The Department of Residence is considering locking all exterior doors to residence halls on a 24-hour basis.

The purpose of the initiative to lock the doors would be to promote students’ safety, said John Shertzer, residence life coordinator.

“There have been recent instances of unwelcome and unwanted individuals in the residence halls, and [the Department of Residence is] concerned that student safety may be jeopardized,” Shertzer said.

The change would affect only residence halls, not other university-owned complexes.

The Inter-Residence Hall Association has drafted an opinion it plans to present to the DOR in which it asks the doors continue to remain unlocked during the day.

Dave Breutzmann, Towers Residence Association president and author of the bill, said most students he had spoken with do not want the doors locked.

“The problems they’ve had [in the residence halls] would not have been prevented by 24-hour locks,” Breutzmann said. “It’s extremely easy to get into the halls when the doors are locked.”

IRHA President Keith Twombley said initial student reactions have been negative.

“Most [students] are not in favor of this plan at all,” Twombley said. ” … It’s terribly inconvenient to have doors locked.”

He also said locking the residence hall doors would hinder residence hall students’ guests, authorized visitors and others needing access to the halls.

Kate Bruns, communication specialist for the DOR, said doors to common areas and dining services would most likely remain unlocked, and off-campus students who use residence hall facilities would be taken into consideration.

“We want recommendations so we know what students want,” Bruns said.

Bruns said the change would not cause students to have to carry any extra keys.

Twombley said locking doors wouldn’t necessarily solve safety problems.

“After 11 p.m. [when the residence hall doors are currently locked] some people prop the doors open,” Twombley said. “It’s fairly reasonable to assume people are going to do that all day long, and if they’re going to prop the doors open, there’s no point in locking [them].”

Bruns said students have always propped doors open, which is a concern of the department.

“There’s really no way to prevent it except to remind students the doors are locked for their own safety,” she said.

Twombley said there are other ways to keep students safe.

“[The Department of Public Safety] or student security could do rounds,” he said. “That would be a lot more effective than trying to lock doors.”

Shertzer said IRHA’s recommendations will go to Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence.

Alexander, along with the university’s vice presidents and other members of the Division of Student Affairs, will make the final decision regarding locking the doors.

He said if the decision was made to lock the doors, the plan would most likely be implemented over semester break.

Bruns said student safety needed to be a top priority.

“Our director said he’s never been on a campus with so many unlocked doors,” she said. “I hope [students] understand the need to keep things safe.”