Introduction
In an educational institution there is a need to balance the accessibility and use of facilities with the need to provide a safe and secure environment. Convenience must sometimes be compromised in order to maintain security. Each college community member must share in the responsibility to assure security for all members and property.

The Keene State College Physical Plant Department and the Department of Campus Safety work together to provide mechanical and electronic access to college facilities. This document defines the policies that govern key and electronic access control at Keene State College.

Policy
Keene State College shall maintain a locking system for the protection of its community members, facilities, property, and information. All locks, keys, electronic access cards and access codes are the sole property of Keene State College and will be issued to students and employees based on their need for access. The college reserves the right to change locks, keys, and access codes as needed.

All residential facilities will be locked twenty-four hours a day, except when residents are moving in or out of the facility. All other facilities will be locked whenever possible, depending on use and scheduling.

No one may place a lock on a college facility, interior or exterior, or transfer their keys to another person without the express permission of the Director of Physical Plant and the Director of Campus Safety, or their designees.

All keys and electronic access cards must be returned to Keene State College upon termination of employment or enrollment.

Terms

• Change Key level: The lowest level of key in a keying system. Change keys open only individual doors.
• Keys above the change key level: Keys that open a group of doors.
• Director: The person in charge of a particular department who has ultimate responsibility for that department, i.e., chair, dean, department head.

Issuance of Keys

1. Keene State College, (KSC) employees will be issued keys based upon their need for access. Employee key requests shall be made to Physical Plant, using the KSC Key Request form, which can be found in the Outlook Public Folders in "Templates". The appropriate Director must provide written authorization on each key request. The full name of each person requesting a key must be provided. The Physical Plant Director or his/her designee must authorize all key requests in writing.
2. Requests for student room keys and residence hall front door keys shall be made by Residence Directors to Physical Plant on a Work Order.
3. Key request procedure is as follows:
   1. The KSC Key Request & Receipt form is available from the Maintenance Office, Rm. 005, Elliot Hall, MS 2502 or in the Outlook Public Folders in "Templates".
   2. The completed form must be delivered or sent by campus mail to the Physical Plant Maintenance Office.
   3. The requester will be notified by phone when the keys requested are ready, normally within 10 working days from the time the request arrives at the Maintenance Office.
   4. The requester must come to the Maintenance Office, show a picture ID and sign for the keys requested.
4. Outside contractors and vendors who are operating on a multi-year contract with KSC may be issued keys for the duration of their contract. The Physical Plant Director will determine which keys are issued, and must provide written authorization. Outside contractors and vendors are subject to the same key issuance requirements as KSC employees.
5. Outside contractors and vendors who are not operating under a multi-year contract with KSC, and who need keys to perform work on campus will sign out keys from Physical Plant on a daily basis. The Physical Plant Director or his/her designee must authorize key sign outs to outside contractors and vendors.
6. Keys for academic, administrative, and other non-residential life facilities can be signed out to students for reasons of student employment duties, study projects, or other legitimate purposes. Keys for sign-out to students must be requested by the faculty member responsible for those students. Faculty members requesting keys for sign-out to students will be responsible for complete, accurate record keeping, distribution, proper use, and return of these keys. These faculty members will be responsible for lost key charges and re-keying charges, as listed on the Key Request form.
7. Keys above the change key level cannot be signed out to students.
8. Adjunct faculty will be issued office keys only. Building keys may be issued with the written authorization of the Dean once it has been determined that "after hours" access is necessary.
9. Any key above the change key level issued to a KSC employee shall not be removed from campus. These keys must be stored in a secure area, inside a locked box, which has been approved by, and can be provided by the Physical Plant Lock Shop. Employees will be issued change keys that will give them access to their building and office, and which they may take off campus. Special circumstance appeals concerning this requirement may be considered on an individual basis by the Director of Physical Plant and the Director of Campus Safety.
10. The Physical Plant Lock Supervisor and the Director of Campus Safety will review all requests for keys above the change key level. Overall campus security shall be the primary consideration in making the decision to grant a request for keys above the change key level. The following questions will also be considered:
    1. Is it physically possible to make the requested key within the KSC keying system?
    2. Can the access needs of the requesting party be accommodated, and security better served, by issuing a change key, (or keys) instead of a key above the change key level?
    3. Do the reasons supporting the request adequately justify the security loss caused by the issuing of a key above the change key level?

