Following the construction of a permanent gate at the McClintock entrance on Nov. 21, the entire University has permanent fencing, gates or walls around every portion of the perimeter for the first time since USC’s founding in 1880. Fences and gates encompass most of the University except for the northeast edge of campus, where entry is blocked by the exterior walls of Davidson Conference Center. 

In a statement Aug. 7, Senior Vice President for Administration David Wright announced the addition of this permanent gate, although it was originally supposed to be completed in October. 

“We have taken many steps to modernize our campus,” Wright wrote. “Security on campus remains our top priority.”

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After the pro-Palestinian protests in Spring 2024, USC installed nonpermanent chain link fences and a movable red fence at the McClintock Avenue entrance, which was upgraded Nov. 21 to the permanent gate. 

Christopher Clausen, a junior majoring in urban studies and planning, views the fencing across campus as an unnecessary barrier for non-USC families. 

“I think it’s disrespectful to the community members,” Clausen said. “[It sets] a very distinct standard of exclusion.”

Fencing has steadily increased at USC throughout the last several decades. The black perimeter fencing that people would notice walking around campus today only appeared in the last few decades.

In 1984, prior to the Summer Olympics, USC installed barbed wire fencing around the University perimeter to deal with crowd control. This was upgraded in the early 1990s to the brick and wrought-iron fencing that surrounds campus today.

As USC entered the 21st century, fencing and gates were added to entrances. In 2013, USC installed permanent fencing at the Trousdale/Exposition entrance near Mudd Memorial Hall of Philosophy. This was added after a shooting occurred between two gang members attending an on-campus Halloween party. Neither was a student, and this event also led to the end of USC’s open access at night. 

In 2016, Herbert Plaza, the entrance on North Trousdale, was completely rebuilt and permanent fencing was added. 

Robert Huang, a USC alum, does not see the increase in fences and security as beneficial. 

“It’s not really going to increase campus safety,” Huang said. “To some extent, it will be even more dangerous … if there’s an emergency and people want to get out of campus.” 

Saliha Choma-Severin, a sophomore majoring in environmental studies, is unsure whether the fencing even serves its intended purpose. 

“I found out that [people] just randomly snuck onto campus,” Choma-Severin said. “I’ve seen some of the security [just] let people in, but that usually doesn’t happen.” 

USC’s requirement for all guests to show identification and the addition of fencing also raises complex questions about how USC’s venues can be accessed. For instance, USC is a part of the Federal Depository Library Program, which requires that certain content in its libraries be continuously accessible to the public. 

Venues on campus are also restricted. The Uytengsu Aquatics Center, for example, was donated by the McDonald’s Corporation in the 1980s with the stipulation it would be open to the public. Now, the pool is only open to USC affiliates. 

Trousdale Parkway was closed in 1953 to vehicles per an agreement with the City of Los Angeles, but the city did not explicitly allow USC to control public access as a whole. While Trousdale is surrounded by USC’s privately-owned land and buildings, most public roads in the city are surrounded by privately-owned land and buildings as well. Similarly, the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works maintains services such as sewage on Trousdale along with public roads. 

Administrators, employees and students shared concerns about barriers surrounding campus in the past. In 2009, former President Steven Sample expressed his biggest setback: that the Metro E Line adjacent to USC did not run underground. He argued that transportation barriers and walls created a physical and psychological barrier between USC and its surrounding community, a belief shared by Clausen.

“[Fencing and security checkpoints] run in opposition to the Trojan Family atmosphere that is preached so heavily,” Clausen said. “It doesn’t set a good standard.”