Resources

Card Reader Access

Access

Access is a complex topic and there are several sections one can go to for information. Below is a quick table of contents regarding access information located at various places on the CED website

General Access Procedure

Faculty, staff and students must go to the Cal1 Card office and sign up for their Cal1 Card; this card is many things:

  • Your personal campus identification card
  • A campus "prepaid" debit card usable at many on-campus cafe's and stores
  • For students it is your health insurance card
  • The card is an "access" card in that it has a chip that can be read by card readers

The Card Reader system is a campus-wide computerized card access control system operated by the Police Department in conjunction with the Cal1 Card Office and local departments. This type of system allows faculty, students, or staff the ability to use their Cal1 Cards to unlock building and doors. Examples of this type of access are after-hour Wurster building entry, Computer Labs, Digital Fabrication Lab, and the studio floors. 

For Wurster building or room access that are related to the card reader systems requires that faculty, students, or staff come in person to 477 to fill out and sign CED's Access Form; Campus ID will be required.

Once approval for access is given, it will take 1 to 3 days to process and you will then be able to use your Cal1 Card to gain access.

Access Issues

There are always issues with access, and vary with which system is being used. The majority of use in Wurster is the General Card Readers so the focus on known issues for that system are outlined below:

(1) Since UC Berkeley as a whole uses the same General Card Reader access system, there are times when others on campus may accidentally overwrite your CED permissions; to correct please come to 477 and access will be re-instated.

(2) Actual activation may take from an hour to up to three working days to process given there are three systems that need to be properly in synch for the permissions to function properly.

(3) The "behind the scenes" process is not fast, so waiting until the last minute to request access will not be helpful. The processing of requests is "first come, first served." 

Time-based Access

Access to Wurster, facilities, and special rooms have an expiration date which is based on the individual's status as defined below.

  • CED Undergraduate and MS students (or UCB Undergrads or Graduates): Required to sign up for access each semester, starts the first day of the semester and ends the last day of the semester. 
  • MArch, MCP, and MLA students: Granted Fall through Spring access, starts the first day of the Fall semester and ends the last day of the Spring semester.
  • MUD students: Granted a yearlong Fall through Summer access (from August to August).
  • CED PhD students: Granted a yearlong  (from August to August) access to the building and their PhD offices.
  • Researchers or PostDocs or  Visiting Scholars are granted access for the length of their contract. 
  • Access for CED Faculty and Staff are multi-year.
  • Temporary instructors and lecturers have semester-based access during the semester they are working.

Computer Labs

  • All access to the Labs are by Card Reader (Cal1 Card).
  • With a computer account access to the Computer Labs is 24/7 outside of scheduled instructional activities.
  • Computer Lab access includes building access so you can get to the Labs.
  • There is no interim access to these Labs.

Digital Fabrication Lab

  • Access to the Digital Fabrication Lab usually starts a week after instruction begins.
  • Please see the Digital Fabrication Lab website for the exact date and time they are open for general use.
  • All access to the Lab is by Card Reader (Cal1 Card).
  • CED Undergraduates have set hours, Graduates have 24/7 outside of UG hours.
  • Access ends on the last day of the semester.
  • There is no interim access to the Digital Fabrication Lab.

Fabrication Shop

  • Access to the Fabrication Shop usually starts a week after instruction begins.
  • Please see the Fabricaion Shop website for the exact date and time they are open for general use.
  • Access to the Shop, Shop Yard, and Paint Booth are only during staffed hours; there is no after-hour access allowed.
  • Access ends on the last day of the semester.
  • There is no interim access to the Fabricaion Shop.

Studios

  • Access to the Studios start 9am the day instruction starts and ends at midnight on the Sunday following end of the Semster.
  • The intent is to give students time to clean up the Studio and remove their belongings.
  • Anything personal that is left behind is subject to disposal, recycling, or reuse during cleanup.
  • Access to the Studio computers and printers end at midnight on Sunday following the end of the Semester.
  • MUD students continue to have studio access until the end of August. 
  • There is no interim access to the Studios.
  • Occasionally there are special circumstances where the department will grant building/studio access, but those occasions are rare.

Specialty Areas

  • The DCRP Graduate Lounge is only available to current DCRP graduate students who are enrolled in a CED class.
  • There is no interim access to the Lounge.
  • The PhD rooms are available for interim use by PhD students, who also continue to have building access.