Keeping higher education environments open and secure is a balancing act that requires security leaders to regularly evaluate risk and the organization’s goals.
In July, a gunman drove onto the golf course at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, Ga. and killed a professional golfer and two other men. An emergency message immediately put students at nearby Kennesaw State University on alert.
There was no immediate threat to the campus, and students were soon allowed to resume normal activities. But the incident is illustrative. Most campus environments are not walled fortresses, and the question that security leaders often grapple with is what happens when the greater community environment affects the campus environment?