The Role of Mobile Access in Higher Education

Not just for campus housing – mobile access is revolutionizing higher ed security in spaces like offices, classrooms, restricted areas and more.

For decades, electronic access control (EAC) hardware solutions have been the standard for adding security and convenience to the many different types of spaces on a higher education campus – primarily dormitories, but also libraries, cafeterias, labs, and other access-restricted areas. These spaces could be accessed with whatever credential best suited the users, be it cards, fobs, or in rarer cases, mobile credentials.

However, like other high-occupancy, tech-friendly spaces, college and university campuses are moving away from physical credentials to ensure access control and security on campuses.

The business case for mobile credentials

With features like Apple and Google pay and so much of our daily lives organized on our phones, mobile credentials are becoming an expectation rather than a luxury in campus environments, offering convenience, security, and seamless integration with student life. Today’s students are rarely without their phones, making them the most convenient vehicle for access control. For many, the availability of mobile credentials even influences their choice of institution, as simplicity and ease of use become key decision-making factors.

Additionally, unlike traditional key cards or fobs, which are easily lost or forgotten, mobile devices provide a more reliable and visible solution for securing campus facilities. Beyond convenience, mobile credentials enable near-instant access provisioning and revocation, reducing the opportunity for lockouts and improving campus efficiency and mobility.

So where does mobile access control belong on higher-ed campuses?

As with any decision involving upgrading your campus security strategy, you have to consider the spaces where a solution would add the most value to the occupant’s experience. Traditionally, mobile access control has been confined to spaces like dormitories, and communal spaces like parking garages, libraries, and labs have been left to more conventional credential choices.

While mobile access control certainly adds a lot of value to the student experience in dormitories, there are several other spaces on campuses that could benefit from a more mobile-friendly security strategy, including:

Multi-purpose buildings with offices

Even Deans can lose their key cards occasionally. With mobile credentials in office spaces, access control is made easy for the occupants who spend the most time on campus—the staff.

Community and student life facilities

Communal spaces like cafeterias, study areas, extracurricular, and health and fitness spaces are all areas that need some level of access control, especially if your campus is integrated into a non-campus community.

Classroom and high-occupancy lecture rooms

As the threat landscape to educational environments constantly evolves, our team of experts are seeing more and more higher-education campuses deploy access control to secure classroom doors and lecture halls while incorporating mobile access to avoid inhibiting students and staff.

Restricted-access resources like libraries/labs

It goes without saying that many areas like archives, data centers, chemical labs, or server rooms require an added level of security and protection. With mobile access control, near-immediate access control revocation or provision keeps those areas safe and secure.

Key considerations when implementing mobile access control solutions on higher-education campuses

Effectively implementing mobile access control in higher education requires careful planning to ensure security, life-safety and building code compliance, and an easy user experience.

One of the primary considerations is the compatibility between existing security hardware and the software systems they run on. It’s important to think about current and upcoming systems your campus will deploy and whether the mobile-compatible access control solution you choose can fit seamlessly without requiring unnecessary hardwiring or difficult retrofits.

Additionally, new security solutions must maintain compliance with life-safety and accessibility building codes. The right solution should enhance campus safety without creating barriers to movement, ensuring students, faculty, and staff can navigate facilities efficiently.

A strong key control strategy is also essential for effective access control, but a new credential type should integrate easily into that strategy. Universities and colleges must establish clear policies for issuing, revoking, and monitoring mobile credentials to avoid administrative headaches. By incorporating mobile access into a comprehensive credential management plan, universities can enhance security while improving convenience for their communities.

Get security solutions with mobile access credentials with SARGENT

With SARGENT, the name of the game for mobile credentials is building an effective security design with solutions that meet the unique needs of each opening, while easily suiting together to create a seamless access controlled environment.

For instance, for areas with a high concentration of doors that need secure access control while operating off the existing IT and wifi-infrastructure (like dorms), SARGENT recommends the IN120 Intelligent Wi-Fi solution for improved security with a sleek, minimalist design at a lower barrier to installation.

Learn more about our IN120 lockset offerings in our brochure or by visiting our product pages.

For areas that require immediate access provision and revocation and a high level of security with real-time monitoring and lockdown capability, the IN100 is recommended. For dean’s offices, labs, and classrooms, the IN100 provides real-time wireless control.

Learn more about our IN100 lockset offerings in our brochure or by visiting our product pages.

Looking to add more convenience and security to your higher education facilities? Get in touch with our team of experts to learn how wired, IP-enabled, and real-time wireless access control solutions can improve your security strategy and campus experience.