06-17.00 – Key Control and Card Access Policy

  1. Policy Statement:

    Towson University (“University”) desires to maintain a safe, secure campus while simultaneously providing necessary and efficient means of access to students, faculty and staff.

  2. Reason for Policy:

    Effective key control and card access is a fundamental first step toward safety and security of University students, faculty, staff and property. This policy fixes responsibility and accountability for traditional key control and electronic card access.

  3. Definitions:

    1. “Building Master Key” is defined as a key that opens all doors (with the exception of those specifically keyed off the master) in the relevant building.

    2. “Central Key Coordinator” – the Central Key Coordinator is assigned to the Office of Public Safety and is responsible for the overall control and inventory of all university-issued keys.

    3. “Departmental Key Coordinator” – the Departmental Key Coordinator is appointed by the Department head and has the responsibility to issue and collect keys and maintain records for all keys and access cards issued to members of their department. The Departmental Key Coordinator is also the central point of contact and liaison with the Central Key Coordinator for matters relating to card access permissions for members of their department.

    4. “Grand Master Key” is defined as a key that opens all doors (with the exception of those specifically keyed off the master) in a designated group of buildings.

    5. “Level V Card Access Privileges” is defined as total access to all academic and administrative buildings at all times.

    6. “Level VI Card Access Privileges” is defined as total access to all academic and administrative buildings and residence halls at all times.

    7. “Lock Shop” means the University Lock Shop in the Office of Public Safety.

    8. “Residence Hall Keys” means keys to University residence halls which are issued to residents.

  4. Responsible Executive and Office:

    Responsible Executive:
    Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Fiscal Officer

    Responsible Office
    Office of Public Safety

  5. Entities Affected by this Policy:

    All divisions, colleges, departments and operating units.

  6. Procedures:

    1. Each department head will designate a person to be the Departmental Key Coordinator, and an Alternate Departmental Key Coordinator to act in the absence of the Departmental Key Coordinator. Both the Departmental Key Coordinator and the Alternate Departmental Key Coordinator must be full-time University employees. The duties of the Departmental Key Coordinators are as follows:

      1. receive and process all requests for keys or card access for members of the department. Maintain adequate and accurate records at all times;

      2. account for all keys and/or access cards issued to the department;

      3. report any lost or stolen keys and/or access cards as soon as possible to the University Police and the Central Key Coordinator;

      4. issue keys or grant card access privileges only to employees in the Key Coordinator’s own department; and

      5. participate in regular departmental key audit with the Central Key Coordinator.

    2. The Office of Public Safety is charged with the responsibility for the efficient management of Towson University’s Key and Card Access Control Program. The primary duties of the Central Key Coordinator are as follows:

      1. Provide training for all new Departmental Key Coordinators.

      2. Investigate key and card access requests for approval or disapproval as necessary. Requests for Grand Master and Building Master keys and Level V and Level VI card access privileges must be approved by the Associate Vice President of the Office of Public Safety.

      3. Forward all approved key and access requests to the appropriate entity within the Access Control Section of the Office of Public Safety for completion.

      4. Notify the Departmental Key Coordinator of any requests that are denied.

      5. Receive all completed key request orders from the Lock Shop.

      6. Distribute all keys except for Grand Masters, Building Masters, Sub-masters and Residence Hall Keys to the Departmental Key Coordinator, requiring their signature.

      7. Distribute each Grand Master, Building Master or Sub-master key directly to the recipient, requiring his or her signature.

      8. Back charge all departments for materials.

      9. Perform regular key audits for each department on a schedule as determined by the Associate Vice President of the Office of Public Safety. The audit is conducted between the Central Key Coordinator and the Departmental Key Coordinator.

      10. Draft a Key Control Performance Report and send to the Departmental Key Coordinator, department head and head of the Office of Public Safety. The department head is responsible for rectifying problems identified in the audit.

    3. Key and Electronic Access Card Accountability

      1. All University students, faculty and staff are accountable for the proper use and safeguarding of keys and electronic access cards issued to them and shall not loan, transfer, give possession for misuse, modify or alter those keys or electronic access cards issued. It is also prohibited to cause, allow or contribute to the making of any unauthorized copies of issued keys.

      2. Departments will be assessed fees to replace lost keys and to re-core associated doors if necessary. The police department and the affected department director in conjunction with the supervisor of the Lock Shop will confer regarding the need for changing door cores after the loss of a key. The Associate Vice President of the Office of Public Safety shall be the final authority in determining whether doors will need to be re-cored due to loss of keys.

      3. Violation of this policy or negligent loss of issued keys, may result in disciplinary action and may render the individual responsible for the expense of the key(s) and a rekey for the affected area(s).

    4. Procedures associated with the primary duties of the Central Key Coordinator and Departmental/Alternate Key Coordinators, as well as the criteria for issuance of keys and card access permission levels, are detailed in the University Key Coordinator Manual which is located on the Towson University Office of Public Safety Web site.

Related Policies:

None.

Approval Date: 06/23/2011

Effective Date: 06/23/2011

Approved By: President’s Council 06/13/2011

Signed By: President’s Council

How to Request the Policy PDF

This online version of the policy may include updated links and names of departments. To request a PDF of the original, signed version of this policy, email the Office of the General Counsel, .