Connecting Campus Security Without Closing the Campus
Access zones, shared information and privacy safeguards can help colleges balance welcoming spaces with coordinated emergency response.
- By Chelsey Arries
- October 30, 2026
Keeping a college campus welcoming while protecting residence halls, laboratories and other sensitive spaces starts with understanding how people use it. Students, employees, visitors and vendors need different levels of access, and those distinctions should shape security decisions.
“It should be easy for the people who belong on campus to get where they need to go, while still putting the right protections around higher-risk areas,” said Jack Satterfield, Verkada’s field chief technology officer and head of higher education security in an interview with Campus Security Today.
Satterfield outlined an approach that combines defined access zones, connected security information and clear communication about privacy. He emphasized that equipment must support the people and policies responsible for campus safety.
Look Between Buildings
A campus security assessment should extend beyond main entrances. Satterfield identified parking facilities, walkways, lawns, loading areas and gates as locations where visibility can be limited.
Less apparent gaps include secondary residence hall entrances, doors held open, locations used outside normal hours and student transportation areas. Transitions from publicly accessible spaces into restricted areas also warrant attention.
Separate information systems create another kind of blind spot. When personnel must retrieve video and access records from different sources, reconstructing an incident becomes more time-consuming, he stated. Bringing that information together can help teams establish what happened.
Give Responders a Shared View
Connected systems can support coordination among campus safety, facilities and student life personnel by combining video, access activity, emergency calls, alarms and building layouts.
Satterfield described distinct responsibilities during an incident: Security personnel can examine live footage and share relevant video or floor plans with emergency responders, facilities employees can control selected doors remotely and student life staff can use confirmed information when communicating with residents and colleagues.
Blue-light emergency stations can contribute to that shared view. Adding cameras, video intercoms and cellular or Wi-Fi connections gives personnel visual information when someone requests help.
Two-way audio allows staff to speak with callers while responders travel to the location. Satterfield explained that live translation supported by artificial intelligence can assist communication across languages. Connected stations can also serve locations with limited fixed infrastructure, including remote paths and parking areas.
Separate Event Access from Residential Access
Managing event crowds requires a different approach from controlling entry to student housing.
Satterfield recommended advance digital registration to reduce check-in work when guests arrive. Previously approved visitor information can be retrieved for repeat visits, while temporary credentials can restrict entry to specified locations and periods.
Residence halls should retain their own access boundaries and visitor procedures. Video intercoms can allow personnel to evaluate entry requests remotely after hours.
For students and employees, connections between access control and university records can reduce manual credential changes. Satterfield added that linking access control with university records can allow permissions to update when a student’s enrollment or housing status changes.
Modernize in Stages
Replacing every security device simultaneously may be impractical for a large institution. Satterfield described a phased process that begins with priority locations while existing equipment continues operating elsewhere.
Satterfield said integrating existing cameras and systems with newer equipment can allow universities to upgrade security incrementally.
Other integrations can connect video, alerts and incident information with existing security operations workflows. Pairing external alerts with relevant footage can help operators and dispatchers assess events and relay confirmed details to responders, he clarified.
Make Privacy Part of the Plan
Security planning should explain which technologies are deployed, where they operate and why they are used, according to Satterfield. Discussions with student, faculty and staff senates can provide a forum for questions.
Signs and QR codes can direct campus users to accessible policies governing privacy and technology use.
He also identified technical controls that institutions should consider, including face blurring, privacy zones, permissions tied to job responsibilities, retention limits and records of platform activity. These measures can restrict access to sensitive footage and document how personnel use the system.
Those safeguards belong within a broader program of policy development and staff preparation.
“While advanced technology is essential, technology alone cannot secure a campus - it only enables the people and policies behind it,” Satterfield said.