I'm looking at my test lock (which doesn't have panels on it) and it looks to me that there's no way you could access the lock mechanism from the battery panel. With the HT locks I've played with, the locking mechanism sits inside the door, between the lock itself (with the circuit board, card reader, batteries, etc) and the back plate containing the deadbolt and such. Don't think it's vulnerable to what you're describing. However, it should be noted that if it's used in the university, it's almost definitely the Integra/CT line from Onity, which is different.