Key Control Policy

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INTRODUCTION:

This policy is established in order to maintain access to facilities while safeguarding the personal safety of the people who live and work on campus, protecting the property of the College, and avoiding potentially significant costs due to theft, vandalism, or excessive re-keying of locks.

POLICIES:

  • Keys are and remain at all times property of Wilmington College.
  • The Physical Plant is responsible for developing and maintaining the key control system.
  • All lock and key work, including but not limited to, making and issuing keys, re-keying locks, replacing and/or repairing locks and related equipment, shall be done by or through the Physical Plant.
  • The individual who signed out the key is financially responsible for the costs of key issuance and loss, as well as any re-keying or other work necessary needed to maintain security.
  • Keys will be issued by the Physical Plant based upon demonstrated need for access and input from the Area Coordinator and approval from the Appropriate Vice President. The lowest level of key will be issued that provides the level of access needed (e.g. outside door key, office key, area sub-master).
  • Persons issued keys are responsible for their safekeeping and must sign an agreement acknowledging this responsibility.
  • Keys shall not be loaned, borrowed or transferred without proper authority and documentation by the Physical Plant.
  • Keys may not be duplicated under any circumstances, except by the Physical Plant. Tampering with or duplicating keys may result in loss of privilege.
  • Lost or stolen keys must be reported to the Physical Plant immediately.
  • If a key becomes damaged or broken all parts of the key need to be returned to the Physical Plant as soon as possible.
  • Keys must be returned to the Physical Plant upon leaving employment or at the end of the individual’s need for a key. A key charge will be charged to the Academic Area for keys not returned to the Physical Plant. Academic Areas may, in turn, request that the Payroll Office deduct this charge from the employee’s final paycheck if key(s) are not returned by the end of the employee’s employment. NOTE:  The key holder is responsible for their key(s) until they are returned to the Physical Plant Office.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Physical Plant. Physical Plant is responsible for:
    1. Creating and maintaining the College’s lock and key control system, including schematics, codes, and service equipment
    2. Maintaining in a safe and secure manner for all facilities the master and original keys and related hardware and documentation
    3. Issuing keys and keeping key information on file, including:
      1. Lock and key control system
      2. Inventory of locks and hardware
      3. Keys issued to and returned
    4. changing or replacing locks.
  2. Academic Areas. Academic Areas are responsible for:
    1. Designating a person within the Academic Area who determines who requires keys, the access required and authorizes requests for issuance of keys
    2. Reporting lost or stolen keys immediately to the Physical Plant
    3. Report to the Physical Plant if a person's access needs change (e.g. change Academic Areas, move to another location on campus, an adjunct and/or seasonal employee no longer needs access on campus).
  3. Human Resources Office. This office is responsible for:
  4. Sending notice to the Physical Plant of terminating employees.
  5. Housing/Conferencing. Due to the volume and the frequency of turnover handled by these departments, they are responsible for establishing their own detailed procedures for the issuance, distribution, replacement, and return of keys. These procedures, and any changes to them, must be approved by the Physical Plant to ensure they meet the objectives of this lock and key control policy.

GENERAL PROCEDURES:

Distribution of Keys:

  1. An Academic Area (other than Housing and Conferencing) which wishes to have a key issued to an employee should complete a key request form that is signed by the Area Coordinator and then approved by the Appropriate Vice President, which is then forwarded to the Physical Plant (see Attachment 1, Key Request Form).
  2. Based upon the information provided by the Area Coordinator and the Appropriate Vice President the Physical Plant will determine the level of key needed to provide appropriate access to the key holder and, subsequently, will issue the key.
  3. The Physical Plant will record the issuance of the key for tracking purposes and keep the Key Request form on file.

Replacement keys:

  • If a key has been lost or stolen, the key holder shall immediately report the occurrence to the Physical Plant
  • The Physical Plant will determine if the lock should be re-keyed.
  • The Physical Plant will issue a replacement key after the key holder has paid the fine, in accordance with the Lock and Key Fee Chart approved by the Physical Plant Director (see Attachment 2, Lock and Fee chart).

