Building Access
Overview - The Access Control System
Access into the Computer Science building and to certain shared areas within the building is controlled by an electronic door lock system. The access control system has two functions:
- Automatically lock/unlock doors at scheduled times e.g. the main entrance during working hours.
- Grant specific groups/individuals access to locked rooms within the building using swipe cards e.g. allowing only Computer Science staff and students access to the computer labs.
To gain access to the locked rooms within the building, all staff and students must use their photo ID cards. It is therefore essential that everyone keeps their ID card with them at ALL TIMES.
Which Doors are Under Access Control?
The following doors are locked/unlocked by the access control system:
- Main Entrance
- Delivery Entrance
- All Computer Labs (Rooms LG4, LG34 and G4)
- The LRAT Seminar Rooms (Rooms G40 and 144)
- Library
- Robot Lab
- Darkroom
Where and When Do I Need to Use My ID Card?
The access control policy for the building is shown in the table below:
| Door | Time When Unlocked | Groups Allowed Access When Locked |
| Main Entrance | 8:30am - 5:30pm (Mon - Fri) |
All Staff and Students |
| Delivery Door | Never | Support Staff and Computer Officers |
| Computer Labs | Never | All Staff and Students |
| LRAT Seminar Rooms | 8:45am - 5:15pm (Mon - Fri) |
All Staff |
| Library | When the Librarian is Present | All Staff and Research Students |
| Robot Lab | Never | All Staff and Only Students Working on Robotics Projects |
| Darkroom | Never | Computer Officers and Staff/Students Working on Vision Projects |
NOTE:- Access to the building out of hours (5:30pm - 8:30am) and at weekends will ONLY be possible with your ID card.
How Do I Use My ID Card to Unlock the Doors?
To unlock a door under access control you must pass your ID card through the card reader for that door. In general, the procedure is as follows:
- Pass your card through the reader with the magnetic strip positioned so that it is inside the reader. There is usually a diagram on the reader that illustrates how the card should be inserted.
- If your card has been accepted, the red LED on the reader should change to green and your should hear the door unlock.
Why Doesn't My Card Work?
Reasons why an ID card fails to unlock the doors include:
- You don't have permission to unlock the door.
- The door controller might be busy if someone has just entered the room before you - wait for the door to re-lock and try again.
- The magnetic strip on your card might be damaged.
- The access control database contains a different card number to the number written onto your card. This problem will arise if your card has been lost or stolen and a new card has been issued as a replacement.
- Your card has not been included in the database!
Any problems with using your ID card should be reported to the support team.
Office: Room 141 (first floor)
IT Service Desk:
https://universityofbirmingham.service-now.com/