Key Policy

Key Control & Building Access Policy

 


Purpose

Bates College Campus Safety and Facility Services work together to maintain an access control system for the safety of its community members, facilities, property and information. All College community members share in the responsibility to assure safety and security for all members and property.


Student Residence Keys

All residence building entrance doors will be locked at all times. Students will be issued an exterior door access card. Refer to the Residence Building Electronic Access Policy for information regarding access to exterior doors.

The purpose of the electronic access system is to provide a safe living environment for all residents. The propping of exterior doors compromises that safe living environment. In the instance of a propped door, a fine will be levied against all residents of the building.

Students will be issued one key to the door of their residence room. The key issued will correspond to the room according to the Housing Office records. Students are required to present a valid College identification card and sign an acknowledgment of the Key Control Policy at the time they receive the key. Students must lock their residence room door.

In the event of a room change, the student will be issued the key to their new room and allowed to keep the key to their former residence for a maximum of 48 hours for the purposes of relocating. If the key to the former residence is not returned to the Access Control Office within 48 hours, the key will be considered lost and charges associated with lost keys will apply.

If a key is lost or stolen, it must be reported to the Access Control Office and to Campus Safety immediately. The following charges apply for lost or stolen keys:

  •             $75 charge for each key lost or stolen
  •             $100 charge for each key not returned
  •             $25 charge for late key return

Keys must be returned within 24 hours of the final day of residence. The Housing Office shall determine the final day of residence for the Fall and Winter semesters. Commencement is considered the final day of residence for short term. If a student leaves the College prior to the end of the semester, it is the student’s responsibility to return their assigned keys to the Access Control Office. Keys that are not returned within 24 hours of the final day of residence (end of semester, end of short term, or termination of housing prior to the end of semester) will incur a $100 charge for an unreturned key. Keys returned late, but prior to the locks being changed will be charged a $25 late fee.

Keys remain the property of Bates College. Keys may not be duplicated. Keys may not be swapped between individuals.


Student Organization Office Keys

Students may be issued keys to Student Organization offices. The key request must be made in writing (form #) by the Student Activities Office to the Access Control Office. All key requests will be reviewed by the Director of Campus Safety.

If a key is lost or stolen, it must be reported to the Access Control Office and to Campus Safety immediately. The following charges apply for lost or stolen keys:

  •             $50 charge for each key lost or stolen
  •             $75 charge for each key not returned
  •             $25 charge for late key return

Keys must be returned within 24 hours of commencement. Keys returned after that date are considered late. Keys needed for summer use must be returned and reissued.

Keys remain the property of Bates College. Keys may not be duplicated. Keys may not be swapped between individuals.


Student Academic Building Room Keys

Students may be assigned keys to rooms in academic buildings when necessary for their academic or employment responsibilities. Students will not be issued master keys. The request for keys must be made in writing to the Department Chair. After approval by the Department Chair, the request is forwarded to the Director of Campus Safety for review. With final approval from the Director of Campus Safety, the keys will be issued from the Access Control Office.

If a key is lost or stolen, it must be reported to the Access Control Office and to Campus Safety immediately. The following charges apply for lost or stolen keys:

  •             $50 charge for each key lost or stolen
  •             $75 charge for each key not returned
  •             $25 charge for late key return

Keys must be returned by the expiration date of the key agreement. Keys returned after the agreement are considered late.

Keys remain the property of Bates College. Keys may not be duplicated. Keys may not be swapped between individuals.


Student Academic Exterior Door Keys

In the case of academic buildings without electronic access, authorized students shall call Security from the security phone nearest the main entrance of the building to request access. The security communications officer will verify the student is approved to enter the building and send a security officer to open the outside door.

Students will not be assigned keys to exterior doors of academic buildings. Request for student access to an academic building outside the normal open hours for the building, will be made in writing by the Department member. The Department member must have approval by the Department Chair. The request is then forwarded to the Access Control Office. Access requests must be received by the Access Control Office at least 24 hours prior to the day the access is to begin. Weekend access requests must be received before noon on the Friday before the weekend access is to begin. Requests for access will be reviewed by the Director of Campus Safety.


Faculty and Staff Keys

Requests for the issuance of keys may be made by one of the following authorized individuals for faculty or staff in their area:

  • President
  • Senior Staff
  • Director of Security
  • Director of Facility Services

College employees will be issued keys based upon their access needs. Key requests shall be made to the Access Control Office, in writing, by one of the above authorized individuals. Each request will be reviewed by the Director of Campus Safety for final approval. Keys are issued to individuals and not to departments.

