Policy Number: II-201
Effective Date: January 21, 2013
Last Reviewed: November 14, 2024
Responsible Dept.: Vice President of Financial & Administrative Services
A signed copy of this policy is available in the President’s Office.
Purpose
The effective control and security of college buildings are necessary requirements for the safety and protection of college personnel and equipment. Therefore, the following policy is established for the issuance and security of college keys, which are the heart of an effective building security program.
Applicability
This policy is applicable to all students, faculty, staff and outside contractors.
Policy
The manufacture or duplication of any college key is prohibited except by the authorization of the Manager of Facilities Management. Possession or duplication of keys to the lock of any building or other property owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia or agency thereof without proper permission constitutes a Class 3 misdemeanor and is punishable by law and may be dealt with under the Standards of Conduct.
Procedures
A. Exterior Security of the Buildings:
- Access during normal working hours:
- Exterior doors to all buildings shall be open from 7 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. each day, Monday through Friday, to allow ease of access by all college employees, visitors, and students, with the exception of certain administrative and special purpose buildings not utilized for teaching.
- In the area directly behind Webber Hall, the rear hallway corridor shall be unlocked between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, but the exterior gate shall remain secured. Keys to the gate shall be issued to faculty members as appropriate, when approved by the Academic Dean with the consensus of one of the following: the Manager of Facilities Management, the Vice President of Academic and Student Services, Chief of Police, or the Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services. Gate keys may not be transferred to non-Virginia Western personnel without the same permissions being granted.
- Access after hours or on weekends:
- Campus Police shall control building access.
- Employees of the college or outside contractors who wish to gain entry after hours or on weekends must call Campus Police in order to gain access to the building.
- Any access being granted to the campus after normal operating hours must be preceded by and with, the approval of the appropriate Dean of the School, Vice President, Director of Facilities Planning and Development, or Manager of Facilities Management. This approval should be forwarded to Campus Police well in advance to the required entry.
- Campus Police shall maintain a log of all employees and outside contractors who are identified by Campus Police, granted access, and enter buildings after hours or on weekends and shall report any and all unusual circumstances that arise.
- Access to building roofs and utility management closets:
- Access to building maintenance closets and other secure areas of the college will only be granted to vendors and contractors who have secured permission from the Manager of Facilities Management, the Director of Information and Educational Technology Services, and/or Campus Police.
- The issuance and possession of roof access keys will be strictly limited to facility maintenance personnel, designated Information and Educational Technology personnel, and Campus Police.
B. Interior Security of the Buildings:
- Generally, the doors to all classrooms shall be keyed the same in order to allow ease of access for teaching faculty, with the exception of certain classrooms and/or laboratories requiring a higher level of security. In these specific areas, the doors shall be keyed individually and the Dean of the School shall determine who shall have access.
- For the purpose of enhancing college security and safety, all general purpose classrooms shall be unlocked during normal working hours, with the exception of specialized classrooms that contain equipment that required added security. Instituting this practice on an on-going basis shall insure that faculty and students are granted access to classrooms in the event of an active shooter crisis on campus. This is considered a “best practice” and strengthens the college’s lockdown policy.
- For all non-classroom areas (office spaces, common areas, and meeting rooms), doors to these areas shall be keyed individually and keys shall be issued as appropriate based upon employee position, job assignment, or need for access.
C. Active Crisis Provision
- Campus Police will be granted master key access on an on-going basis to every room and building on campus, including food, vending, and bookstore areas of the campus for the express purpose of insuring they are equipped in the event of an emergency.
- When an emergency necessitates the entrance to a food, vending or bookstore area, campus police shall document the reason for access and notify in a timely manner the Chief of Police and the Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services. As in the case of the bookstore area, entrance to the area will set off a security alarm, necessitating contact with bookstore personnel in order to silence the alarm. To the extent practicable and as soon as feasible, food vending and bookstore vendors will be notified and briefed of the incident.
- Twelve (12) spare sets of master keys are maintained by the Campus Police Department for distribution to first responders should the need arise during a crisis situation.
Responsibilities
- Responsibility of Key Holders:
- Employees to whom college keys are issued are responsible for their physical security. The loss of a key(s) shall be immediately reported to the employee’s supervisor, Campus Police, and to the Manager of Facilities Management.
- Due to the nature of campus security, employees who are issued keys by the college are considered trustworthy and ethical. Violating this policy by the misuse or misappropriation of issued keys may result in the loss of key access and/or employee disciplinary action.
- Responsibility of Human Resources:
- Human Resources shall collect and return building, classroom, and office keys to the Manager of Facilities Management when the following employment categories leave employment: full-time faculty, full-time classified employees, full-time administrative, and part time hourly/wage employees.
- Responsibility of Supervisors:
- Supervisors shall request key issuance for new employees through the FMS Key Request Form on VWConnect and shall monitor usage of such keys.
- Supervisors shall collect and return building, classroom, and office keys to the Manager of Facilities Management when the following employment categories leave employment: Adjunct Faculty, tutors, federal work study, student workers, and non-student employees.
- Supervisors shall collect filing cabinet, desk and safe box keys for employees in all employment categories that have separated employment in their department or school.
- Supervisors may not transfer keys from one employee to another. Keys must be returned to Human Resources who will return them to the Manager of Facilities Management.
- Responsibility of Facilities Management:
- The Manager of Facilities Management is responsible for the manufacture and issuance of all keys. Accordingly, the Facilities Management Locksmith shall maintain a current listing of all keys manufactured and their current assignment.
- A key inventory shall be conducted at least annually.
Reviewed/Revised: 1/2013, 10/2020, 10/2024, 11/2024
