Harvard to Mandate Swipe Access in All FAS Buildings Through Spring Semester

Harvard will continue requiring the use of a Harvard ID card to access all Faculty of Arts and Sciences buildings through the end of the spring semester, according to an email sent to University affiliates Friday evening.

According to the email, the decision was not made in response to any specific security threat, but rather part of a broader effort to enhance campus security.

Harvard previously instituted a Harvard ID requirement to enter FAS buildings — including School of Engineering and Applied Sciences facilities in Allston — in late December, moving up the timeline of the standard winter closure policy following a fatal shooting at Brown University.

At the time, FAS Campus Operations Chief Zak M. Gingo ’98 emphasized that the move was precautionary.

The decision to tighten ID requirements came alongside several other security measures, including placing security guards at the entrances of main buildings where final exams were taking place and increasing the frequency of Harvard police patrols.

Harvard joined peer universities, like Yale University and Columbia University, in tightening security measures in the aftermath of the Brown shooting, where a masked gunman opened fire into a classroom during a final exam review session, killing two students.

While Friday’s email did not announce any new security measures for the upcoming semester, it reiterated that both the Harvard University Police Department and Securitas would continue to monitor buildings and outdoor spaces.

A FAS spokesperson declined to comment on whether new measures were under consideration.

—Staff writer Sebastian B. Connolly can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @SebastianC4784.

—Staff writer Summer E. Rose can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @summerellenrose.