4.138 Administration & Finance
KEY AUTHORIZATION
Date Adopted/Most Recent Revision: 08/04/2006

  1. General
    All outside door keys, all room door keys, and all master keys issued to staff require the approval of the senior administrator. All outside door keys requested for students or non-university personnel, as well as all sub-masters, masters, grand masters and great-grand masters must be approved by the Administrative Council and the President of the university. All room keys and outside door keys issued to faculty members must be approved by the dean. A building master or sub-master (program area) key will be issued to any full-time faculty member on condition:

    1. That he submit a building master key request and a written statement of the reasons for needing the key;
    2. That the request be reviewed and approved by the dean of each area that can be accessed by the key; and
    3. That the request be approved by the Administrative Council and the President.
    Students will only be issued individual room keys after completing the appropriate academic or administrative procedure outlined above. Exceptions to the above procedures will require the approval of the Administrative Council.

  2. Key Security

    1. Upon request, the Director of the Physical Plant will submit to each budgetary unit head a list of the keys issued for his/her area. The budgetary unit head will be responsible for verifying the list for its accuracy and the existence of the noted keys. Discrepancies should be reported by memo to the Director of the Physical Plant. Each memo will reflect the complete transaction concerning each discrepancy noted, including any correspondence, and the final action taken with regard to the lost keys.
    2. Great-grandmaster keys should be given maximum security. Each key is reserved strictly for its authorized holder only and is not to be loaned to others for any reason.
    3. Access to buildings is reserved to faculty and staff only. Students are not permitted in buildings unless accompanied by a faculty or staff member at all times when the buildings are normally closed. Exceptions are made by the Administrative Council when necessary.
    4. The Director of the Physical Plant will number all keys in such a manner that positive identification can be made of each individual key. To ensure the integrity of the key system, no keys will be retained or stored at any location other than those areas approved by the Administrative Council. Duplicate keys will not be provided faculty, staff or students unless the original key has been lost. No locks will be recoded or altered without correspondence as defined by this policy to the Director of the Physical Plant.
    5. Any issuance or exception not covered by this policy must be cleared through the Administrative Council.
  3. Lost Keys
    Any person who loses an issued key will notify the budgetary unit head who signed the key request. The budgetary unit head will notify the Director of the Physical Plant by memo. This memo shall provide a written description of the circumstances surrounding the loss of the key including the name of the person, the key code, and the key number. When it has been determined by the budgetary unit head that security has been lost, the affected cylinders will be replaced. All replaced keys will be returned to the Director of the Physical Plant and properly secured.

  4. Security Charges for Lost Keys
    Fees will be imposed on the person responsible for the lost keys to defray the cost of replacing the lost security and to encourage conscientious custodianship of all university keys. The fees for lost keys will be as follows:

    Room Keys* $10/Key $20/Cylinder
    Outside Door Keys* $20/Key $20/Cylinder
    Master Keys* $50/Key $20/Cylinder

    *NOTE: "Keys" include all keys/cylinders affected by the lost key.


    The maximum fee per lost key incident will be $100. All charges are to be assessed by the Physical Plant and paid to the Business Office.

  5. Security Charges for Lost Keys (Residence Halls)
    Fees for lost keys to the Residence Hall facilities will be established by coordinator of student housing, but shall not be less than:

    Room Keys* $10/Key $20/Cylinder
    Outside Door Keys* $20/Key $20/Cylinder

    All fees as noted above will be assessed by the Director of Housing and paid to the Director of Housing.

  6. Key Responsibility
    The person obtaining a key is responsible for the security and condition of the key. When the key is issued, the key recipient will receive a current key and cylinder count. Keys will not be loaned to another person to use for any reason, unless a key security system has been established and approved by the budgetary unit head or senior administrator. The person obtaining a key is directly responsible to the budgetary unit head who signed the request. The budgetary unit head is responsible to the Vice President for Administration and Finance. Keys issued by MSU will be duplicated only by the Director of the Physical Plant at MSU.

  7. Key Return (Terminating Employees)

    1. Faculty/Staff
      All faculty/staff (full-time or part-time) will return keys as the final step in the personnel clearance process to the Human Resources Department, even for interdepartmental transfers.

    2. Students
      Students shall return all non-housing university owned keys to the budgetary unit head/dean responsible for initiating the original key request. Budgetary unit heads/deans should request return of keys upon termination of student employment, termination of right of access to facilities, impending graduation or academic dismissal. Budgetary unit heads/deans may hold and reissue those keys upon submission of key request form and approval (if required). Upon request, the Director of the Physical Plant will furnish a listing of all keys issued to students for a specific department. Budgetary unit heads/deans shall return all keys not issued to the Director of the Physical Plant. Budgetary unit heads/deans, may request a "hold" be placed on a student's record for failure to pay lost key charges as specified in this policy.

  8. Residence Hall Key Policy
    All outside and room keys to residence halls will be stored, issued, returned, and accounted for by the Coordinator of Housing. Master keys issued to residence assistants will be transacted through the Coordinator of Housing, Dean of Students, and the Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs. The Director of Physical Plant will issue the keys to these students upon completion of the appropriate approval. All residence hall keys will be returned to the Director of the Physical Plant when no longer required.