Newhouse Students Must Scan Their SUID to Enter Buildings Two and Three

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — (CITRUSTV NEWS) A new layer of campus security has come to the Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Beginning Monday, March 2, students, faculty, and staff will be required to scan a valid SUID to enter Newhouse 2 and Newhouse 3. This is a policy shift that follows the removal of a trespasser from the building by Department of Public Safety officers last week.

On Friday, Feb. 20, Newhouse Dean, Mark Lodato sent an email to all Newhouse students announcing the change, citing safety as his “top priority.”

What You Need to Know

• A valid SUID will be required to enter Newhouse 2 and Newhouse 3 starting March 2nd.
• Affected entrances include the Newhouse 2 and 3 doors facing Waverly Avenue, the Food.com entrance across from the Schine Student Center, doors facing the Newhouse Family Plaza, and the Newhouse 3 entrance facing the Einhorn Walkway.
• Newhouse 1 (accessed via the Newhouse Family Plaza), will remain open during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.).

Scanning is becoming the Standard

Newhouse isn’t breaking new ground here. SUID scan-in systems are already in place at several other Syracuse University buildings, including Marley Building, Dineen Hall and Huntington Hall. The broader question now is whether this signals a campus-wide shift — and whether more academic buildings will follow.

There’s Just One Catch

Some students have pointed out a potential loophole: Newhouse 1, which connects to both Newhouse 2 and 3, will remain open during business hours without requiring a scan. That means anyone could theoretically enter through Newhouse 1 and access the secured buildings during the day.

Mixed Reactions from Students

Student opinions on the new policy are divided. For some, the change is a welcome one that brings a sense of security to academic spaces they spend hours in every day.

“Student safety in academic buildings is just as important as it is in the dorms — and you always have to scan into dorm buildings,” First-Year SU student, Emma said. 

Others, however, are less convinced, viewing the requirement as more of an inconvenience than a meaningful security upgrade.

“It seems excessive and it’s annoying to have to scan in every time, even during the day,” second-year SU student, Gabrielle said.

With similar systems already in place at universities across the country, the central debate remains the same: does daytime card-access security actually make a campus safer, or does it just create the feeling of safety? For now, the swipe of a card is Newhouse’s answer.

Reporter: Sofia Draeger