Safety & Security

University of California Berkeley installs emergency exit in chancellor's office

Door installed as security measure in connection with potential student protests.
Aug. 2, 2016

The University of California, Berkeley, has installed an emergency exit the chancellor's office as a security measure against potential protesters.

Nicholas Dirks, chancellor of University of California, Berkeley
The Daily Californian reports that the door, which cost $9,000, is outside a short hallway between Chancellor Nicholas Dirks’ conference room and his office in California Hall.

A campus spokeswoman says the exit was installed as a security measure to “provide egress to leave the building.”

This news comes after reports showed the campus spent nearly $700,000 to build a fence around University House, the chancellor’s residence.

The fence was built because of an increase in the number of incidents of vandalism and trespassing.

Construction of the exit door was requested about a year ago in response to a protest in April 2015 when protesters entered the chancellor’s suite. During the protest, students staged a sit-in outside the chancellor’s office and banged on desks and chanted loudly.

Later that day, protesters marched to the area in front of University House.

The funding for the exit was approved by the UC Office of the President under Be Smart About Safety — a pool of money that provides funding for risk prevention.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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