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University Access Control Key Procedure

University of Central Missouri Procedure

Procedure Name:  University Access Control Key Procedure

Date Approved:  Approved by the University President on April 7, 2009

Procedure Category:  University Operation

Date Effective:  

Policy Authority:  Board of Governors Policy 1.2.040

Date Last Revised:  

Approval Authority:  University President

Review Cycle:

ResponsibilityUniversity Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer  

 

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY ACCESS CONTROL (KEY) PROCEDURE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY

I. Purpose

The University of Central Missouri promotes the security of campus personnel and appropriate access to university property. A functional and working access control system enhances the security of the campus. This procedure describes the use and possession of access control devises to campus facilities, design of access control systems, fabrication, responsibility for issuance, audits, eligibility for possession, access control devise and building security, and responsibilities relating to lost access control devises, including but not limited to keys. This procedure applies to all university access control devices.

NOTE: Keys to residence hall rooms and university apartments shall be issued through University Housing. Residence hall and university apartment key holders are subject to University Housing policies and procedures. Key holders should contact University Housing for more details regarding key holders rights and responsibilities.

II. Definitions

Key: all access control devices.

Key holder: a person to whom a key has been issued.

Checkout/issue: when keys are officially distributed to individuals by the Department of Public Safety’s Access Control Operations personnel. Proper checkout/issuance of keys is accompanied by an executed “Access Control Individual Record” form.

Building master: a key that will access every door within a building, except mechanical rooms and computer/telecommunication node room.

Sub-master: a key that will access doors to a division, department or floor within a building.

Single door key: a key that will open an individual door, or set of doors that have been keyed alike.

Short-term checkout: a key is checked out from the Department of Public Safety and returned by the end of the same business day.

Long-term checkout: a key is checked out from the Department of Public Safety with an assigned return date greater than one day.

1. The last day of employment by the university department for which keys are held shall be the return date for full-time faculty, full-time staff and part-time staff.

2. Adjunct faculty, temporary employees, etc., shall be assigned a return date that coincides with their appointment end date.

3. Students shall be assigned a return date that coincides with their assignment end date.

Student: all categories of UCM students, including but not limited to, student workers and graduate assistants.

Appointment end date: the end of service date assigned to a student worker on a “Student Job Assignment and Payroll Information Form” or the end of service date indicated for a graduate assistant on an “Approval Forms for Graduate Assistantships.”

III. Procedure

A. Department of Public Safety (“Public Safety”) provides all access control devices, fabricates all keys and performs all lock work for campus facilities, except for work performed by on-site contractors under the direction of the office of Capital and Land Development Management. Unauthorized fabrication, duplication, possession or use of keys to premises owned by the university is strictly forbidden. 

B. University keys are the property of the university and must be surrendered by the key holder at the request of the university president, vice presidents, building manager, dean, department head, or Public Safety officials. University officials shall confiscate any unauthorized keys upon discovery.

C. External locksmiths may not change locks without the express permission of Public Safety. It shall be a violation of this procedure to change the cylinder in the door for re-keying, installation of a hasp and padlock on the door, or providing locking means other than by a UCM lock. All non-university locks, locking hardware, etc. found on university buildings or property shall be removed and the appropriate department charged for all costs associated with removal/replacement.

D. All students, faculty and staff are responsible for maintaining building security. Students, faculty and staff shall not unlock buildings or rooms for another individual unless the individual is known by them to have legitimate access to the room/building. Doors shall not be propped open or left in an unlocked position during hours when the building or area is normally closed to the public.

E. University keys shall not be left unattended or in unlocked vehicles. University keys left in vehicles must be locked out of view. University keys shall be removed from the vehicle at the end of the work shift.

F. When transferring to a different department, employees must surrender old keys to Public Safety before new keys will be issued. Under no circumstances are keys to be transferred from one employee to another.

G. Every effort should be made by Public Safety to provide convenience to key holders while ensuring that security policies and procedures are followed.

IV. Enforcement

A. General

1. Public Safety maintains records of all keying systems and authorized usage. Public Safety will maintain records of all keys assigned to faculty, staff, student workers and graduate assistants within each department, including name of individuals to whom keys are issued and dates of issue and return or loss. Public Safety may conduct periodic departmental audits.