Lost or Stolen Keys - KSC Employees

1. All lost or stolen keys must be reported to Campus Safety as soon as possible. Campus Safety will notify the Physical Plant Lock Supervisor of the lost keys.
2. Requests to replace lost or stolen keys must conform to the requirements listed under "Issuance of Keys".
3. The request to replace lost or stolen keys shall be accompanied by a written explanation describing the facts surrounding the loss, particularly the location of the loss, what identifying marks were on the keys, and what doors the keys open. Based on the factors involved, the Director of Physical Plant or his/her designee will make a decision to replace the keys or have the locks re-keyed. The individual whose keys were lost shall assume the cost of replacement keys. The department shall assume the cost of re-keying.
4. The fees for key replacement will increase with subsequent losses by the same individual.

Lost Keys - Non-College Personnel

1. Non-college personnel, (outside contractors, vendors) who lose keys they have signed out, shall assume the cost of replacement keys and the cost of any re-keying required as a result of the loss.

Return of Keys

1. At the end of their employment with the college, all employees must return their KSC issued keys to their department director or administrative assistant. The keys should then be returned to the Physical Plant office in Elliot.
2. The name of the person(s) to whom the keys were issued must be supplied in writing to Physical Plant when keys are returned. The department director or administrative assistant must also advise Human Resources, via e-mail or other written form, that the keys were returned, specifying the date and the name of the employee.
3. Office keys issued to Adjunct Faculty may be retained past the end of their employment date if they are scheduled to be re-employed during the following semester. Building keys must be returned to the department director or administrative assistant. The keys should then be returned to Physical Plant for safekeeping during periods when the faculty member is off contract.
4. Students will return residence hall keys to their Residence Director prior to their moving out of that residence hall. Replacement costs for keys not returned will be charged to the student's account. If a student leaves prior to the end of the semester and their key is not returned, they will be charged for the lock change.

Loaning of Keys

1. College employees and students shall not transfer issued keys, access cards, or access codes.
2. Anyone found in possession of another's keys, card, or code shall have the keys or card confiscated by Campus Safety.
3. Return of the keys or card to the owner will be at the discretion of Campus Safety.
4. Individuals violating the policy on the loaning of keys will be subject to disciplinary action.

Accessing Buildings When Without Keys, Card, Or Code

1. Any employee who needs to enter a locked campus building or office for work duties before, or after lock-up, and is without his/her key, card, or code, must request access from Campus Safety. Employees must be prepared to identify themselves to Campus Safety.
2. Access to high security areas will require prior written permission from the Director of the appropriate department.

Accessing Buildings After Lock-Up

1. The hours after lock-up when students may have access to a building will be determined by the necessity to keep un-used areas of the building from being accessed. The building manager or department director will consult with the Director of Campus Safety and the Lock Shop Supervisor to set after lock-up hours.
2. Students requesting access to a building after lock-up must be listed on a pre-approved access list at Campus Safety. The student must show a current KSC I.D. card. A faculty or staff member responsible for that area must forward updated lists to Campus Safety at the beginning of the semester.

Combination Locking Devices

1. The combinations on mechanical and electronic combination locks shall be changed only by the KSC locksmith.
2. Bypass keys for mechanical and electronic combination locks shall only be available to maintenance personnel and Campus Safety.
3. The department supervisor, (the person in charge of an area using combination locks, i.e.: dean, department chair, director or their designees) must request regular combination changes for locks by submitting a Work Order to Physical Plant. The Physical Plant Lock Supervisor will determine an appropriate combination change frequency.
4. The department supervisor should request a combination change if any of the following conditions arise:
   1. The current combination is lost or compromised,
   2. An employee or student who has knowledge of a combination transfers, terminates his/her employment, or is moved to a different room or area,
   3. One academic year has passed since the last combination change.
5. The department supervisor will maintain a record of combination change dates.
6. The department supervisor will be responsible for keeping knowledge of combinations limited to the smallest number of people possible

Records Management

1. The Physical Plant Lockshop shall maintain a database containing records of all keys and codes issued for KSC facilities. The Lockshop will also maintain all records of key requests.
2. The Department of Campus Safety shall maintain a record of access cards and card access codes distributed for all KSC facilities.
3. The Office of Residential Life shall maintain a record of access cards, access codes, and keys distributed for KSC residence facilities.

Maintenance of Locking Systems

1. Maintenance and installation of key and combination locking systems is the responsibility of Physical Plant. Requests for repair or replacement of locks should be made by submitting a Work Order to the Maintenance Office. Resident students must make requests for lock repair to their Residence Directors, who will then submit a Work Order to the Maintenance Office.
2. Emergency repair requests must be made by phone to the Maintenance Office, (603-358-2202) between the hours of 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and to Campus Safety Dispatch, (603-358-2228) during other hours.
3. Maintenance of the card access system is the responsibility of the Department of Campus Safety. Requests for repair should be made to them by phone. Requests for replacement of access cards for residence facilities should be made to the Residential Life staff.

Review This policy will be subject to annual review.