Housing and Dining Services will finish up two projects this summer aimed at making campus a safer place to live for residents.

Housing and Dining Services will be fitting a few first floor windows of Thomas and Taylor Halls with newer heavy-duty security screens over spring break to evaluate their aesthetic qualities.

Thomas Hall is scheduled to have all of its windows replaced, and will have the security screens fitted to all first floor windows following the conclusion of the spring semester.

Taylor Hall will undergo the same process in the summer of 2011.

Pemberton Hall, Greek Court, and the Triad have all received new windows and security screens since the project was started in 2001.

The window project has cost $5 to $6 million, said Mark Hudson, director of housing and dining services.

Housing and Dining Services will also install security cameras in Weller Hall this summer.

Weller Hall will be the final residence hall on campus to be fitted with cameras, making the total number of cameras positioned within and around residence halls approximately 600. Weller will receive approximately a dozen cameras, Hudson said.

All cameras within the residence halls can be monitored from

Hudson’s office, and all video recorded by the cameras is stored on a hard drive for 30 days.

Access to the recordings is limited to a handful of individuals, and the tapes are only reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Hudson said there have been fewer instances of vandalism within residence halls since the cameras have been in place.

So far, Housing and Dining Services has spent approximately $500,000 on surveillance, Hudson said.

Hudson said Housing and Dining Services will continue to take measures to make sure residents are safe.

“Certainly, as a university we cannot guarantee the safety of any individual, but any time we take measures to enhance it we will do so-cameras and security screens, along with locked doors, etc., play an important role,” Hudson said.

Jason Hardimon can be reached at 581-7942 or jrhardimon2@eiu.edu