In instances where a faculty member requires access to a colleague’s office, the area coordinator from the colleague’s department should be contacted. If the area coordinator is not available, Security may be called. Facility Services staff should not be asked to unlock doors for entry into an office that is not occupied by the person requesting entry.

Keys remain the property of Bates College. Keys may not be duplicated. Obsolete or unneeded keys must be returned to the Access Control Office. When a key is returned, the liability of the authorizing department is canceled as well as the responsibility of the person to whom the key was issued. Departments shall not retain keys returned by employees for reissue.

Lost or stolen keys must be reported to the Access Control Office and to Campus Safety within 24 hours of the discovery of the loss or theft. Replacement keys will be issued after a new key request is submitted and approved by the Director of Campus Safety. Rekeying of rooms, areas or buildings to which keys have been lost or stolen is mandatory. This requirement may be waived only by a written request from the affected department head and concurrence by the Facility Services Office and the Director of Campus Safety. Payment for the lost keys and rekeying must be made before new keys are issued.

Examples:

  • $75 charge for one change key with one cylinder
  • $225 charge for one change key with four cylinders
  • $1175 charge for one master key with six keys and 20 cylinders
  • $3525 charge for one master key with 20 keys and 60 cylinders
  • $33,025 charge for one master key, with 1,200 keys and 60 cylinders

Master keys will be issued on a very limited basis, to individuals who need access to multiple locations for their employment. Individual departments will set their own policy to secure master keys when they are not in use.

Should an employee not return their assigned keys at the time their employment is terminated, the employee’s paycheck will be held by Human Resources until all assigned keys are returned to the Access Control Office.


Vendor, Contractor, Consultant and Service Provider Keys

Vendors who visit the campus regularly will be issued ID cards. The cards and any keys approved for the vendor, will be signed out and returned to the Access Control Office each day. The Contract Office will identify those vendors needing keys and cards.

Contractors, Consultants and Service Providers will be issued ID cards by the Access Control Office. The keys and cards are to be returned to Facility Services at the end of each work day and picked up at the beginning of the next work day at Facility Services. Facility Services will identify the access needed by the contractors, consultants and service providers.

Departments responsible for hiring outside vendors and contractors shall submit a written access request to the Access Control Office. All requests shall include the length of time the keys and cards will be needed and the return date. Departments shall request individual interior door keys only and avoid any master keys. Exterior access may be by key or card. Under no circumstances will a grandmaster key be issued to vendors, contractors or consultants. Departments shall make the necessary arrangements for keys and cards issued during nontraditional business hours. Prior to keys and cards being issued, vendors and contractors are required to sign an agreement to return keys and cards by the designated date.

Lost keys and cards should be reported to the Access Control Office and to Campus Safety immediately. Access permissions for lost cards will be revoked. Requesting departments shall be responsible for rekeying cost to all affected facilities should the vendor or contractor key be lost or not returned upon expiration of the period of usage. In the event of loss, access cards and keys will be reissued after the requesting department has paid the cost of rekeying and requested, in writing, replacement keys and cards.


Rental Property Keys

Tenants of College property are issued two keys to each entrance. Human Resources will notify the Access Control Office that keys need to be issued to a new tenant. The keys may be picked up at the Access Control Office and photo identification is required. More than two sets of keys will be issued in certain circumstances.

Lost keys should be reported to the Access Control Office and to Campus Safety immediately. Tenants will be given the choice of having the lock cylinder changed immediately or at the time they vacate the rental unit. Charges for lost keys and lock cylinder changes are the responsibility of the tenant. If the tenant chooses to have the cylinder changed after they vacate the rental unit, payment arrangements for the change must be made with the College.

  • $50 charge for each key lost
  • $50 charge for mandatory change of the lock cylinder

At the time a tenant vacates the rental unit, all keys must be returned to the Access Control Office. Human Resources will be notified when the keys have been returned by the Access Control Office.

Keys remain the property of Bates College. Keys may not be duplicated. Keys must be returned to the College at the time the rental agreement is terminated. Keys not returned will be considered lost and the charges associated with lost keys will be made against the security deposit.


Appeals Process

Should an access request be denied, the decision may be appealed. An appeal may be requested by the individual who made the request. A letter containing all information relevant to the appeal should be sent to the Access Control Office. The appeal letter along with any supporting information from the Director of Campus Safety will be reviewed by the appropriate senior administrator in your area. The outcome of the appeal will be sent to the individual requesting access and to the Director of Campus Safety, in writing, by the individual reviewing the appeal.