On Key Code Access to Dorms
Campus Infrastructure Committee October 1st. 2008, 9:18pmThe SGA Campus Infrastructure Committee recently looked into why students cannot access dorms by simply entering their code on the dorms access pads, which every dorm has but seems to be unused in any case. I spoke with the Facilities Department (Buildings and Grounds)about the addition of this feature, as a supplement to ID card access due to possible accidents like simply forgetting one’s card and then having no way to enter dorms except through other people. The Facilities Department indicated that they would not under any present conditions allow code access to dorms for several reasons which include the following: key codes are often shared and would compromise security; ID cards allow the security to check exactly everyone who enters a dorm and thus would promote positive regulation; key code access is generally chaotic for administrative reasons. In short, the Facilities Department rejects this idea. The committee has decided that the issue is not crucial enough for insistence. Does anyone care to press this issue further?
October 5th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Are you convinced that the reasons for not allowing key code access to dorms are good ones?
October 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I’m with Nathan. Are you saying that codes cannot be tracked the same way cards can? Also, if the codes aren’t safe enough to give people access into their particular dorm, how can we justify this as our method of keeping our individual rooms secure? It seems to me like Facilities needs to have stronger arguments for not pursuing this. But then again, maybe I’m missing something.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I want to take the opportunity to consolidate the arguments put forward by the Facilities Department. Key codes are shared by almost everyone on campus. This means that allowing code access to dorms will make access control difficult. It would also make it more difficult to identify violators of college policies. For instance, if a malicious false fire alarm is set off, it is possible under the current set up to narrow down possible violators by checking who has accessed the building around the time of the event. This is certainly fallible but nonetheless possible. However if students could just use their codes, one who knows a friend’s code could use it to go inside and cause trouble and effectively hide his/her own identity.
Regarding the effectiveness of codes for access to rooms, I feel this is the most practical way of doing it. Facilities continually forbids students from sharing their codes. It is infact a violation of a College Policy, as per the Student Handbook (pg 107, Locking Systems..) to share codes. If a student wants a friend to access his/her room, facilities can actually program the friend’s code into the door itself. It is this sharing of codes that decreases the effectiveness of the system. One alternative would be to have card access to rooms. That might prove to be difficult for those who forget their cards, because the only other solution to this problem would be to notify campus safety. Even one such case every day for the entire year is going to be a lot of extra burden on campus safety.
In short, the current seems most practical and reliable, given the resources and infrastructure we have. I hope that made sense!
October 13th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Personally, I feel using key codes to get in dormitories is very convenient. When a person leaves their card, they can still get in their dormitory without waiting outside for a dormmate to pass by.
I don’t feel the argument that key cards are safer has strong validity because a card is a physical entity that can be stolen or lost. Key codes are memorized. I know many people, including myself, who do not share their key codes. Coincidentally, I have dropped my key card on the ground and misplaced it a couple of times and had to depend on a dormmate I had to see across the yard to let me in.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I agree with Otis on this one. I also see it as a big safety concern to NOT let students use their codes to get into their dorm buildings. I, for one, always keep my ID in the same pocket of my wallet, only last week I accidentally switched my ID with my credit card so when I ran out of my room in a hurry, I grabbed my credit card instead of my ID. Needless to say, a credit card doesn’t do you much good to get into a building on campus. I didn’t notice the switch until I was alone and locked out of my dorm around 2 am on a Saturday. Doesn’t seem very safe to me to have to wait around for either someone to walk by, or for campus safety to arrive.
A possible solution that was proposed at last Sunday’s SGA Senate meeting was to allow code access only to the residents of individual dorms on campus. That way, I still need to use my student ID to get into other buildings on campus, but if I won’t find myself locked out of MY dorm.
Other thoughts?
October 16th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I agree with Otis and Andrea. Im sorry Orko, but i just don’t follow your logic. If the codes are so unsafe, then why isn’t there already something in the works to change how we protect our rooms? Also, as much as i understand wanting to monitor who comes in and out of the dorms, the reality is that this information is practically useless. Even if only one person entered a dorm with 3 hours of when a fire alarm was pulled, this information still wouldn’t get us any closer to proving it was them. I think the arguments against this are pretty weak. Unless i hear something more compelling, i think we need to go ahead and get this done.