Date Created: November 8, 2023 Last Updated: June 21, 2024
Overview: The security of university owned residential buildings located on the Ithaca campus presents moderate/high operational risks for Student & Campus Life that require due diligence to mitigate the risks in avoidance of physical or psychological harm to property or individuals that could result in expenses or reputational harm to the university.
Criticality: Moderate/High | Frequency: Daily | Turnaround: Daily |
Process Owner(s) / Key Parties / Contacts / Responsibilities:
- Students: Comply with housing expectations and requirements, attend required trainings, and report behaviors that have a risk for physical or psychological harm to themselves or others.
- Housing and Residential Life and West Campus Housing Staff: Collaborate with emergency response personnel and campus partners to provide healthy and safe living environments where residents and their visitors are held accountable for behaviors that violate housing contracts, the Campus Code of Conduct, or key agreements. Maintain housing and membership rosters that identify house residents. Provide regular routine checks and document findings. Manage user access to systems that store housing and membership rosters. Support Facilities in the collection of funds necessitated by damages to or access breaches in residence halls. Collaborate with the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards in the triage and management of behavioral misconduct cases and ensure accountability for sanction completion.
- Facilities and Conference and Event Services Operations Staff: Manage building access and property management through coordination with Housing and Residential Life/West Campus House System, Fire Marshall, CUPD, EHS, and Student Disability Services for health and safety needs. Coordinate accessibility accommodations as needed. Manage user access to systems that store key or card access and surveillance camera data.
- Student Conduct and Community Standards: Investigates and manages violations then delivers and monitors sanction completion. Reports criminal behaviors to law enforcement.
- Cornell University Police Department: Respond and serve as lead command during incidents where safety of individuals and/or property are deemed to be at risk. Report and investigate serious behavioral incidents to appropriate authorities.
Key Documents / Sources of Information:
- University Policy 8.4, Management of Keys and Other Access Control Systems
- Student and Campus Life Policy Addendum to Cornell University Policy 8.4 – Management of Keys and Other Access Control Systems (see Brandi Smith-Berger for access)
- University Policy 8.1, Responsible Use of Video Surveillance Systems
- University Policy 5.9 Access to Information Technology Data and Monitoring Network Transmissions
- SCL Facilities Area Key Coordinator organizational chart
- SCL System Access Control Policy & Procedure: 1.0: Deprovisioning of high-risk systems: https://cornell.app.box.com/file/1177252395492
- Cornell University Police Department
- Cornell Ethics and Compliance Hotline
- Student and Campus Life - Report an Incident
- Campus Watch
- Lock change Workflow Process (copy in Box, see Brandi Smith-Berger for master/original)
- OSCCS flowcharts
System Access Needed:
- AccessIT!
- Key Management System (KMS)
- StarRez
- Canvas
- Campus Kaizen Guardian
Common Problems or Issues Encountered:
- Transition paper files for key and card access management to electronic records that can be stored securely and accessible as appropriate. Currently maintained paper files are not easily accessible or securely stored.
- SCL Facilities to coordinate with Access Controls Team to deprovision AccessIT! user accounts.
- SCL Facilities and Conference and Event Services to maintain written procedures that outlines the division of responsibilities.
- SCL Facilities to revise staffing plan to add backup coverage for after-hours calls related to key and card access.
- Centralize key and access card storage and management to be administered by Conference and Event Services Operations, administered through the Service Centers in Cascadilla Hall, Hasbrouck, Willard Straight Hall, and Robert Purcell Community Center.
Process Documented in Chronological Order:
- Residents are assigned Housing in StarRez by housing staff.
- All new and returning students sign housing contract online prior to arrival on campus.
- Upon arrival to campus, all new and returning students report to check-in, sign the housing contract and required attestation in StarRez, and are permitted access to residential building.
- New students pick up student CU ID card during this check-in process
- Card access is managed by Housing and Residential Life and integrated with StarRez, in collaboration with Access Control Program. Conference and Event Services Operations, and the Housing Offices.
- Students are provided emergency preparedness materials by Housing and Residential Life OR West Campus Housing Staff, per assigned housing.
- All campus community members are encouraged to enroll in CornellAlert System and other resource, reporting, and response systems to aid in campus safety. See https://emergency.cornell.edu/resources/
- Reports of emergencies requiring immediate response (medical, fire, intruders, mental health) are received by Cornell University Police (607) 255-1111 or 911. Tompkins County dispatch determines response by IPD/CUPD/EH&S, IFD, Bangs Ambulance.
