Key Distribution and Return Policy
Purpose
The safety and security of our campus community, buildings and property have always been and will continue to be major concerns of the Office of Facilities. The control and safeguarding of keys is the cornerstone of the College’s internal security system. In addition, budget constraints and higher replacement costs make a strong key control system ever more important.
Over the years, many keys have been lost, stolen or not returned. As a result, the Office of Facilities is completing a major re-keying project in academic areas. This project was funded and undertaken to greatly improve campus security and to gain tighter control over the keys that are issued to members of the College community.
The following revised key policy complements the goal of enhancing safety and security on campus. Your assistance and cooperation in its implementation are most appreciated.
General Guidelines
· Keys are an integral part of the campus security system.
· Keys shall be issued to individuals on a “must have” basis only. “Must have” keys are those that are required to perform one’s normal daily work activity.
· All conflicts regarding issuance of keys shall be resolved by the Vice President for Administration and Finance in consultation with the Provost (if necessary), the Director of Facilities, Director of Security and the requestor’s Unit Head or Dean.
· Key issuance shall be governed by the eligibility standard cited herein.
· Lost keys shall not be reissued. Rather, the associated lock shall be changed and a new key issued.
· Keys shall not be transferred among individuals. Rather, they shall be returned to the Office of Facilities and reissued with the appropriate key request/receipt.
· Fines shall be assessed to individuals or Units for a lost key(s) and the expenses incurred for the lock change necessitated by the loss of key(s). The fine structure shall be approved by the Vice President for Administration and Finance.
· Any key or lock problems are considered by the Office of Facilities to be safety and security emergencies. These issues should be called into the Facilities Service Desk at extension 7660 or to Security during non working hours.
Eligibility
· Only those persons currently on the college payroll shall be eligible to request keys.
· Students requiring keys must obtain them through the appropriate Faculty or Staff member. (See Procedure: Keys issued to students)
· Exceptions to eligibility requirements set forth above shall be with the prior approval of the Vice President for Administration and Finance.
· Key requests must be approved for all keys as per the following:
Key Type / Description / Limited To / Required ApprovalGrand Master / Opens Individual building entrance Doors and everything in the building / Security , Facilities / Vice President for Administration and Finance, Vice President for Student Affairs, Director of Facilities or Director of Security
Master / Opens all doors within a unit / Deans and Directors / Provost or Vice President
Sub Master / Open a series of doors within a Unit or School / Assistants to Deans and Unit Heads / Dean or Unit Director
Individual Keys / Opens only doors assigned by deans or Unit Heads / Any Faculty and Staff / Dean or Unit Director
Responsibilities
· Office of Facilities will be responsible for:
1. Issuing work orders to the locksmith to fill key requests.
2. Maintaining all records concerning the issuance of keys. This includes databases of key records by room and key records by employee.
3. Issuing keys to the requestor.
4. Recovering keys from personnel who are terminating or transferring to another office.
5. Insuring that returned keys are safely given to the locksmith for secure storage.
· Department/Unit Heads will be responsible for:
1. Authorizing the issuance of keys to staff in accordance with this policy.
2. Reporting to the Office of Facilities all key holders who are terminating or transferring to another department or activity.
3. Reporting all lost keys to Security and the Office of Facilities within 24 hours of loss.
· College personnel to whom keys have been issued are responsible for:
1. Signing the key request form.
2. Maintaining the security of any key issued.
3. Immediately reporting the loss or theft of keys to both their Unit Head and Security. Security in turn will notify Facilities.
4. Returning keys to the Office of Facilities when employment status changes.
5. Keeping all receipt(s) of keys issued and keys returned.
Procedure
· Key Request
1. The eligible requestor shall fill out the attached Ramapo College Key Request & Return Receipt form and submit it to the Unit Head for approval. If warranted, the Unit Head shall forward the request to the administrator next in line for the necessary additional approvals.
2. The completed request, with all necessary approvals is forwarded to the Office of Facilities, where it is permanently recorded, and then turned over to the Locksmith. The Locksmith will check the requestor records and, if in order, cut the key(s) requested. The cut key(s) are then returned to the Office of Facilities.
3. The requestor shall be notified by the Office of Facilities that the requested key(s) are available for pickup.
4. The requestor shall pickup the requested keys, in person, at the Office of Facilities, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. except during the months of June, July and August, when the days/hours for issuance are Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The requestor shall provide Facilities with his/her proper College photo identification. The requestor shall sign the key request form prior to receiving the key.
5. With regards to key pickup, accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made by the Office of Facilities.
6. A copy of the signed key request/receipt form will be given to the requestor. The requestor should retain this copy for their records.
7. Keys will not be given to anyone other than the requestor.
8. If the key(s) are not picked within one month, the key(s) will be returned to the locksmith. Once returned to the locksmith, a new key request will have to be filled out in order to receive that key.
· Lost Key
1. The individual to whom key was issued shall inform the appropriate Unit Head and contact Security, where an officer will fill out an incident report. Security shall contact the Office of Facilities and the Locksmith shall immediately change the lock in question. The Locksmith shall initiate the charge, if necessary, for the lost key and lock change and forward that information to the responsible person or Unit with copies to Accounts Receivable, the Unit Head and Human Resources.
2. Evidence of payment of the fine shall be appended to the key request for issuance of the new key to replace the lost key.
· Departmental Transfers or Office Changes
1. Any Ramapo College employee, who transfers to a different unit or moves to a different office will be required to turn in their key(s) from their prior location(s) and fill out new key request form(s) for his/her new location. A key return receipt shall be filled out at the Office of Facilities and a copy given to the employee for his/her records.
2. New keys will not be issued until the old keys are returned to the Office of Facilities.
3. This policy includes changes in School Deans.
· Personnel Changes
1. The Unit Head shall notify Human Resources of any change of employment status. If the change necessitates recovery of issued keys, Human Resources shall, at least three (3) working days prior to the personnel action, notify the Office of Facilities. The Office of Facilities shall forward the report of keys issued to the affected individual who will be responsible for returning any keys issued before the change in employment status takes place. The Office of Facilities shall provide the individual with two copies of the returned key receipt. One copy of the receipt shall be turned in to Human Resources and the other copy retained for the individual’s own records.
2. Individuals not complying with this procedure may be assessed a fine, per key, as per the fine structure determined by the Vice President of Administration and Finance.
· Keys Issued to Students
1. Keys to be utilized by students, including student aides, for laboratory storage cabinets and lockers, club offices, desks, filing cabinets and storage cabinets shall be issued in the first instance by the Locksmith to the responsible faculty or staff member involved in the activity or class. The faculty or staff member, in turn, shall issue keys to students and retain a key receipt file. Upon completion of the student’s term in the activity, the student shall return the key to the faculty/staff issuer who shall provide a returned key receipt.
2. Faculty or staff members issuing keys to students shall be accountable for the return of the keys.
August 31, 2004 Office of Facilities 2 of 7
Request for Keys
Requestor’s Name:______
Unit/Department:______
Unit Head (Print):______
Unit Head (Sign):______
Other required approval:______
Phone:______Date:______
Room #/Description: Key #
(For Office Use Only)
______
______
______
I acknowledge that I have received the above requested keys
Date:______Signature:______
Key Return
Receipt
Name:______
Unit/Department:______
Received By (Print):______
Date:______Signature:______
Room #/Description: Key #
(For Office Use Only)
______
______
______
I acknowledge that I have returned the above listed keys
Date:______Signature:______