Forgot your key? One student concern is the fee that is charged for missing keys. 

Director of Campus Security and Safety David Simon and Director of Residence Life Michaela Smith explained the issue of students being charged if they lock themselves out of their room. They described the fee and the process of assisting students when they forget their keys. 

According to Smith, if a student loses their key, they are given a new key free of charge. Should the student lose the new key, they will be charged $15 for the next one. Students should inform a residence life staff member if they need a new key. Smith also states that students are allowed two free “let ins” into their room. If a student needs to be let in a third time, they will be charged $10. Simon claims this policy has been enforced for three years and it is still mandated. 

Simon explained that security’s number one priority is focused on the students. Students should contact residence life about a missing key before they contact security. However, if there is an emergency on campus, this concern will take precedence over a missing key. Students will have to wait until security can get ahold of the residence department.  

Simon explained the process students have to go through with security when necessary. There is a sign-up sheet for students that notes their need for assistance. Students will also have to provide their student ID so campus safety can verify their identity. If students don’t have their ID on them, security can also look them up in a book to verify their identity. 

Simon believes this policy will help students be more responsible and encourage them to remember their keys. Security has dealt with issues of students leaving their keys behind during Christmas break and then having to let them all back in when they return. After this policy was enforced, Simon noted that “the number of students that needed assistance to get back into their rooms dropped by 90 percent.” 

Smith provided some advice to students on how they can remember their keys. “Everyone should consider getting a phone wallet to keep all of their cards in one place. However, some of the keys do have a history of demagnetizing if you put them by other credit cards. If this is the case, students could also use a lanyard to keep everything together.”