Building Access Control

Employees may from time to time have a temporary need to be admitted to areas other than their normal place of work. At the same time, the College has the duty and responsibility to ensure that those utilizing its facilities work and study in a safe, secure environment, and that their property and that of the College is safeguarded.

In an effort to both increase security and decrease access time, selected locations have been designated to be equipped with combination type locking devices. This will allow the competent authority of that area to issue access authority independently of Campus Safety by releasing combination code to those authorized to have access. Those locations include:

• Clough Hall rooms 111, 312, 319, and 206;
• Hassell Hall (Music Library);
• King Hall (Phon-A-Thon Room);
• Ohlendorf Hall room 421 (SUN Lab);
• McCoy Theatre (Costume Room); 
• The Payton Nalle Rhodes, Tower, room 326 (Lab); and
• BCLC locker rooms and other locations

All buildings listed above have one or more fob doors for 24-hour access to exterior doors. 

When employees need to enter an academic or administrative area under the conditions described above, they may request authorization from an appropriate departmental representative to be put on an access list for the building. Alternatively, employees may request that they be issued keys, discussed below. Individual employees may not place a student on a building access list without approval of the appropriate departmental representative.

Persons who have been placed on the access list may personally appear at the Campus Safety Office to register and be admitted to the areas for which access is authorized. Alternatively, they may telephone Campus Safety and be met at the area/building by a representative of Campus Safety, if someone is available.

Persons granted access should notify Campus Safety when their business is completed, so that a record of occupancy may be maintained in the event of an emergency, and so that the area may be secured when it has been vacated.

Certain areas such as the Writing Center, the Computer Labs, and the Language Center are restricted and not subject to access authorizations except by certain individuals responsible for their operation.

College policy regarding on-campus solicitation prohibits door-to-door sales, sales meetings with groups, and, with very few exceptions, all of which must be approved by the Dean of Students, “setting up shop” on campus.

Employees do not have authority to give salespeople or any other third party permission to meet with employees or students on campus unless they have prearranged appointments. Because of past unpleasant experiences, members of the College community are advised to be wary of the following situations:

• Anyone who asks for money in exchange for a product or service which they claim is endorsed by or connected with Rhodes. (Excluded are tuition, room, board, books, and fundraising-related services which obviously are College sponsored.)
• Salespeople (particularly the very persistent ones) wanting names of students or permission to see students. 

Keys

Employees may be issued keys to the office in which they work and fob access to the exterior door to the building in which the office is located. Employees should not lend or provide an extra copy of such keys to students.

Request for keys must be submitted on a Physical Plant work order, and will be subject to the approval of the Director of Campus Safety or designee. The work order should indicate the specific location of the door and the name of the person who will have custody of the key and specific reasons outlining need for a key. Additional information may be sought by the Director of Campus Safety or designee from the requesting party. If the request is approved, the requesting party will be emailed for pick up at Rhodes Express.

When the key is picked up, the individual to whom it is issued must sign personally a custody receipt for the key. No one may sign the custody receipt for another person.

If the key is a replacement for a previously issued key that is no longer needed due to change of work place, the key that is no longer needed must be turned in before a new key can be issued. Keys may not be "passed on" to other employees except at the direction of the Director of Campus Safety or designee.

If a key request is denied, the person requesting the key may appeal to the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs.

If access is needed to an area on a temporary basis, the Access List system should be considered as an alternative to the issuance of a key.

Employees whose employment with the College is ending must turn in all previously issued keys before the final paycheck is released. Keys will be turned in to the Director of Campus Safety or designee, who will verify that all issued keys have been turned in. 

All persons will maintain personal custody of any keys issued to them. Keys, which are maintained at a department level for check-out as needed, must be carefully controlled and accounted for with a sign-out/sign-in system within the department.

Broken keys will be replaced upon request at no charge if the broken key is turned in. However, the Director of Campus Safety or designee will verify that the original key was properly issued. Lost keys will be replaced at the cost of the new key. However, the Director of Campus Safety or designee will verify that the original key was properly issued.

If, in the judgment of the Director of Campus Safety or designee, the loss of a key represents a potential breach of security or compromise of the safety or security of persons or property, the Director of Campus Safety or designee may direct that the lock be re-keyed and all costs involved be charged to the department responsible for custody of the key.