By: Santiago Leon Torres
Dominican University has announced a new major security camera installation project across its residence hall. Administration frames the project as a safety necessity. However, this has sparked doubts in certain students concerned with a potential breach of privacy.
In an email sent to resident students on August 13, 2026, Sasha Santiago, the Director of Campus safety, announced that the project was nearly finished. According to Santiago, the initiative is designed to “enhance the safety and security of our residential spaces” by promoting a safe living environment, protecting school property, and assisting security in reviewing safety incidents.
The announcement specified that the cameras added to the dorms are only in public areas like hallways and lounges. Junior RA Sophia Valdez explains that students’ privacy will be respected, even with the additional cameras.
“What they told us is that [the security project] is about safety purposes, not to scare anyone.”
She noted that some of the posts she’d seen circulating on social media platforms like Fizz were “harsh.”
Valdez went on to explain that one of the primary reasons for the additional cameras could have been student mismanagement of guests. She explained that students often ignore Dominican University residence halls guest policy.
“When residents don’t check in their guests, there can be an incident and we won’t know who was checked in or out.”
Despite her ensuring that their focus is on safety, not micro-managing student behavior, students may have doubts. Santiago says that the university remains “mindful of student privacy” and that access to the footage is “strictly limited to authorized personnel for legitimate safety, security, and investigative purposes.”
Valdez says that students don’t need to worry about the cameras being used for frivolous reasons. She noted that while the bathrooms are often “abused” with students “flushing things they’re not supposed to.” She explains that there are no cameras in the bathrooms or other private areas.
When asked about her opinion on the cameras from her perspective as a student, she said, “I’m surprised they didn’t enforce cameras [in the dorm hallways] sooner. She noted that other campuses have long had similar surveillance systems.
“They’re not invading my privacy. If I have guests, I’ll check them in…They’re not using [the cameras] to take advantage of you, just making sure you’re safe.”
While Campus Safety views the cameras as an important tool to support a “welcoming living and learning environment”, according to their website, Santiago says
“Campus Safety does not publicly disclose specific operational details regarding camera placement, coverage, system capabilities, storage, or implementation.”
As the university moves forward with its strategic plan for “Enhancing Innovation and Technology,” the presence of surveillance in the hallways is set to become a permanent fixture of the Dominican residential experience.
For now, Campus Safety is encouraging a “shared responsibility,” urging students to continue reporting suspicious activity and looking out for one another.
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