The Maryland Higher Education Commission has awarded $18.75 million in campus safety grants to colleges and universities throughout the state.
“These grants will enable our institutions of higher education to invest further in infrastructure that will help make our campuses safer for students, faculty, and staff,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
Administered through the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Campus Safety Grant program, projects or initiatives eligible for the funds include campus security assessments and recommendations; implementation of enhanced security operations and mechanisms; and emergency management planning.
For example, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has received $375,000 to outfit exterior doors with electronic key access control systems at the public community college’s four main campuses.
“Using door keys has been a standard practice at higher education facilities, but with the increased demand on campuses for more efficient security measures, the transition to primarily digital security systems will enable CSM to provide enhanced security protection,” explained Dr. Bill Comey, vice president of CSM’s operations and planning division, in a press release.
Comey noted the security upgrade will allow public safety officers to provide credential badges to students, staff, visitors, or vendors. “With the new system, credentials can be sent digitally to a person’s smartphone and only individuals with proper credentials can access buildings,” he said.
Grant awardees are required to track and measure program outcomes via quarterly performance and financial reports submitted to the commission. A full list of awardees is available here.
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