The new Commodore Card access policy allows students greater access to more floors within residential areas, according to Vanderbilt Student Government.

The new policy will allow students within each of the residential areas of Carmichael Towers, Vanderbilt-Barnard Hall, Kissam Quad, Branscomb Quad and Highland Quad, including those that live in the Chaffins and Mayfields, access to all common areas and residential floors from noon to 9 p.m. within their area.

“For example, all residents of Kissam Quad would have access to all common areas and residential floors of Kissam Quad from 12 noon to 9 p.m.,” said VSG President Joseph Williams. “From 9 p.m. to midnight, the men and women of each residence hall would have access to each other's floors within their own halls. From 12 midnight to noon, men and women have access to the same-sex floor of their residence halls only.”

According to Speaker of the House Lauren Ross, VSG has worked closely with housing, VUPD and the Dean of Students in order to make this new policy possible.

“We all wanted to improve the upperclassmen experience by allowing students to be able to visit their friends more easily and have greater access to social areas like suites in towers,” said Ross.

However, Williams believes that while this policy shows greater trust in students, there is also a greater responsibility.

“It will now be up to students to keep the level of current security in tact,” Williams said. “We’re hoping that if we can maintain security, we’ll be able to get even more open access policies in the future.”

VUPD and VSG reminds students to lock doors when leaving the room or sleeping, to avoid giving access to others through entrance doors, to avoid giving out security codes and to be aware of suspicious persons.