Original Date: 11/1/1995 * Last Revision Effective: 10/15/2015
Policy Contact: Vice President, Administrative Services
Purpose
Bellevue College safeguards its assets and promotes the security of campus personnel through appropriate monitoring of access to college property. These key control procedures address all active locking systems on campus, such as keys, prox cards and combination locks. Campus operations is the department responsible for managing these procedures and all college departments are expected to follow all key control and security procedures below.
Procedures
All persons issued college keys shall at all times be held responsible and accountable for all keys that are issued to them. Appropriate administrators may request and delegate the issuance of keys.
New Keys/Prox Cards
A key request form, signed by the employee and unit administrator must be presented to the public safety office before keys or prox cards will be issued. Requests for grand master keys must be accompanied by a written justification from the department dean or vice president. Separate key request forms are necessary if an employee requires keys in more than one division or department. Keys/prox cards must be picked up and signed for by the individual making the request.
Combination Codes
Combination codes are considered the same as keys, because they allow access to buildings, rooms, etc. Upon receipt of a request to install a combination lock, the lock shop will provide the unit administrator with access code numbers as needed. The unit administrator shall create and maintain a list of the names of employees who are issued codes, the signature of each employee, the date the employee received the code, and the designated codes. The department’s unit administrator must request any additions or deletions to the code list to the lock shop. Combinations to spaces used by students will be changed quarterly.
Keys/Prox Cards/Combinations
Usage is to be exclusively by the individual to whom the key, prox card or combination is issued. Keys and/or prox cards being used by someone other than the person issued to will be confiscated. Combinations used by persons other than the individual assigned the code will be canceled.
Lost Keys
Employees must inform their unit administrator and the public safety office immediately and in writing of any lost keys. A replacement key may then be requested using the procedure outlined above. The director of campus operations is authorized to require payment of a reasonable cost for each college key that is not returned. The department where the individual is (was) employed is responsible for the cost if the college is unable to secure payment from the individual.
Separating Employees
Separating employee(s) will return all keys/cards to public safety who will then contact the lock shop. Upon return of all keys/cards, the lock shop will update records to reflect the same. The lock shop will notify the dean/vice president of the department of all lost keys. The dean or vice president may deem it necessary to re-key an area, at the department’s expense, if they feel that the lost key may compromise the security of that area.
Non-college Users
The director of campus operations must authorize keys needed by contractors or other non-college users. The return of all keys is the responsibility of the firm to which the keys were issued. The director of campus operations is authorized to require payment of a reasonable cost for each college key that is not returned.
College keys are state property and may be recovered at any time by public safety or an employee’s supervisor. To ensure compliance with applicable fire, life and safety codes, non-college locks or keys shall not be used.
Revision History
Original 11/1/1995
Revisions 5/10/2005; 5/21/2009; 10/15/2015
Approved By
President’s Cabinet
Last Updated January 30, 2019