The Enhanced Access System uses proximity cards, (access cards) issued by the Department of Public Safety to authorized students, faculty, staff and guests, to control access to buildings. The system will electronically unlock doors designated and marked as Entrances when an active card with privileges for that building is presented to the card reader mounted beside the door.
Individuals with access privileges will gain immediate entry. An alarm will be activated at the Public Safety monitoring station if someone attempts entry with an invalid card, a door is forced or propped open, or if tampering with components of the system occurs. When an alarm is received, a Public Safety officer will respond to investigate.
Click for a List of Buildings with Card Access
Public/Emergency telephones have been installed at the main entrances of residence halls equipped with the Enhanced Access System. These phones may be used for dialing dorm/office extensions or a caller can be automatically connected to the Public Safety Emergency line by pressing the RED button.
Hours of Operation
The College Administration has defined the hours of operation for the Enhanced Access System during academic and language school sessions. Residence halls are controlled by Enhanced Access 24 hours a day. Exit doors are locked at all times to prevent entry, however, people can ALWAYS exit from any door, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Academic and Mixed (residential & academic use) building schedules vary depending upon department or College needs. Hours are posted with the list of access buildings and may change when necessary.
Academic Building Security
Campus academic facilities are open to members of the campus community and to guests and visitors during normal business hours, 8:15 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Some buildings and facilities also have limited designated hours in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate evening classes, research or other special programming needs. Faculty and staff are responsible for securing their own private office spaces and storage areas. Public Safety officers have responsibility for securing some departments that remain open late or keep unusual hours. Public safety officers, night watchmen, and building responsibles share the responsibility for securing college buildings. Public safety officers routinely check buildings through the course of their patrols to maintain security.
After Hours Access for Students
Periodically, students will need additional access to certain locations controlled by the Enhanced access system for Academic or Organizational needs. Permission may be granted from department/faculty representatives by filling out and submitting the After Hours/Special Access Form.
Electronic copies should be kept on file with individual departments and the Department of Public Safety.
Computer Labs
There is a computer lab in Sunderland which is equipped with the Enhanced Access System. Generally, the labs will be unlocked during the business day. After business hours and on weekends, the labs will only be accessible to those in the College community with access privileges for the labs. A valid access card must be presented to the reader for entry.
Temporary Access Cards.
Vendors, certain guests of the college, and students auditing classes may have a legitimate need to enter access controlled buildings. Public Safety has temporary access cards available for sign-out on an as needed basis with prior authorization granted from the responsible department. It is the department's responsibility to assist with determining access needs of the guest/visitor. Departments should contact Public Safety for more information.
Note: Personal guests of students, faculty, or staff members are not eligible for temporary access cards.
Non-Proximity card based building access (Mag-stripe).
A few buildings on campus use the magnetic stripe on the ID card for access. This requires you to swipe your card through a credit card-style reader to gain entry. McCardell Bicentennial Hall uses a building wide system maintained by the administration at that building. All other mag-stripe readers are programmed and maintained by Facilities Services
- McCardell Bicentennial Hall Access Information
- Facilities Services
Access Problems & Questions
Note: If you cannot access a building and feel unsafe, Please contact the Department of Public Safety immediately.
Below are a list of the most common issues, Please see the FAQ in the left menu for more questions & answers.
Problem | Possible Issue |
| Lost or stolen card: | Potential Building security issue. Call Public Safety Immediately |
| Card will not open ANY doors on campus: |
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| Card will not open single door (Others on same building work): | Potentially Damaged Door in need of Maintenance |
| Card opens door occasionally: |
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Tampering with any component of the Enhanced Access System may result in a fine or disciplinary action.
Propping a door open is a breach of the residential security system. This breach will activate both a local alarm (at the door) and an alarm at the monitoring station. Propping a door is considered tampering with the system and the above penalties may be imposed.
