The private security industry regulator has warned against security guards being put in the frontline in dealing with student protesters as university managements consider closing campuses after two weeks of increasingly violent "fees must fall" anarchy. The University of Johannesburg has continued with classes but has had to deploy a heavy security presence to do so.The University of Cape Town and Wits are considering whether classes can be resumed on Monday.Wits has asked students to vote on whether classes should resume "subject to appropriate security protocols being in place". Protesting students interpret this to mean more security being brought onto the campus, where last week security guards and students clashed on the steps of the Great Hall.On Wednesday security guards contracted to the University of Johannesburg pepper-sprayed and slapped journalists. Some guards were filmed beating students and chasing them to a garage near the university's Doornfontein campus in downtown Johannesburg.Mpho Mofikoe, deputy director of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, said: "It is critical that the police are present when there is a crowd that has to be managed. Crowd management is the responsibility of the police. "Security companies are trained in the management of special events, and not crowd management and control."At institutions of higher learning they need to make sure that police are present because that is their area of expertise."UJ has been criticised by staff and students for the way in which the contracted security guards treated students who tried to assemble on campus or outside the university's gates.UJ vice-chancellor Ihron Rensburg said the allegations of security guards assaulting students and journalists were "sad, regrettable and disappointing" because they detracted from the "positive or neutral activities" the university has been involved in. Rensburg said the university had strengthened security since the #FeesMustFall marches of 2015, contracting with Fidelity Security.Explaining the crowd control strategy, Rensburg said: "When the situation gets out of control . if need be we use spray to disperse the group. If they come as a large group of about 200 people, we then form a shield outside [and] inside the gates with private security guards.During "low-risk" periods the university spends R500,000 a month on security but that amount increases to R1.5-million during "high-risk" periods.The Fidelity workers will be hired direct by the university from October 1, Rensburg said.University employees have questioned the university's approach to security, calling for an urgent meeting on the policy. "The security has no control and they come in with the intention to intimidate, threaten and harm our students. It is horrid and we have to stand there powerless while they do this to our students," said Rubina Setlhare, educational psychologist at the University of Johannesburg, on behalf of the concerned employees.Fidelity has referred all inquiries to the university.University managements across the country are considering their options.Fort Hare University has closed its Alice campus and all residences until October 11;The University of Cape Town is considering cancelling tuition for the academic year if classes cannot be resumed on Monday;Vice-chancellor Max Price said such a closure would prevent many students from entering the jobs market.The University of KwaZulu-Natal has resolved not to halt tuition and talks are now under way about extending the academic programme.UKZN spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said students were attending classes."However, should they decide to boycott classes . it will be a different discussion altogether." Seshoka said that if protests continued at universities across South Africa it would have huge ramifications."If protests flare up it means trouble ... the people meant to graduate in April may not be able to do so."It will affect the student intake for 2017."..