Columbia colleges compete for money to add security features

Two colleges in Columbia are competing for grant money to make their campuses safer.

Stephens and Columbia College are battling against colleges nationwide for money from Stanley Security to update their systems.

Safety is a top priority at both colleges.

Spokesmen from the schools told ABC 17 News they have state of the art security systems in place right now, but as technology continues they need to keep up with the times.

The majority of college students today are used to key cards.

Cards a person swipes to get into their dorm and classrooms rather than taking the time to turn a key.

Key cards for students at Stephens College could get even easier for students if they win the grant money.

“The upgrade would allow proximity technology,” said Rebecca Kline , director of marketing and communications.

The reason this would be an added safety feature for students is because they would not have to fumble through their purses or pockets to get out their card, rather the system would recognize it on them and allow them access to the building.

“It’s an extra layer of security that more and more people are becoming familiar with. We are an all women’s campus we take security very seriously its always been our top priority,” said Kline.

Students ABC 17 News spoke with tell us they do not mind swiping their cards though it would be nice at night not having to look for them.

“Columbia continues to grow and while we believe it is a beautiful and safe community it certainly makes sense just to be proactive,” said Kline.

Stephens and Columbia College are not competing against each other.

The two are in different categories because of the number of students each has.

If Stephens wins it would get $100,000 while Columbia College would get $150,000.

The money would be used for products and services from Stanley Security.

The competition ends Feb. 13.

Click here to vote.