Announcing a New Ithaca College Key Policy

03/07/17

March 8, 2017 

Dear Ithaca College Faculty and Staff Members:

With the interest of the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors at the forefront of our discussions, members of the Ithaca College Key Policy Committee have developed a centralized key policy for our campus. Drafts of the key policy where shared with the leadership teams of each division as well as Schools/Departments identified as high-end users of College Keys.  The feedback from these groups was used to identify ways to protect the security of our campus community members, while still allowing our employees to perform their job responsibilities.  Accordingly, we ask that all IC community members read and become familiar with the Key Policy and Procedures document.  (A link to the document can be found at the bottom of this message.)

Although we acknowledge that full implementation of all components of the policy will take place over the next several semesters, some of the facets of the Policy will be implemented immediately.  These include:

• The Office of Facilities will only issue keys at the lowest level needed to reasonably accomplish one’s tasks/duties.  This means that building master and sub-master keys will not be provided unless there are compelling reasons to do so.
• In order to reduce the likelihood of lost keys, the policy stipulates that employees should only take home the keys to their building entrance, their office and filing cabinet (if applicable).  All other keys should be secured in one’s locked office, desk, filing cabinet, or other secured location. Offices/Schools that maintain centrally held keys will need to identify an individual to serve as the departmental key coordinator. The Facilities department will contact all departments to establish an ongoing and collaborative working relationship with departmental key coordinators. This will enable departments to inventory centrally held keys and ensure that office/school key procedures meet the requirements outlined in the new Key Policy.
• Supervisors/key coordinators needing to request new keys for either current or new faculty/staff/contractors/vendors can do so via the Key Request Form, located in IC Workflow. This can be accessed using your Netpass credentials and clicking on Facilities Key request in the task list. Arrangements for any changes that need to be made regarding how existing contractors/vendors access keys will be discussed with each department key coordinator as they meet with the Office of Facilities.
• Anyone who issues keys to students will need to record the keys issued on a Key Record Form, found on the Facilities website. Student keys, with the exception of residence hall keys, will need to be collected at the end of each semester.
• Since lost keys pose a risk to safety and/or asset preservation, the Office of Facilities and Office of Public Safety will consult to determine if rekeying is required. If rekeying is required, charges will include all costs associated with the re-key of all areas/buildings with which the lost key(s) are associated.
• Staff/Faculty concluding their employment with Ithaca College are required to complete an exit interview with the Office of Human Resources. During that interview, employees will need to turn in an Exiting Employee Checklist form (Found on the HR website) verifying they have turned in their keys to the Office of Facilities. In the event that a faculty member does not complete an exit interview with HR, they will be required to submit their keys to the school/office key coordinator who will return the keys to the Office of Facilities.

Again, this list is not an exhaustive summary of the new Key Policy; becoming familiar with all aspects of the document is therefore important. We have already fully implemented this Policy within the Office of Facilities, Public Safety, and Residential Life and we are pilot testing in several other departments as well  (some examples: DIIS, CCES, Dining Services, H&S, and HR).  We are aware that this is not a “one size fits all” policy, and we are prepared to work with all departments to implement it in the most effective and practical manner.

As noted above, the Ithaca College Key Policy has been developed with the primary goal of enhanced safety for our community members.  A secondary goal is to protect the College’s physical assets.  We are therefore appreciative of your attention to and compliance with the new Policy, which can be found on the Facilities website.

On behalf of the Ithaca College Key Policy Committee, thank you.

Dr. Timothy Carey
Associate Vice President
IC Facilities

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