ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University will now require anyone who comes to campus show identification at the gate, the latest security change implemented by the school.
The university announced Wednesday the new policy would be effective immediately. The school said the policy does include students and employees, so those people should be prepared to show their student-issued ID car. Officials with SC State said anyone who can't find their university-issued ID card should obtain at new card at the OneCard office in the University Computer and Information Technology Services complex in the Crawford-Zimmerman Building.
The school said a vehicle parking decal will not be sufficient ID.
As for others, they will have to show a driver's license or a state-issued identification. The school said to prevent backups into traffic into the street, people should have their ID ready to show if they plan to go into the school.
The change is the latest security upgrade for the school. Earlier this year, the school added a gun-sniffing dog to the campus through a company called Global K9 Protection Group. The protection group has K9’s at schools across the country such as Notre Dame, Auburn University and the University of South Carolina.
Last year after shots were fired on campus, the school put in these security protocols.
- A “no non-student” visitation policy after 9 p.m.
- An increase in announced and unannounced health and safety checks throughout campus housing.
- The employment of six armed guards certified by the State Law Enforcement Division to staff campus entry gates and high-risk locations to assist Campus Police officers during night patrols.
- A 24-hour monitoring center to display activity on campus security cameras.
- Additional lighting and fencing behind Hugine Suites and across campus.
And in 2022, the school's approved a resolution to invest $1.2 million into a new security camera system. 700 state-of-the-art cameras will be installed on all campus buildings.