March 13 update: Director Steve Epperson sent this message Friday to students, faculty, and staff: "On Monday, the north doors will be locked during the school day so you can try out your prox card and make sure it works. If it does not work, please see Gwyn [Ortiz] in the office."

URBANA — After a wait of nearly five months, Uni's prox card system will be activated for a trial run the week before spring break.

"The plan right now is to kind of pilot this next week, beginning on Tuesday," Director Steve Epperson told the Gargoyle. "So students will need their prox cards to come and go, as will teachers. And then if there are problems, that will give us spring break to try to get those resolved. And then the system should be operational the rest of the school year if things go well."

At each of Uni’s three main doors an intercom system that includes a red buzzer and a camera has been recently installed.

"Parents and other visitors will need to buzz in at each of the doors," Epperson said.

When pressed, the buzzer calls the secretaries in the main office. They're able to speak to visitors and parents via intercom, and can also see them through the video cameras that are now at all three entrances.

From the office, the secretaries are able to buzz the door open, without having to physically answer the door. The system is similar to that of apartment buildings, where the door can be remotely unlocked by those in the office.

"The technology at the doors is now completely installed — that's my understanding, anyway," Epperson said. "The prox card system has been operational for several weeks. We've been waiting on the equipment needed to actually monitor the doors for visitors so we can let people into the building."

The long-awaited use of the prox cards, which the administration originally hoped would begin in September, will come as a hindrance to some, but has been long-anticipated by others.

"There's going to be a little bit of inconvenience, I think, for parents and visitors," said Epperson. "I hope not so much so for teachers and students, because as long as you have a prox card you should be able to come and go like you've always done."