- Students are provided education and information about how to report non-emergency allegations and incidents through Cornell University Police Department, Cornell Ethics and Compliance Hotline, and Student and Campus Life.
- Cornell University Police complies with local, state, and federal requirements for communicating campus safety concerns. See Campus Watch.
- Responsibilities for lead command during all reported emergencies are managed by the Cornell University Police Department, unless otherwise delegated.
- SCL Facilities manages building security systems (locks, windows, doors, sprinkler systems and security systems) through regular maintenance checks to ensure that all security equipment is functional and up to date.
- Temporary building access cards (provided by Housing; managed by Conference and Event Services Operations) when loaned to students, are tracked in StarRez and are required to be returned within five days.
- Keys and access cards are audited by Conference and Event Services Operations daily.
- Housing conducts a monthly spot check audit for keys and access cards, and can view usage documentation in StarRez.
- Residence Hall and House residents, and the staff who support them, are educated about security protocols and reporting an emergency by to Housing and Residential Life staff.
- Residence Hall Advisors, Assistant Directors, and House Assistant Deans conduct routine safety and wellness checks and document findings.
- Regular programming that enhances the engagement and provides healthy options outside of the classroom are administered by staff in Housing and Residential Life and West Campus House System.
- Access and security of Cornell Wi-Fi networks are monitored by Cornell Information Technology (CIT) in adherence to University Policy 5.9 Access to Information Technology Data and Monitoring Network Transmissions. Cornell University does not monitor the content of network traffic except for legal, policy, or contractual compliance; in the case of a health or safety emergency; or for the maintenance and technical security of the network.
- Prior to students departure, all students return their assigned keys to their respective service center house office or key return box located in the residence hall.
- Service Center/House Office staff collect keys and update StarRez, indicating that the student has checked out and is released from their housing contract.
- For students who did not return their key, Service Center/House Office staff update StarRez record to remove building access, and initiate a lock change (through API from StarRez to Maximo), and issue a Bursar charge (through API to Peoplesoft.)
- Once lock change is completed, Service Center/House Office staff update StarRez record with new key serial number and physically change out the key sets in respective location where keys are stored (Note, there are several location for key storage: Robert Purcell (North Campus), Cascadilla (South Campus), Willard Straight Hall (Central Campus), Hasbrouck (Graduate Housing), Alice Cook House, Hans Bethe House, Carl Becker House, William Keeton House, Flora Rose House.
Key Risks | Key Controls |
Current staffing model does not allow for segregation of duties for key and card access management of SCL owned buildings. | 1. SCL Facilities and Conference and Event Services to request resources and align duties as needed to fulfill requirements. Target date of August 2025. |
Deprovisioning of systems access controls for systems that manage, building access, key and card management, housing assignments, building surveillance, Campus Code of Conduct violations, and behavioral concerns. | 1. High risk systems that are owned by SCL are audited and accounts are deprovisioned during Fall and Spring semesters. AccessIT! is managed outside of SCL. |
Key or card access for exceptions (i.e., shabbat students) is managed on a case-by-case basis and is not documented in written procedures. | 1. Facilities conducts audit of temp badges for card access to SCL owned buildings. Conference and Event Services Operations conducts an audit of physical key inventory for SCL-owned buildings and requires loaned keys back at the end of each semester. |
Key access for students involves coordination by Housing, SCL Facilities, and Conference and Event Services. | 1. In progress, transition is underway and process to be in place by August 2025: all keys for residence halls to be picked up and returned to an assigned Service Center or House Office. |
It is widely believed that students prop doors open, share card access, and enter with visitors who do not have credentials checked. | 1. Resident Advisors and House Assistant Deans conduct routine rounds and document open doors, broken locks/equipment, lost keys/cards, lock-outs, and safety concerns. |
Visitor check-in/out does not exist for SCL owned residential buildings. | 1. Residence halls with installed surveillance cameras can be utilized for investigative purposes following a serious allegation. |
Risk behaviors result in noncompliance with the Campus Code of Conduct. | 1. Violations of the Campus Code of Conduct are managed through the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and when appropriate violations are referred to local, state, and federal authorities for action. |
Surveillance cameras are not installed on all SCL owned residential properties. | 1. |
Glossary of Key Terms/Acronyms:
- MC: Mitigating Control
- CUPD: Cornell University Police Department
- EH&S: Environmental Health & Safety
- OSCCS: Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
Alternative Access Key Workflow Process 6.21.24
Alternative Access Key Agreement 6.21.24
Card Access
Lock Change Workflow Process 6.21.24
