Comments on: Refutal of Code Access to Dorms by Administration

By: Andrea Wise

Andrea Wise — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:52:20 +0000

Yes people share codes, but the concern doesn’t really have anything to do with that. If someone wants to get into a building, they can. That’s Nathan’s point – someone can easily just follow someone else in. Our concern shouldn’t be so much keeping other people out as much as making sure that our students aren’t locked out of their rooms late at night. It’s scary when you can’t find your ID and you’re alone and need to find a way to be let into your building. I really don’t see it as a safety concern to let students use their codes on THEIR dorm buildings. So what if I give my code to my friend and they can now get into my building. Just like it is college policy that you are responsible for your guests, if you give your code to someone who uses it to get into your building to do something suspect, then you are going to be held partially responsible. Also, people might keep their codes more private if the codes were used for more than just their individual bedrooms.

By: Ibrahim

Ibrahim — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:14:56 +0000

I know people share their codes Nathan. I think you just need to interact with people on campus a little bit more and you will see it. Bringing someone to the honor council because of it?? You will be bringing a third of this campus and that’s a conservative estimate.

By: Nathan Kirschbaum

Nathan Kirschbaum — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:40:47 +0000

I don’t think it is fair to say that individuals share their codes with more than 3 people. How do you know that? But even if it was 10 it wouldn’t matter. If the school is trying to find someone who did something wrong, auditing the door codes is not conclusive evidence anyway. It may or may not be helpful in trying to find someone. What if the person who did whatever they did was a resident and had been in their room for the last 12 hours? What if someone else let them into the building? So, it might narrow their search if they are lucky. But that is it. As for people who give out their codes, they should be taken to honor council for violating college policy and compromising the safety of their fellow students. It is that simple. I think it is more dangerous for students not to be able to get into their buildings in the middle of the night.

By: Andrea Wise

Andrea Wise — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:05:45 +0000

I am all for code access to your dorm building, and your dorm building only.

By: Ibrahim

Ibrahim — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:25:39 +0000

I think ID access is just fine. As very clearly explained, Codes could be shared by multiple individuals. As far as tracking and accountability goes here is a perfect reason not to: We all know individuals that share their codes with more than 3 people. If, for some reason Campus safety was auditing doors to see who entered a building at what time, they would have to play a guessing game between 3 to 5 individuals who can all deny ever entering the building at that particular time. With a physical ID, this is not possible. ID is just straight forward and lot easier. I am all for IDs.

By: Andrea Wise

Andrea Wise — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:55:23 +0000

This is good information, and I appreciate hearing the administration’s side of things, but I still don’t hear any reason why code-access to only an individual’s dorm would be unsafe. We’ve talked about it before, so I’d like us to press for that. It’s far too easy to lose or forget your ID and be locked out of your building, and at night, that becomes a huge safety concern. I can understand not allowing my code to work on ANY dorm on campus, but I see no reason why the codes of the residents of a building shouldn’t work.