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Facilities Management
FM Employee Section

Lost or Stolen Keys

Purpose

To protect individuals and property by ensuring the timely reporting, deactivation, and replacement of lost or stolen keys.

Responsibility of Key Holders

Metal keys and key cards remain the property of the university and are issued solely for authorized access. Keyholders are responsible for safeguarding keys at all times. Lost or stolen keys present a security risk and must be reported immediately.

Key holders are responsible for:

  • Keeping their keys secure at all times.
  • Using keys only for university business or to enter their assigned residence.
  • Not lending, sharing, or transferring keys to anyone else.
  • Report lost or stolen keys to Access Services immediately.

Responsibility of Access Services

When a key is reported lost or stolen, Access Services will take appropriate action to prevent unauthorized access, including:

  • Documenting the report and assessing any security risk.
  • Notifying the appropriate departments.
  • Deactivating electronic credentials, if applicable.
  • Rekeying or updating affected locks as needed.

Issuance of Replacement Card

A replacement key will be issued only after these steps have been completed, and proper reauthorization has been received.

Penalties

Limited-Access Key

Limited-access keys open one or a small number of spaces. There is no charge for the first or second lost key within a rolling one-year period; a $15 fee will be assessed for the third incident. All lost limited-access keys are counted cumulatively, regardless of which key was lost.

Failure to return a key at the end of employment or Housing contract period will result in a $5 fee.

Housing will charge residents for residential keys, while Facilities Management will charge departments for all other keys. Departments may, at their discretion, pass the charge on to the individual.

Master Key

Master keys provide broad access to secured areas and require the highest level of accountability. The following penalty schedule applies to master keys reported lost within a rolling one-year period.

First Offense:

  • Mandatory meeting with the keyholder’s supervisor, department director, and the Director of Facilities Management.

Second Offense:

  • Mandatory meeting with the keyholder’s supervisor, department director, and the Director of Facilities Management.
  • Revocation of master-level access privileges for one month.

Third Offense:

  • Mandatory meeting with the keyholder’s supervisor, department director, and the director of Facilities Management.
  • Revocation of master-level access privileges.
  • If master-level access is essential to the responsibilities of the position, the inability to maintain that access may result in separation from employment.

Access privileges may be suspended or revoked at any stage based on the circumstances and associated security risk.