Vice President and Dean of the College Paul McLoughlin addressed security updates on Colgate University’s campus, specifically regarding the installation of security cameras, in an email to the student body on Aug. 28. The University turned to multiple committees to provide recommendations for security systems, which set out to find a balance between safety and privacy on campus, after initially announcing the idea in Spring 2024.

“During the spring and summer months, the working group met and talked with students, faculty and staff; considered emails that I received from [students] and other members of the campus community; and had discussions with the University Property Committee, Student Affairs Board and the Advisory Committee on Campus Security,” McLoughlin wrote.

After careful deliberations, the group decided that cameras on the main entry and exit points of buildings would be the appropriate solution, later sharing this opinion with President Brian W. Casey.

Speaking to the Maroon-News, McLoughlin offered further insight on where the committees decided to place cameras.

“We’re not installing security cameras in spaces where students have the expectation for privacy,” McLoughlin said. “So that’s why we’re talking about entrances and exits to buildings, large spaces [and] outdoor spaces.”

McLoughlin also discussed how the group set out to protect privacy while also maintaining the communal sense of a residential campus.

“I don’t want to do anything that makes students not feel a sense of privacy. This is their home,” McLoughlin said. “But I also know […] every single student from whom I heard said that they would like to see more cameras on campus.”