Editor’s note: The following editorial reflects the opinions of the Kentucky Kernel’s editorial board and does not necessarily represent the views of the University of Kentucky or its administration.

The Kentucky Kernel sent two of its reporters into all of the University of Kentucky’s residence halls to test safety and see if the reporters would be stopped at the door like they are supposed to be.

In a place that gives grades, UK gets a miserable F.

The reporters were only stopped once, by a resident adviser, out of the 19 halls they visited. The only residence hall that they were stopped at on the first try was Blazer Hall.

A different reporter was sent back through a short time late and was not stopped.

One of the reporters was able to make it so far into some buildings that they were able to walk up the steps in four residence halls, which would have given them access to every room there.

If UK is going to send email after email about campus safety, regulations and “enhanced” residence hall security, then the university needs to live up to its word and follow it.

Once someone gets past the desk at a residence hall, someone’s child, brother, sister or partner is just a knock on the door away from a sexual assault, robbery or something potentially worse.

College is supposed to mold people into better individuals, and it should be a welcoming environment where students can feel safe.

They should not worry about going to bed at night, where someone might walk past a resident adviser, or desk clerk, and enter a residence hall without a reason to be there.

At UK, this is not the case.

In the last year and a half, the UK Police Department released eight sexual assault bulletins, with nearly all being in residence halls.

In the fall of 2024, UK said they partnered with Allied Universal, which would conduct community rounds in residence halls and at the William T. Young Library on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Where are they now? Does sexual assault and crimes only occur on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights?

The editorial board at the Kentucky Kernel does not recall seeing any security members at all of that description.

If resident advisers can not simply keep watch over who is coming into their building, then how is UK keeping students safe?

Is it on a college-aged resident adviser or desk clerk to stay on guard, or should residence halls have security at all times?

Do these resident advisers need better training? What about the desk workers who are not resident advisers but hired on?

There is a reasonable expectation of security for those living in UK’s residence halls.

UK must provide an environment with well-trained employees already in place so students can feel safe in their halls.

UK can and should do better.