Where Do Mobile Credentials Belong in Higher Education?

Beyond campus housing – mobile access is transforming higher education security in classrooms, community spaces, restricted areas, and more.

For years, electronic access control (EAC) hardware has been the go-to solution for adding both security and convenience to college and university campuses. While dorms have been the primary focus, EAC systems also secure libraries, cafeterias, labs, and other restricted areas—giving users access through cards, fobs, or even mobile credentials in some cases.

But just like other high-tech, high-traffic environments, campuses are shifting away from physical credentials like cards and fobs in favor of the convenience of having everything you need right from the palm of your hand – your smartphone.

The business case for mobile credentials

These days, our wallets, plane tickets, home temperature control and more can be accessed and organized right from our phones. With so much of our daily lives on one single device, mobile credentials are becoming an expectation rather than a luxury in campus environments. Mobile credentials offer all the security of conventional EAC credentials with an added layer of convenience and seamless integration with student life. For many students, the availability of convenient, value-added amenities like mobile credentials even influences their choice of institution, as simplicity and ease of use become key decision-making factors.

Additionally, unlike key cards or fobs, which can be cumbersome to carry and easily misplaced, smartphones 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 what’s the role of mobile access control on higher-ed campuses?

As with any decision involving upgrading your security strategy, facility managers and locksmiths must consider the spaces on-premises where a solution would add the most value to the occupant’s experience. Traditionally, on higher-ed campuses, mobile access control, if deployed at all, is limited to spaces like dormitories.

While mobile credentials certainly adds a lot of value to the student experience in living halls and dorm rooms, there are several other spaces on campuses that could benefit from a more mobile-friendly security strategy, including:

Multi-purpose buildings with offices

Everyone can lose their key cards occasionally, even school leadership. 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

Community-driven areas like cafeterias, study spaces, lounge areas, and health and fitness spaces all need some level of access control, especially if your college or university 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 student and staff movement.

Restricted-access resources like libraries/labs

Access-restricted areas like chemical labs, server and data rooms, and library or artifact archives require an added level of security and protection. Rather than having to track down physical credentials or keys when access rights need to be changed, mobile access control allows for near-immediate access control revocation or provision to keeps those areas safe and secure, remotely.

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

Rolling out mobile access control on a college campus takes some planning to get it right. Security, building codes, and user experience all need to come together seamlessly.

One of the biggest things to consider is whether your existing security hardware works well with the software you’re using. Thinking ahead about future systems is key—your mobile access solution should integrate smoothly without requiring major rewiring or complicated retrofits.

It’s also important to stay compliant with life-safety and accessibility codes. The goal is to boost security without making it harder for students, faculty, or staff to move around campus. The right system should feel natural and easy to navigate, enhancing safety without adding obstacles.

A strong key control strategy is also essential for effective access control, and adding mobile credentials should fit into your existing credential management strategy, not complicate it. Schools need clear policies for issuing, revoking, and tracking mobile access to avoid administrative headaches. When done right, mobile access can make campuses more secure and more convenient for everyone.

Get security solutions with mobile access credentials with Corbin Russwin

With Corbin Russwin, 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 Wi-Fi-infrastructure (like dorms), Corbin Russwin 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.