PRP 5292 (Rev.) - Key Control Policy

Issued By: Richard H. Rugen, V.P. for Administration
Effective Date: October 12, 1993
Notes: Reviewed by Deans Council 8/5/93; Approved by President's Cabinet 8/10/93;
Passed by Forum 10/20/93; Reviewed by GAC Spring 1999; Updated by Forum February 2000; by GAC March 15, 2000; Passed by Forum March 2000. Updated to current process by GAC Spring 2003. Approved by Forum Spring 2003. Updated to current process Fall 2003, Forum Approved February 2004.

All requests for building keys and core changes, except on-campus residence halls and apartments, must be approved by the appropriate Department Chair director. The Key/Card Access Control Officer will have the authority to question the approval of any key or core change request. After review by the Key/Card Access Control Officer the request will then be forwarded to the Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management for final approval. Keys/Cards will be issued only for functional needs, not for convenience; and when function changes, old keys must be returned before new keys will be issued. Persons who lose keys must report such loss to the Key/Card Access Control Officer immediately, and then submit a new request for replacement keys/cards. Individuals terminating employment at Bloomsburg University must return all keys to Human Resources. Keys remain the property of Bloomsburg University and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department will issue keys. Employees will be notified when keys are ready and must sign for the keys at the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department. Keys will be held for ten (10) working days, after which a new request must be initiated.

After hours and maintenance entrance doors are established for each building by the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department. Keys for these doors are the only keys that will be issued for exterior doors, except to the University Police Department, the University Key Control Officer/Locksmith, and those individuals explicitly charged with the responsibility of opening and locking the building's exterior doors. No exterior door keys will be issued for buildings that have an electronically controlled door system installed. Said doors will have an "H" master key core installed that is accessible by the University Police Department and Locksmiths.

Key blocks or key keepers in various buildings provide individuals with access to areas other than those for which they have keys and alleviate the need for master keys. Block keys must be returned to reclaim individual keys on a daily (shift) basis, and are not to leave the building. No grand masters for the H keyway will be issued to anyone. Personnel requiring access to the H grand masters are the locksmith and police only.

Keys issued on a permanent basis should be retained in the sole possession of the authorized individual, not to be loaned to other faculty, staff, or students. Keys are to be returned to the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department for leave without pay and leaves longer than a semester unless approved by the employees immediate supervisor.

1. Graduate and undergraduate students. Access to keys will be authorized on a semester basis only. No building masters will be issued under any circumstances. Keys for specific areas will be kept in a key cabinet at the University Police Department and signed out to authorized students. Each faculty/staff member is to submit a written list of authorized students with the key request for each semester. If a student's status changes such that he/she becomes unauthorized for the key(s), the Police Department is to be notified immediately. "Key is to be signed out at University Police" should be indicated on the key request form. A student must relinquish ID during possession of the key(s) on a daily basis. Failure to do so may result in refusal to sign out key(s) to the student.
2. Graduate assistants. Keys will be issued for the duration of the assistantship. No building master keys will be issued under any circumstances. Each faculty/staff member must submit a key request form for the graduate assistant through the approval procedure, but the graduate assistant must personally sign and receive the keys if approved. If the graduate assistant's status changes such that he/she becomes unauthorized for the key(s), the Police Department is to be notified immediately. A "HOLD" on the graduate assistant's academic records will be placed with the Registrar on receipt of the key by the graduate assistant, and will be released upon return of the key to the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department. The "release of HOLD" for a variance for a transcript or scheduling purposes can be issued only by the approval of the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department.
3. Vendors. Keys for after hour doors to get into buildings when locked must be signed out at the University Police Department. Keys must be returned on a daily basis. Departments responsible for the contract with the vendor must notify the Police. No keys will be issued to persons without a 24-hour prior notification to the Police of the company name, individual name, purpose of visit, and building(s) to be entered.
4. Contractors. All areas needing access, keys or core changes should be arranged through the Facilities Management Department by a key request prior to the start of the work project. Cores and core changes keys in any new construction or renovation project shall be shipped directly from Best Locking Systems to the University's Key/Card Access Control Officer. All building, equipment, and furniture keys shall be turned over to the Key Control Officer upon completion and/or acceptance of the construction project. Keys must be returned on a daily basis.
5. Locksmith's Office. Key is off all masters. Only the Locksmith and her/his supervisor have a key.

Lost keys are to be reported immediately to the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department and a new request must be submitted for each replacement key. The cost of rekeying sensitive areas due to a lost key will be charged to that department.

All keys to cabinets, padlocks, desks, files (University property) must be submitted to the Key/Card Access Control Officer for recording and control. All requests for such keys may, after approval of the appropriate Department Chairperson or Director, be sent directly to the Bloomsburg University Facilities Management Department, using the key/card and core change request form. Keys may not be duplicated. Upon permanent separation from Bloomsburg University all keys must be turned into the Human Resource Department.

The procedure for keys for occupancy to on-campus housing is defined in the Residence Hall Manual.