  • April 27, 2021

The Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO) has announced plans to expand its reach internationally. The group, based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, currently counts among its members the security staff of almost 230 institutions of higher education around the world. And the association’s new leadership, including recently appointed Chairman Les Allan and Vice-Chairman Ollie Curran, plan to focus on extending its services and benefits to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.

“The higher education sector is a vitally important global community, one which benefits from cooperation across borders and across continents,” said Allan. “This collaboration must extend to security and safety services, too. AUCSO is already playing a vital role in making this happen, and we will now be building on that work.”

Les Allan
AUCSO Chairman Les Allan

The goal is to spread and share information about the best security and safety practices for students, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities worldwide. To help raise these standards, among other efforts, the new leadership team plans to launch a series of webinars to stream live and archive for members only. The first of these webinars will cover how different international groups handled the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring speakers from Australia, Dublin, and Belgium. The second will focus on counterterrorism and organized crime.

Allan serves as the Director of Safeguarding Services at the five international campuses of Heriot-Watt University. Curran, meanwhile, became a AUCSO board member in April 2020 and works as the Deputy Security Manager for University College London.

“There is little doubt that security teams in our sector have faced significant, unforeseen challenges and have delivered exemplary front-line services to our respective institutions over this past year,” Allan said. “We all need to build on that experience, sharing best practice, to ensure that security continues to become more professional and to evolve at pace to support our institutions. I am particularly delighted to have Oliver Curran as our new Vice-Chairman. Oliver brings a very varied skill set and vast experience to our team. Together with our Executive Committee and our wider membership, we aim to enhance our association for the benefit of all.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Electrified Latch Retraction Locks Key Benefits for Retrofits

    Building owners and facility managers increasingly rely on electrified hardware to enhance security while meeting accessibility standards. Among these technologies, electrified or motorized latch retraction locks are especially effective for retrofit projects where existing door and frame conditions complicate upgrades. Latch retraction capable locks combine security, accessibility and code compliance benefits, making them ideal for retrofitting fire-rated and non-rated openings in schools, healthcare facilities, commercial buildings and more. Read Now

  • How Cloud Security Solutions Are Transforming Campus Safety

    Campus administrators today face a challenging mandate: deliver stronger security across their facilities while working within tighter budget constraints. From school districts focused on student safety to hospitals protecting patients and staff, the question remains the same: how do you build security infrastructure that evolves with your needs without requiring massive capital investments? Read Now

  • Rethinking Campus Security From the Inside

    For decades, campus security strategies focused on keeping threats outside school walls. But since the tragedy at Columbine High School, data has shown that many attacks begin inside the building, often in classrooms and corridors. This shift has prompted schools to rethink security from the inside and place greater emphasis on interior elements such as classroom doors. This shift is evidenced by a new generation of classroom door systems engineered to delay inside intruders and an ASTM standard that raises the bar on how these systems must be designed to defend against attack. Read Now

  • AI in Security: Advancing Campus Safety and Considerations for Implementing

    Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture attention across every sector, and the physical security industry is no exception. Once seen as experimental, AI-enabled analytics now underpin how organizations monitor environments, detect threats, and make decisions. What was once futuristic is now a practical necessity for safety professionals managing growing volumes of data, tighter resources, and increasing expectations for faster, more accurate responses. Read Now

Most   Popular