Lost and Found Property
Date of Current Revision: April 2007
Responsible Officer: Director of University Unions
- PURPOSE
This policy outlines the procedures for recording, storing and disposing of items turned in to a Lost and Found Center at any of the following locations:- Carrier Library
- College of Integrated Science & Technology
- Convocation Center
- Festival Conference & Student Center
- Gibbons Hall
- Godwin Hall
- Off Campus Life
- PC Dukes
- Public Safety
- Residence Life
- Sonner Hall
- Surplus Property
- Taylor Down Under
- University Recreation
- Wilson Hall
- Zane Showker
- AUTHORITY
The president of James Madison University has given the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and University Planning the responsibility and the authority to ensure that lost and found procedures are followed. - DEFINITIONS
None - APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all JMU employees responsible for managing lost and found items. - POLICY
Lost and Found Center staff members at all sites will accurately record the receipt of found items. Items will be stored in a secure location and retained for a period of at least 60 days. - PROCEDURES
6.1 Collection The staff member collecting the lost items will record the date and descriptive information in the “Lost and Found” database. The staff member will check these items against “Lost Inquiries” and notify the owner when a match is made. All collections will be entered into the database and stored in a safe location.
Items of value will be sent directly to the Office of Public Safety after they have been entered in the database. Items of value includes the following:- Bicycles
- Cash
- Checkbooks and checks
- Passports
- Wallets
All lost plastic ware, soiled clothing, undergarments, prescription drugs (if unable to notify owner) and toiletry items will be disposed of immediately after being turned in to a Lost and Found Center; these items will not be entered in the database.
6.2 Inquiring Inquiries can be made at any university Lost and Found Center through an inquiry to the database or by contacting Lost & Found administration. Each Lost and Found Center will enter an Inquiry in the database that will be kept on file for a minimum of 90 days. Those seeking a lost item are encouraged to inquire at the Lost and Found Center closest to where the item was last seen.
6.3 Claiming Items Persons claiming lost items must have photo identification, (unless the item lost is a photo ID). The person claiming the lost item will sign for the item and provide an id number. The item will then be updated as "claimed" in the database and purged after 30 days.
6.4 Surplus After lost items have been held a minimum of 60 days, they will be itemized, securely packaged or boxed and sent to the Office of Accounting Services’ surplus property warehouse. Items will then be held another 60 days, and at 120 days become surplus property of the Commonwealth of Virginia. - RESPONSIBILITIES
The University Unions department will coordinate the Lost and Found centers, and this policy will be condensed and advertised in the Breeze once each semester. - SANCTIONS
Sanctions will be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the offense and may include termination of employment of expulsion from the university. - EXCLUSIONS
None. - INTERPRETATION
The authority to interpret this policy rests with the president and is generally delegated to the senior vice president for student affairs and university planning.
Approved by the President: April, 2002
Index Terms
Lost and found
Lost items
Recovering lost items