DeKALB | Grant South is now the location of a pilot program aimed to make security and hall entry more efficient.

Under the new program, to gain access to the residence hall after 11 p.m., students will be required to swipe their OneCard to unlock the front door and at the front desk to verify residence.

The hope of the program is to improve efficiency and do away with hall entry cards, said Michael Stang, director for Residential Facilities and Operations for Housing and Dining. The card reader at the front desk is connected to the same database as the door card reader and contains information on where each student lives.

Stang said the program is being tested to gather student opinions and to get a sense of the traffic patterns it will create.

The program is being tested at Grant South because of the mixture of students at the location in terms of differences in the ages of residents. The idea was suggested by the previous staff, Stang said.

A survey is available for students who have gone through the process, Stang said. The results of the program should be known by summer or fall.

“Students should let the staff know their feedback,” he said.

If the concept is successful, the next step would be to investigate the cost of equipment and locations where the system would be used. Grant South is currently using a spare reader, and Stang was unsure of the price of additional equipment if the program is to be used at other locations.

Though the pilot program has students’ safety in mind, some Grant South residents hold reservations.

“It’s kind of an inconvenience,” said freshman business major Jeff White. “If a lot of people are coming back at the same time, and they all have to swipe their card, it takes a while.”

Fellow resident Jim Broucek doesn’t like the program, but thinks it helps with security.

“I don’t like it; I have to drop everything I’m doing and swipe my card,” said Broucek, a freshman undecided major. “I also see it as a good thing, because it makes security better.”