California State University, Sacramento is in the process of installing card access readers at classroom entrances as part of a larger access control effort designed to improve campus safety.

As reported by local Sacramento affiliate ABC10, the university has already installed the readers in one of its largest academic buildings, Mendocino Hall, but plans to expand the lock installation to an additional 78 classrooms across campus by the end of this year. Sacramento State officials say the purpose of the new access control measures is for students and faculty to be able to shelter in place and allow for quicker lockdown in cases of emergency, specifically active shooter situations.

Daryn Ockey, the university’s facility operations director, stresses the importance of the project and the university's desire to get ahead of.

“You hear about all the unfortunate things, so if you can keep an active shooter away from the population they are trying to attack, then you’re obviously protecting that population,” said Ockey in an ABC10 interview. “The integration of the locks with the scheduling software keeps people that shouldn’t be in rooms away from rooms when they shouldn’t be there, which ultimately makes our campus safer."

The initiative has two, unrelated phases. The first consists of new classroom deadbolt locks that enable manual door locking from within. If a classroom is manually locked, only university police can bypass the lock with a special key.

The second component relates to campus access control, which will enable only those with a valid campus credential to access the classrooms when locked. The university access control software will make it easier for custodians and other personnel after hours, as it eliminates the use of brass keys.

Once funding is made available, university officials plan to expand and install the door access readers at all university classrooms.