The University of Virginia, George Mason, and Rockhurst are now among the first major U.S. campuses to unify physical, mobile, and biometric credentials. As students gear up for the fall semester, Acre Security is deploying an access control platform covering building access, dining, libraries, recreation, and emergency response for more than 69,000 students.
Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to enable student IDs that also serve as credentials. These integrate campus life with necessary safety protocols. “We’re building the future of campus safety – where intelligent systems anticipate threats before they materialize,” said Kumar Sokka, CEO of Acre Security.
“We’re leveraging the best in traditional security to create living ecosystems that protect not just physical spaces, but the very essence of academic freedom,” he continued. “We need to safeguard physical intrusions and sophisticated digital attacks, and that requires systems that adapt, learn, and evolve alongside the communities they protect.”
Acre Security has outlined a roadmap to strengthen campus security through AI-driven solutions. Future upgrades will introduce anomaly detection powered by machine learning to flag potential threats before they materialize. Biometric authentication options will be expanded, while integration with campus transport and off-campus services indicate a connected ecosystem.
Advanced visitor management and contractor access protocols will tighten controls, and automated compliance reporting for the Clery Act and other regulations will simplify universities’ audit burdens. The announcement comes amid heightened campus safety concerns and a wave of institutional investments. The University of New Mexico recently unveiled a $20 million security enhancement plan, while Purdue University and the University of Victoria have rolled out mobile ID initiatives.
A single credential issued by Acre’s ecosystem governs access from dormitories to lecture halls. In the event of an incident, administrators can lock down specific zones or the entire campus in real time. Digital mustering and accountability tools automatically track individuals during evacuations, fires or shelter-in-place directives. Smartphone-based credentials via Apple and Google Wallet work alongside traditional cards, and location-based safety tracking helps manage security incidents and missing person cases with precision.
“Our AI capabilities are designed to identify unusual patterns, from potential security breaches to attempts at digital manipulation through deepfakes or social engineering,” said Jeff Groom, Director of Engineering AI at Acre Security. “Whether managing routine access, responding to emergencies, or protecting student identities in our increasingly digital world, the platform continuously learns and adapts to each institution’s unique security landscape.”
Acre says its Acre Access Control (aAC) allows universities to enhance capabilities continuously without needing to replace hardware thanks to its open architecture, which is cloud native.
Jumio CPTO has said student IDV should be treated like bank onboarding, with biometric liveness needed to stop “ghost students” stealing college financial aid. The Associated Press documented a vast and fast-growing fraud on the U.S. education system in which scammers use AI to hijack the college financial aid process. The bad actors involved often are part of organized crime rings that deploy AI tools to manufacture fake student identities, manipulate enrollment systems, and exploit weaknesses in federal aid verification.
