Open campuses are open to the public, allowing anyone to walk freely through the grounds at any time. While this creates a welcoming space, it is also a concern about how safe open campuses really are for students.
Campus officials from different campuses encourage students to report suspicious activity and use available safety resources. Fresno City College also provides campus emergency call stations and safety alerts to help protect students.
As colleges continue to have strong security, open campuses still remain an ongoing debate whether students are truly safe.
From my own experience, I was being followed around campus by somebody and I found out that the person wasn’t enrolled at all, so I felt really unsafe walking around campus.
Because of that, I think schools need stricter security if they choose to have open schools.
According to safety reports from Fresno City College daily crime log, four incidents listed “Non-student refused to leave campus” between September 2025 and February 2026.
While these do not always lead to violence, they still raise awareness about who is able to access campus spaces.
Other reports in the log include suspicious person incidents and harassment cases. These reports highlight how open campuses can sometimes bring unfamiliar individuals into student areas.
This topic has also been discussed by student journalists at University of California, Los Angeles. Reporters from the university’s student-run newspaper, Daily Bruin, noted that open campuses can create both opportunity and concerns for students.
According to a report from the student-run newspaper at UCLA, thousands of people pass through popular campus areas each day, including individuals who are not a part of the university community.
While many students believe campuses can raise safety concerns, others say they will feel safe while attending open colleges.
The debate whether campuses should remain open or become more restricted continues as universities and community colleges try to balance public access with student safety.
Personally, college campuses should be welcoming to only enrolled students to avoid any at-risk activity to people who freely walk on campus.