In a move that has drawn mixed reactions from its students, Princeton University recently upgraded the electronic security system in its dormitories to 24-hour monitoring. The dorms had only been locked from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. prior to this fall.

Students gain access to the dormitories through keycards, known as "prox cards" because they must be placed in close proximity of an electronic security device.

Each card allows the student universal access to every dormitory and a few other campus buildings, including those in the Engineering Quad.

Princeton and Yale University both have universal keycard access on campus. Students at Harvard have been advocating a similar system in recent years.

"It [Princeton] is just another argument on the pile in favor of universal keycard access," said Noah Z. Seton '00, a member of the Undergraduate Council who has led the effort for universal access.

In response to an e-mail message sent by The Crimson concerning the Princeton security system, Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 urged Harvard students in favor of universal keycard access to examine the Yale system rather than Princeton's because of Yale's similar urban setting.

According to Charles "Barry" Weiser, crime prevention specialist at Princeton, the Princeton administration negotiated with students for over a year before finally installing the complete lock-down.

Weiser said students demanded that the system be well-maintained 24 hours a day to prevent students from being denied access to the dormitories. Students also asked to have only one card for keycard access and identification. Previously prox cards were separate from the student's ID card.

This fall's move to increase security is not a response to a specific crime on the Princeton campus, but an effort by the administration to be proactive in crime prevention, Weiser said.

"We were seeing suspicious types within the dorms," Weiser said.

Several years ago in response to student demand, Princeton had also instituted a

system by which residents can admit visitorswithout cards via telephone. Through a systemcalled Telekey, students can open their entrywaydoor for 20 seconds by dialing #5 on their roomtelephone.

"I have never heard of that option about thephones [raised at Harvard]," Seton said. Lewiswrote that he also had not considered a telephonesystem and declined further comment.

The electronic security system has stirredcontroversy both on- and off-campus because it canbe used to track students' movements.

According to the Princeton UniversityDepartment of Public Safety, tracking informationwould be released to help in the investigation ofa crime or in the search for a missing individualwho is believed to be in danger.

The files are stored electronically. Accordingto Weiser, due to memory issues, files areoverwritten every three weeks.