2. The inappropriate and/or unauthorized use of UCM keys shall be a violation of this procedure and may lead to disciplinary action. The inappropriate and/or unauthorized use of UCM keys may violate federal and state laws and misuse shall be reported accordingly. The university’s general counsel and the director of public safety shall evaluate reports of misuse and determine the proper action to take on a case-by-case basis.

B. Key Checkout

1. Public Safety shall issue all university keys except for those to residence halls and university apartments. Keys must be picked up at Public Safety during regular business hours. Special arrangements may be made for those working outside regular business hours. Keys shall be picked up and an “Access Control Individual Record” form signed for in person. A university-issued photo ID is required. A copy of the executed “Access Control Individual Record” form will be provided to the key holder and appropriate department head so each has a record of keys issued to individual employees.

2. The following guidelines will generally dictate the issuance of keys:

a. Building master keys will be issued to the building manager and/or dean and one other full-time university employee working in the building as may be authorized by the building manager or dean. It may be prudent to keep master keys in secure locations within an office rather than to carry them at all times.

b. Full-time faculty and staff members may be issued a sub-master key to permit access to outside doors and office areas.

c. Adjunct faculty members, part-time employees, graduate assistants and student workers may only be issued an outside door key, a key to their individual office if assigned to an office, and/or a classroom key if appropriate as determined by Public Safety and the building manager.

d. Full-time and regular part-time custodians assigned to a building are provided access to a building master key, but only upon written authorization of the building manager or dean. Custodians are required to return university keys at the conclusion of each work shift and may not have access to master keys when not providing custodial services assigned by the appropriate supervisor.

e. Relief custodians, night maintenance, set-up personnel and on-call personnel will checkout keys or be assigned a key ring from Public Safety on an as need basis, but only upon signed authorization of the facilities planning and operations director.

f. Custodial supervisors and night maintenance personnel may be issued outside door keys and keys to custodial closets.

g. Upon written authorization of the building manager or dean, one building master key will be issued to the Facilities Planning and Operations office for checkout to maintenance personnel on an as needed, daily, basis. If the key is not provided, alternate arrangements must be made to provide access to required areas when needed.

h. Off campus contractors must check out keys through Public Safety and must return keys by the end of the business day. The director of public safety, or director’s designee, is responsible for developing and implementing a short-term checkout procedure which ensures that security policies and procedures are followed.

i. The building manager and/or dean and the director of public safety may evaluate individual circumstances to grant exceptions to the guidelines listed above when necessary. A request for an exception to the “University Access Control (Key) Procedure” must outline the reasoning for the requested exception and be submitted in writing to the director of public safety before it will be considered by the university.

j. If an audit indicates the number of keys issued is in excess of stated guidelines and an exception has not been granted in writing by Public Safety, the director of public safety has the authority to recall additional keys. Building managers and/or deans have 10 business days to turn over recalled keys to the director of public safety or director’s designee.

C. Lost or Stolen Keys

1. Lost or stolen keys present a significant security risk. The loss or theft of keys must be reported promptly to Public Safety and the supervisor of the individual whose keys were lost or stolen. The director of public safety will confer with the building manager and/or supervisor to assess the situation. An area may be re-keyed for security reasons upon the recommendation of the director of public safety.

a. The department shall incur the cost of re-keying an area or building unless the university president, area vice president, area university director or dean agrees in writing to incur the cost of re-keying the designated area.

b. Third party contractors will incur the total cost of replacing lost or stolen keys or the cost of re-keying an area or building when it is unable to surrender university keys that have been issued to it through proper university procedures. A department will incur the cost of replacing lost or stolen keys or the cost of re-keying an area or building if keys were improperly issued to a third party contractor by the department and the contractor is unable to surrender the keys to the university upon request. The department shall incur the cost in the above situation unless the university president, area vice president, area university director or dean agrees in writing to incur the cost of re-keying the designated area.

2. Lost or stolen keys will only be replaced after a report has been filed with Public Safety. A charge of $100.00 will be assessed for each lost or stolen key. In the case of stolen keys, the charge may be waived by the director of public safety if the request is accompanied by a valid police report which denotes that the key holder followed the “University Access Control Procedures.” The key holder shall incur the cost of lost or stolen keys unless the key holder’s department head agrees in writing to incur the cost of lost or stolen keys. An employee’s pay may be offset the assessed charges. The charge may be applied to a student’s UCM “Statement of Account” and is subject to the university’s payment guidelines.

