Culmer also recommends leveraging your existing resources so you can reduce the cost of the upgrade.
“Try not to buy products that force you to go away from something you’ve already invested in,” he adds. “Everything we have here, we continue to use. We use the same door, just pull off the old locks and put in the new Salto ones.”
The Evolution of UDC’s ID Badge
Five years ago, the UDC ID badge was a laminated card with a photo and it was separate from the access card. Today, the ID has evolved into the UDCONEcard, which is built around the HID iClass smart card and serves multiple functions on the campus for the more than 7,000 cardholders.
Aside from the access control functions in the online and offline doors, the card is used in the book store, the library and in the parking garage. It also enables UDCPD staff to cross check individuals with card and photo identification.
As the campus continues to grow, the card has also allowed the facilities management staff to control the movements of contractors on campus. Instead of handing out mechanical keys, contractors are now issued cards with specific area access based on time, date and expiration. This eliminates the headache of issuing and managing master keys, which are typically given to contractors during construction projects.
How It Works
UDC’s new Salto locks are self-contained, battery operated locksets with key override. The mortise and cylindrical locks require two through bolts to retrofit to the existing locks installed at UDC.
Staff and students are given a credential (smart card), which is valid for five days. As staff and students open the authorized doors, the activity is recorded in the lock as well as on the card. The card updates the offline locks with a list of lost cards, giving the lock the ability to delete lost cards. The cards also carry information on low battery status.
After five days, cardholders must go to a hotspot, which is located in every building on campus, as well as in some departments. The system takes about 1 second to download and upload the information on the card. When this is complete, the light on the hotspot turns from blue to green, and the card is author
ized for another five days.
This gives the UDC department of public safety the audit trails that were not available in the previous systems. The Salto Virtual Network [SVN] utilizes the hotspots to constantly read/write information on users’ cards. Even though the Salto locks are offline, the SVN gives the police department constant updates on user activity.
Campus at a Glance
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC), a historically black college and university, is the only urban land-grant institution in the United States. The institution includes the Community College of the District of Columbia, the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business and Public Administration, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the David A. Clarke School of Law. UDC has four urban campuses along with numerous workforce development sites, including a farm, aviation maintenance program and allied health programs in local hospitals.
The university serves a population of approximately 6,000 students and employs 1,500 faculty and staff. Its public safety department has 28 sworn officers and four nonsworn employees.
Norman Diegnan is a communications specialist.
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