Key Distribution and Return Policy
Purpose
The safety and security of our campus community, buildings and property have always
been and will continue to be major concerns of the Office of Facilities. The control and
safeguarding of keys is the cornerstone of the College’s internal security system. In
addition, budget constraints and higher replacement costs make a strong key control
system ever more important.
Over the years, many keys have been lost, stolen or not returned. As a result, the Office
of Facilities is completing a major re-keying project in academic areas. This project was
funded and undertaken to greatly improve campus security and to gain tighter control
over the keys that are issued to members of the College community.
The following revised key policy complements the goal of enhancing safety and security
on campus. Your assistance and cooperation in its implementation are most appreciated.
General Guidelines

Keys are an integral part of the campus security system.

Keys shall be issued to individuals on a “must have” basis only. “Must have”
keys are those that are required to perform one’s normal daily work activity.

All conflicts regarding issuance of keys shall be resolved by the Vice President
for Administration and Finance in consultation with the Provost (if necessary), the
Director of Facilities, Director of Security and the requestor’s Unit Head or Dean.

Key issuance shall be governed by the eligibility standard cited herein.

Lost keys shall not be reissued. Rather, the associated lock shall be changed and
a new key issued.

Keys shall not be transferred among individuals. Rather, they shall be returned to
the Office of Facilities and reissued with the appropriate key request/receipt.

Fines shall be assessed to individuals or Units for a lost key(s) and the expenses
incurred for the lock change necessitated by the loss of key(s). The fine structure
shall be approved by the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

Any key or lock problems are considered by the Office of Facilities to be safety
and security emergencies. These issues should be called into the Facilities
Service Desk at extension 7660 or to Security during non working hours.
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Key Distribution and Return Policy
Eligibility

Only those persons currently on the college payroll shall be eligible to request
keys.

Students requiring keys must obtain them through the appropriate Faculty or Staff
member. (See Procedure: Keys issued to students)

Exceptions to eligibility requirements set forth above shall be with the prior
approval of the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

Key requests must be approved for all keys as per the following:
Key Type
Grand Master
Master
Sub Master
Individual Keys
August 31, 2004
Description
Limited To
Required Approval
Vice President for
Administration and Finance,
Vice President for Student
Affairs, Director of Facilities or
Director of Security
Provost or Vice President
Opens Individual building
entrance Doors and
everything in the building
Security , Facilities
Opens all doors within a unit Deans and Directors
Open a series of doors within Assistants to Deans
a Unit or School
and Unit Heads
Dean or Unit Director
Opens only doors assigned
by deans or Unit Heads
Any Faculty and Staff Dean or Unit Director
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Key Distribution and Return Policy
Responsibilities

Office of Facilities will be responsible for:
1. Issuing work orders to the locksmith to fill key requests.
2. Maintaining all records concerning the issuance of keys. This includes
databases of key records by room and key records by employee.
3. Issuing keys to the requestor.
4. Recovering keys from personnel who are terminating or transferring to
another office.
5. Insuring that returned keys are safely given to the locksmith for secure
storage.

Department/Unit Heads will be responsible for:
1. Authorizing the issuance of keys to staff in accordance with this policy.
2. Reporting to the Office of Facilities all key holders who are terminating or
transferring to another department or activity.
3. Reporting all lost keys to Security and the Office of Facilities within 24
hours of loss.

College personnel to whom keys have been issued are responsible for:
1. Signing the key request form.
2. Maintaining the security of any key issued.
3. Immediately reporting the loss or theft of keys to both their Unit Head and
Security. Security in turn will notify Facilities.
4. Returning keys to the Office of Facilities when employment status
changes.
5. Keeping all receipt(s) of keys issued and keys returned.
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Key Distribution and Return Policy
Procedure

