Policy 3106
Lost and Found Property

Date of Current Revision: October, 2008
Responsible Officer: Director of University Unions

1. 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:

  • Bookstore
  • Carrier Library
  • College of Integrated Science & Technology
  • Convocation Center
  • East Campus Library
  • Festival Conference & Student Center
  • Gibbons Hall
  • Harrison Hall
  • Madison Union
  • Memorial Hall
  • Moody Hall
  • Off Campus Life
  • Public Safety
  • Residence Life
  • Surplus Property
  • Taylor Down Under
  • University Recreation
  • Wilson Hall
  • Zane Showker Hall

Each of these areas has access to a central computer database for posting lost and found items.

2. 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.

3. DEFINITIONS

None

4. APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all JMU employees responsible for managing lost and found items.

5. 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.

6. 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 JMU access cards will be sent to the Campus Card Center after the Lost & Found site has attempted to contact the owner with no success.

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 identification. 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.

7. 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.

8. SANCTIONS

Sanctions will be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the offense and may include termination of employment or expulsion from the university.

9. EXCLUSIONS

None.

10. 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.

Previous Version: April, 2007
Approved by the President: April, 2002

Index Terms

Lost and found
Lost items
Recovering lost items

 

Policy 3106 PDF Version