3. Lost or stolen keys belonging to residence halls or university apartments must be reported to University Housing. There may be a charge to have the affected doors re-keyed. Contact information can be found at https://ucmo.edu/future-students/university-housing-and-dining-services/index.php.

D. Faculty and Staff

1. It is the responsibility of a faculty/staff member who will be away from the campus for some time (i.e., longer than one semester) or is separating from service, to surrender all keys to Public Safety. Employees shall receive a copy of their “Access Control Individual Record” indicating the date keys are returned to Public Safety signed by the person to whom keys are surrendered. A charge of $100.00 per key will be charged for keys not returned to the university as set out in this procedure. An employee’s pay may be offset the total amount of charges for non-returned keys. If an employee’s pay is insufficient to cover accessed charges the employee’s department shall incur the remaining balance unless it is determined that the area affected will be re-keyed.

If an employee fails to surrender keys upon departure from the university, the director of public safety in consultation with the relevant area manager will assess the situation and make a determination regarding re-keying the area or building for which the terminated employee holds keys. If the director of public safety determines an area or building should be re-keyed the employee’s department shall incur the cost of re-keying an area or building unless the university president, area vice president, area university director or dean agrees in writing to incur the cost of re-keying the designated area.

2. When an employee is terminated, the immediate supervisor or the Department of Human Resources shall secure all university keys and return them to Public Safety which shall confirm that all keys have been returned. If a terminated employee fails to surrender keys upon departure from the university, the director of public safety will assess the situation and make a determination regarding re-keying the area or building for which the terminated employee holds keys. If a faculty/staff member does not surrender all university keys documented to be in the employee’s possession the employee’s pay shall be offset a charge of $100.00 for each key held by the terminated employee.

If a terminated employee fails to surrender keys upon departure from the university, the director of public safety will assess the situation and make a determination regarding re-keying the area or building for which the terminated employee holds keys. If the director of public safety determines an area or building should be re-keyed the employee’s department shall incur the cost of re-keying an area or building unless the university president, area vice president, area university director or dean agrees in writing to incur the cost of re-keying the designated area.

E. Students

1. Keys may be issued to student workers and graduate assistants under a long-term checkout agreement. All student workers and graduate assistants must surrender their keys on or before their assigned return dates, or upon separating from the university whichever occurs first. Student workers and graduate assistants who will continue to work, without a break in service, beyond the original appointment end date may request reauthorization of keys through their supervisor. The appropriate supervisor must email Public Safety the student’s new appointment end date. Student workers and graduate assistants shall receive a copy of their “Access Control Individual Record” indicating the date keys are returned to Public Safety signed by the person to whom keys are surrendered.

NOTE: If a student does not work during summer semester it is considered a break in service and keys must be returned to Public Safety.

2. Student workers and graduate assistants will not be considered to have met their obligation to the university unless all keys issued have been returned to Public Safety. Student workers and graduate assistants will be assessed a charge of $100 for each unreturned key. The charge will appear on the student’s UCM “Statement of Account” and is subject to the university’s payment guidelines. A hold shall be placed on the key holder’s transcript until all assigned keys are surrendered to Public Safety or charges for unreturned keys are paid in full.

If a student worker or graduate assistant fails to surrender their keys the director of public safety will assess the situation and make a determination regarding re-keying the area or building for which the student holds keys. If the director of public safety determines an area or building should be re-keyed the department shall incur the cost of re-keying an area or building unless the university president, area vice president, area university director or dean agrees in writing to incur the cost of re-keying the designated area.

3. Keys issued to students for lab rooms, practice areas, etc., will be subject to the same procedures setout herein for long-term checkout. Faculty members should assign a return date at the time keys are requested for students. Access control fines for unreturned fobs or proxes used to access electronic lock systems shall be determined by the vice president of administration and indicated on student “Access Control Individual Record” forms.

4. Residence hall and university apartment keys are returned during the checkout procedure through University Housing. Failure to return keys will result in a charge. Contact information can be found at https://ucmo.edu/future-students/university-housing-and-dining-services/index.php.

F. Assistance

The director of public safety, or the director’s designee, will provide assistance to students, faculty and staff who need help completing forms or carrying out enforcement. The director of public safety, general counsel or policy officer will provide assistance interpreting the “University Access Control (Key) Procedure”. The Department of Public Safety can be reached at 543-4123. The Office of the General Counsel and Policy Office can be reached at 543-4730.

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