Key Request
August 31, 2004
1.
The eligible requestor shall fill out the attached Ramapo College Key
Request & Return Receipt form and submit it to the Unit Head for
approval. If warranted, the Unit Head shall forward the request to the
administrator next in line for the necessary additional approvals.
2.
The completed request, with all necessary approvals is forwarded to
the Office of Facilities, where it is permanently recorded, and then
turned over to the Locksmith. The Locksmith will check the
requestor records and, if in order, cut the key(s) requested. The cut
key(s) are then returned to the Office of Facilities.
3.
The requestor shall be notified by the Office of Facilities that the
requested key(s) are available for pickup.
4.
The requestor shall pickup the requested keys, in person, at the Office
of Facilities, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m.
except during the months of June, July and August, when the
days/hours for issuance are Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. until
4:30 p.m. The requestor shall provide Facilities with his/her proper
College photo identification. The requestor shall sign the key request
form prior to receiving the key.
5.
With regards to key pickup, accommodations for persons with
disabilities will be made by the Office of Facilities.
6.
A copy of the signed key request/receipt form will be given to the
requestor. The requestor should retain this copy for their records.
7.
Keys will not be given to anyone other than the requestor.
8.
If the key(s) are not picked within one month, the key(s) will be
returned to the locksmith. Once returned to the locksmith, a new key
request will have to be filled out in order to receive that key.
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Key Distribution and Return Policy

Lost Key
1. The individual to whom key was issued shall inform the appropriate
Unit Head and contact Security, where an officer will fill out an
incident report. Security shall contact the Office of Facilities and the
Locksmith shall immediately change the lock in question. The
Locksmith shall initiate the charge, if necessary, for the lost key and
lock change and forward that information to the responsible person
or Unit with copies to Accounts Receivable, the Unit Head and
Human Resources.
2. Evidence of payment of the fine shall be appended to the key request
for issuance of the new key to replace the lost key.

Departmental Transfers or Office Changes
1. Any Ramapo College employee, who transfers to a different unit or
moves to a different office will be required to turn in their key(s)
from their prior location(s) and fill out new key request form(s) for
his/her new location. A key return receipt shall be filled out at the
Office of Facilities and a copy given to the employee for his/her
records.
2. New keys will not be issued until the old keys are returned to the
Office of Facilities.
3. This policy includes changes in School Deans.

Personnel Changes
1. The Unit Head shall notify Human Resources of any change of
employment status. If the change necessitates recovery of issued
keys, Human Resources shall, at least three (3) working days prior to
the personnel action, notify the Office of Facilities. The Office of
Facilities shall forward the report of keys issued to the affected
individual who will be responsible for returning any keys issued
before the change in employment status takes place. The Office of
Facilities shall provide the individual with two copies of the returned
key receipt. One copy of the receipt shall be turned in to Human
Resources and the other copy retained for the individual’s own
records.
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Key Distribution and Return Policy
2. Individuals not complying with this procedure may be assessed a
fine, per key, as per the fine structure determined by the Vice
President of Administration and Finance.
 Keys Issued to Students
1. Keys to be utilized by students, including student aides, for
laboratory storage cabinets and lockers, club offices, desks, filing
cabinets and storage cabinets shall be issued in the first instance by
the Locksmith to the responsible faculty or staff member involved in
the activity or class. The faculty or staff member, in turn, shall issue
keys to students and retain a key receipt file. Upon completion of
the student’s term in the activity, the student shall return the key to
the faculty/staff issuer who shall provide a returned key receipt.
2. Faculty or staff members issuing keys to students shall be
accountable for the return of the keys.
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Key Return
Receipt
Request for
Keys
Name:______________________________________________________
Requestor’s Name:___________________________________________
Unit/Department:___________________________________________
Unit/Department:____________________________________________
Received By (Print):_________________________________________
Unit Head (Print):___________________________________________
Date:_____________
Signature:______________________________
Unit Head (Sign):_________________________________________
Other required approval:_____________________________________
Phone:____________________
Date:_______________________
Room #/Description:
Room #/Description:
Key #
(For Office Use Only)
__________________________________
__________
__________________________________
__________
__________________________________
__________
Key #
(For Office Use Only)
__________________________________
__________
__________________________________
__________
__________________________________
__________
I acknowledge that I have returned the above listed keys
I acknowledge that I have received the above requested keys
Date:_____________ Signature:_______________________________
Date:_____________ Signature:________________________________