A new security-focused argument in higher education warns that moving to “closed” campus access models can reshape the student experience in ways that undermine both openness and practical safety. The piece argues that heavily checkpoint-driven access would increase friction for everyday campus life—students, faculty, staff, and visitors—while also raising the costs of access-control systems. It further contends that restricted access creates incentives for workarounds, such as doors being propped open or credentials shared, potentially weakening the very controls security teams aim to strengthen. The analysis frames the central decision as whether campus security planning is matched to the realities of higher education operations. For institutions managing heightened threat awareness, the recommendations point toward strategic planning that balances risk reduction with functional access, avoiding security measures that students and collaborators will routinely bypass.