It’s important that students feel a sense of belonging in the school.
Such badges can be programmed with unique criteria to allow short-term access to certain buildings at specific times, but data on each card is retained in the system so a permanent visitor card can be produced if a need arises in the future. When it comes to prospective students, campus visitors and contractors, temporary badges are handled through the technology.
Cards are turned on again for the next term.” Adds Chritton: “AAU students often come and go like trips to Europe or elsewhere so all students are retained in the database but turned off at the end of each semester or for other reasons. Among integration efforts: The security management system works seamlessly with intrusion control panels, which protect the galleries and other facilities.Īt the beginning of every semester, AAU issues new students a dual technology, multi-application ID card through an enrollment process that Petricca says takes only seconds per each.
Cardsmith white in art box install#
A single command center on campus – staffed 24/7 – uses an internal fiber optic network to handle access control, security video and numerous other communications needs while also saving infrastructure money.ĪAU turned to security integrator Dave Chritton of Microbiz Security Company to design and install a security system from Honeywell that both protects people and property as well as easily processes thousands of student badges each semester. “Being in an urban setting…we wanted a system that would lock down all our buildings with a single keystroke.” The security management system had to cover more than 200 proximity readers installed on all exterior doors of AAU buildings. “We like to say that San Francisco is our campus,” says Mike Petricca, director of campus safety. So one access and ID challenge is the scope of this “campus.” Yet another museum houses a unique collection of rare and vintage automobiles worth millions. Fine art galleries, open to the public, showcase student creations in painting, sculpture, jewelry and fashion. There are administration and classroom buildings, residence halls, dining facilities and computer labs. There are many AAU buildings and thousands of people coming and going each day. With an enrollment of more than 18,000 students, AAU is the largest private school of art and design in the U.S. Elisa Stephens, now at the university’s helm, continues the organization’s fine focus on creativity.
Established in 1929 by Richard Stephens, a fine art painter and creative director for Sunset Magazine, he opened the school in a rented loft to teach advertising art. The educational institution is itself unique with a commitment to leading edge use of technology and inspired solutions. In many situations, card access control also ties into security video, too.Īnd there are campus multi-use ID lessons to be learned by security professionals at all types of enterprises.Īdministrators, the campus security specialist and their security systems integrator take well-earned pride in the access control system at the Academy of Art University (AAU) in San Francisco.
Behind the trend, however, are sophisticated technology and integration design that range from nifty database hand-shaking and powerful security platforms to outside-of-the-box strategies and inspired use of communications and computer infrastructure. There is security, of course, but students’ seamless and cashless transactions mean more convenience for them as well as greater efficiencies and reduced operational costs for the educational institution.īuilding Swiss Army knife applications into a campus ID card is the trend at some colleges and universities, boasting multi-technology credentials that provide myriad services. With a single campus ID, students have secure access to facilities, catch a bite to eat using point-of-sale terminals at food service venues across campus, when boarding the free-to-students city-wide shuttles, for time and attendance, clocking time and billing when using the university’s special heavy duty computers and even to pay for a meal out at neighborhood restaurants.