The entry security procedures in Copley Hall will be changed starting Feb. 1, as part of a pilot program initiated by the Department of Public Safety and the Office of Residence Life, according to Stephanie Lynch, director of the Office of Residence Life.

The new system will require the guard in Copley to verify the GOCard of each student entering the building and then swipe the student’s card in the scanner at the guard desk, rather than permit each student to swipe his or her own GOCard, according to DPS Associate Director Joseph Smith.

“We feel that this may be a more effective method of preventing unauthorized access to the hall,” Smith said.

Currently, students must swipe their GOCards to open the main door of Copley, the dorm’s only authorized entrance, and then swipe again at the guard desk, which is staffed by a student guard between 8 a.m. and midnight and by an AlliedBarton guard between midnight and 8 a.m.

Copley was selected randomly as a test location for the procedure, according to Andy Pino, director of media relations for the university. If the change is deemed to be a major improvement over the current system, the new policy may be extended to other residence halls.

Kristen Kennedy (COL ’12), a resident on the first floor of Copley, expressed concern about long lines of students waiting to gain access to the building, which she worried may cause delays for students and distraction for guards.

“Although I think any measure furthering the safety of residents and any system preventing strangers from entering the building is a positive one, I think this new plan may cause more confusion and inconvenience than it intends,” Kennedy said.

She added that, despite her proximity to the building’s entrance, she has never felt unsafe in Copley.

Smith cited several measures being taken to ease this transition, including the reorientation of the card swipe machine on the Copley guard desk. Hall Director J.C. Calcerano will also inform residents of the new procedure before it is implemented, Smith said.

“This project was not prompted by any particular incident; rather, it is simply a part of the university’s continuing efforts to improve safety on campus,” Smith said.

The effectiveness of the new policy will be tested when it is put into effect Monday.

“I am still unsure how I feel about Copley trying out this new policy, but if it is effective in adding to the security of the building, I can’t argue with it,” Kennedy said.”