Jonathan Beck, Staff Writer

Residence Hall Security is a thing of the past. Described by Assistant Director of Residence Life Scott Ranger as "an outdated and misunderstood program," the program has been remodeled and replaced by Campus Action Project (CAP).

Ranger said the former program used student employees as security assistants nightly from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Student employees would also make rounds on their own, sign in guests and check resident i.d. cards when necessary, Ranger said.

This was the extent of their duties. "Nowhere in their job description was providing security," he said.

Ranger said modifications have been made to the residence hall monitoring program. "The new program directly claims that its primary function is not to provide security, but to provide certain services in the resident halls (to) make the building safer," said Ranger.

"CAP provides the same service as Resident Hall Security, but with a few changes," he said.

Start-up costs for the program are approximately $300,000. However, Ranger said the average annual cost for employee wages and other expenses will round out to approximately $150,000 annually. "We want to use student housing fee dollars wisely," he said.

Ranger feels optimistic about CAP and its differences from the old residence security program. "CAP is more pro-active and lets students get involved on their campus and in their community," he said.

Ranger thinks the program can be successful, but thinks it must be fully staffed to ensure best results. An incomplete staff means one person may have to cover two buildings, or a building may be left without a monitor, Ranger said. Graduate student Josh Bartholomew, who has worked with Ranger to develop and implement the CAP program, said the program needs a dependable staff to be effective. Currently, the program has only 55 employees, and Bartholomew said this number is too low.

"There are eighteen residence halls that need to be covered and some people only work one or two mornings a week," he said. "Ideally, we would like to have enough people (to) cover each hall every morning."

Bartholomew said employment opportunities are available to students and that students can benefit from a position with CAP. "If (students) really want an opportunity to create a better environment to live in, this is it," he said.

Bartholomew said certain requirements must be met before a student can get a position with CAP. Students must have a 2.0 GPA and no major violations on record with the university. Bartholomew said no one can be a CAP Student Assistant in the residence hall he or she lives in.

Once hired, Bartholomew said employees will participate in a training session, and experience on- the-job training with an experienced Student Assistant. Pay starts at $5.45 per hour and increases each semester that one works, until it reaches the maximum $6.10 per hour, he said.

Bartholomew thinks the CAP program will enhance residence life. "I think it adds security to the buildings in the morning," he said. "Without this program, residents (could) have a long period of time where there was no one monitoring the building. I think it enhances the safety of the building for the residents."

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