Tap and Go launches March 10

Emerson’s Tap and Go Program, a 24/7 identification card access system, will be in effect from Monday, March 10—the first day classes resume after Spring Break—until Sunday, April 6. This system requires all students, staff, and faculty members to use their Emerson ID cards to enter all campus buildings 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will require all visitors to be registered as a guest by an Emerson community member.

The Tap and Go Program is being piloted as part of Emerson’s ongoing commitment to providing the safest possible environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests. Several notices have been issued to the Emerson community about the pending pilot security program.

During its implementation, Emerson police officers will be on hand at the entrances of the Ansin and Walker buildings to help facilitate access during high-traffic periods.

Tap and Go Tip

To ensure there are minimal to no delays, Emerson community members are strongly encouraged to have their ID cards in hand and ready to tap in before approaching security desks in the lobbies of campus buildings.

FREE replacement ID cards now available

For Emerson community members who have lost or misplaced their ID cards, they can obtain a FREE replacement card for a limited time, from Tuesday, February 25, through Friday, February 28, 7:00 am–7:00 pm, at the Dispatch Operations Center at the Emerson College Police Department, located at 211 Tremont Street (Tremont Street entrance to the Little Building).

Registering Guests

For students, the guest sign-in process remains the same for the residence halls. However, students will also be required to sign their guests in at the security desks located in all Emerson buildings.

Faculty and staff will be able to register guests in advance by logging into iVisitor Guest Registration, at http://tapandgoguest.emerson.edu, where the user will enter the guest’s name, the host’s name, building, and date and time of the visit. The guest’s name will appear on the computer located at the security desk in the lobby of the designated building and once the guest checks in, security will provide a guest badge. The faculty or staff member will receive an email notification that their visitor has arrived and is on route to the meeting location.

Feedback

At the conclusion of the pilot security program, the Emerson Police Department will distribute an electronic survey to the Emerson community for feedback on the Tap and Go Program. For those who have observations to share while the pilot program is in progress, please contact Robert Smith, Chief of Police, at Robert_smith@emerson.edu.

The Tap and Go Program was formed after the College consulted students, faculty, and staff and sought outside opinions from security experts at other urban Boston colleges and universities. The program is being implemented after a careful review and will be closely monitored to minimize disruption.

“I would like to thank the committee of students, faculty, and staff that recommended this pilot program,” said Smith, “for helping introduce thoughtful, common-sense measures to protect the safety of Emerson students, faculty, staff, and guests.”