A. The Bentley University Police Department is responsible for maintaining the university’s key control system and for authorizing the dissemination of keys. University keys are Bentley property and may be recovered at any time. Unauthorized fabrication, duplication, possession, or use of keys to facilities of Bentley University is a violation of this policy and employees found in violation of the policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination from employment. Non-employees, contractors, etc. found in possession of unauthorized university keys will have their keys confiscated and the individual or individuals will be removed from campus.

B. Those seeking a key to a university building or office must fill out the Key Request Form. After the form is received and approved, University Police will request the key or keys be cut through the Facilities Management Department. Design of the university’s keying system is the responsibility of the Facilities Management Department. The design will ensure security while at the same time reasonable convenience to personnel occupying campus facilities. Facilities Management will fabricate all keys and perform all lock changes for university facilities, except for work performed by on-site contractors under the direction of Facilities Management.  Records of keys to university facilities, including the names of individuals to whom keys are issued, dates of issue/return/loss will be maintained by University Police. University keys will not be duplicated, except by Facilities Management.

C. Key requests will be reviewed by the University Police Department and forwarded to the Facilities Management Department for action, generally, within three (3) working days.  All key requests to high security areas (e.g. alarmed areas) or where access is otherwise restricted will be reviewed by the University Police Department to ensure the appropriate authorization is received and adequate security measures are maintained. 

NOTE:  Access to alarmed areas is strictly limited and is not authorized under any circumstances without the approval of the person who controls that area.

D. It is the responsibility of each department to adequately maintain control over the distribution of department keys.  Department heads/managers are expected to comply with the key control policy and to insure that all keys issued to the person leaving Bentley are retrieved and returned.  All keys must be returned to the University Police Department and will be re-issued to a new employee upon hire and submission of a Key Request Form.

NOTE: All keys are coded to the specific employee to whom they are issued and, therefore, departments may not hold on to keys as spares. 

E. All persons issued Bentley University keys shall at all times be held responsible and accountable for their keys and shall not transfer or loan their keys to another individual. Individuals must personally sign for their keys.

F. Appropriate administrators may request and delegate the issuance of keys only as necessary and in accordance with the Key Eligibility Criteria and Key Issuance Procedures below.

Master Keys

Distribution of grand master and building master keys will not be issued. Suite master keys will be for a suite entrance door and your office door within it only. All requests for suite keys will be reviewed by the University Police Department to insure proper security protocols are followed. At no time will a master key be issued.

Employees

A. Keys may be requested for full-time and part-time employees of the University for the duration of employment. Completion of a Key Request Form is required.

B. Obtain appropriate approving signature, in accordance with the Key Eligibility Criteria

C. University Police will review the request, once all information is verified, the request will then be sent to Facilities Management for the key(s) to be cut.

D. Once cut, the keys will be delivered to the University Police station and the employee will be notified.

E. The employee will be required to sign a receipt for authorized keys in person.

F. All keys must be returned to University Police at termination of employment (faculty and staff).

G. Periodic department audits of issued keys may be requested to ensure policy compliance.

H. Requests for duplicates of keys that cannot be accounted for or lost will not be authorized until an official incident report is filed with University Police.

Students

Generally, students should not be issued keys to university buildings or offices.  However, in some case where a student works for a department and access is required, an authorized department head may request a key be issued.

A.  Department head or his/her designee must complete a Key Request Form.

B.  Keys may be requested for no longer than one academic year at a time.

C.  Obtain appropriate approving signature, in accordance with the Key Policy.

D.  Receive and sign for authorized keys in person.

E.  All keys must be turned in at the end of the student’s term of employment.

F. Requests for duplicate keys of outstanding (unaccounted for) keys will not be issued.

F. Keys that cannot be accounted for or lost may result in administrative hold on student's records, course registration and other accounts until the matter is resolved. .

Contractors

Keys required by contractors to access areas on campus to conduct their work must be authorized by Facilities Management. Key rings will be stored at University Police headquarters in an electronic key box where the contractor will be issued access to remove the keys required.  The Facilities Management Department will provide University Police with a list of the names of contractors authorized to receive designated key rings. Contractors authorized to receive keys must show photographic proof of identification to sign out and return keys at the University Police station. Information as to who is issued keys, when they are signed out and returned will be recorded by the electronic key system at the University Police Department. 

University keys issued to contractors must be returned at the end of each business day. At no time will a contractor be allowed to keep keys overnight. 

All costs of key recovery or re-keying related to unreturned keys will be the responsibility of the contractor and/or his or her company to which the keys were issued and final payment for services provided will not be made until all issued keys are returned.

A. If your key/s is lost or stolen, please fill out the Lost or Stolen Key form.  Replacement key/s will not be issued until this form is completed.

B. Once the Lost or Stolen Key form is filled out, if a replacement key/s is needed, it must be ordered by submitting a Key Request Form.  

Charges

Employees will be responsible for paying the cost to replace a lost or stolen key.

Lost Key charges are as follows:

A. Suite master key $100 per door

B. Single lock with cylinder change $75

C. Single Key (Lost) $25

Lost Key charges will be refunded if keys are found and turned in to University Police within 30 days of the loss.

If an entire department has to be re-keyed due to the loss of a key actual costs of re-keying will be determined by the Facilities Management Department and the cost will be charged to the department originally authorizing the keys and/or the individual to whom the keys were issued.

A request to have the lock-core changed can be initiated by a Vice President or Department Chair after consultation with Facilities Management locksmith and the University Police Chief.

A. The individual to whom keys are issued is personally responsible for the use of those keys until returned to the University Police.

B. Building doors or windows shall not be propped or otherwise held open or left unlocked during hours when the facility is normally closed.

C. If for some reason you cannot lock a door with your key, contact University Police.

D. Key holders shall not unlock buildings or rooms for others unless the individual has a valid, verifiable reason and proper identification for access, or is known by the employee to have legitimate need for access to the room or building. Report suspicious persons to University Police immediately.