Return of keys:

  1. When a key holder leaves Wilmington College, or no longer has a need for a key, the key(s) issued to the key holder must be returned to the Physical Plant by the original key holder. The key holder is responsible for their key(s) until they have been returned to the Physical Plant Office.
  2. When a key is returned, the Physical Plant will reflect the return in the individual’s key record.
  3. If, for some reason, the key(s) are not returned, the Physical Plant, in consultation with the Academic Area, will determine if any re-keying should be done. Failure to return a key will result in a key charge to the Academic Area or individual.

STUDENT KEY POLICY:

Academic and administrative buildings on campus are open during hours of operation announced to the campus community. However, on occasion the need arises that a student needs access to a building or other area after normal hours of operation or on the weekend due to employment on campus or special coursework. In cases such as these a faculty and/or staff member may complete a student request form (see Attachment 3, Student Key Request Form) for the student to obtain keys.

Distribution of keys:

  1. A faculty and/or staff member deems it necessary that a student needs access to an area after a building’s normal hours of operation or on the weekend.
  2. The faculty and/or staff member completes the Student Key Request Form. All information on the request form must be completed.
  3. The student then must take the request form to the One Stop and pay a $5.00 deposit PER key, which is refundable upon return of the key(s).
  4. The student then must take the request form and their receipt from the One Stop to the Physical Plant where they will then be issued the key(s).
  5. If a faculty and/or staff member has a question regarding the Student Key Request Form or the key(s) that need issued they can contact the Physical Plant at extension 220.

Return of Keys

  1. When a student leaves Wilmington College, or no longer has a need for a key, the key(s) issued to the student must be returned to the Physical Plant.
  2. When a key is returned to the Physical Plant the Physical Plant will send the Student Key Request Form to Accounts Payable and Accounts Payable will send the student their refund.
  3. Student issued keys must be returned no later than the last day of spring exams. If a student fails to return the key(s) to the Physical Plant a charge of $50.00 per key will be added to their account.

Key Request Form

Date: ________________________

Name of person keys are being requested for: ________________________ 

ID Number:  ________________________ 

Person's position: ________________________

Department:  ________________________                               

Check one:

◻ Staff
◻ Faculty
◻ Other 

Department Head's Signature: ________________________

Appropriate Vice President's Signature: ________________________

Date keys are needed: ________________________

Areas to be Accessed

  Building Room Number Key No,. (if known)
1.      
2.      
3.      
4.      
5.      

Steps for key requests:

  1. Department Head signs Key Request Form
  2. The Department Head then submits the form to the Appropriate Vice President
  3. If the Appropriate Vice President approves the key request, they will then sign the form and then forward the request to the Physical Plant.

Lock and Fee Chart

Key Types

  1. Room Key: A key that operates one lock
  2. Sub-master Key: A key that operates more than one lock
  3. Building Master Key: A key that operates all locks within a single building
  4. Building entrance key: A key that operates the entrance door to a single building

Key Fines

  1. Room Key: $50.00
  2. Sub-master Key: $100.00
  3. Building Master Key: $200.00
  4. Building Entrance Key: $50.00

If a key is lost, the fine must be paid before a new key will be issued.

Student Key Request Form

  • KEY(S): ________________________
  • DATE:  ________________________________
  • PLEASE PROVIDE: STUDENT'S NAME  /  ID NUMBER ________________________   
  • WITH A KEY THAT WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO: ________________________
  • FOR THE PERIOD ENDING: ________________________
  • ONE STOP DEPOSIT________________________
  • FACULTY/STAFF MEMBER REQUESTING KEYS FOR STUDENT________________________

**Please note that you must pay a $5.00 deposit per key at the One Stop before keys w ill be issued.