Key Card System

Facts for faculty about the new system

Beginning in the fall, a new electronic key card based security system will be installed at Kaufman Center, replacing the current metal key-based system. Our current plan is to have the installation complete before school begins in September.  The project coordinator on this is Toby Rappaport, the Director of Operations. His contact information is trappaport@kaufman-center.org or 212 501 3373. Please speak to him if you have any thoughts to share, or questions as the installation progresses.

Goals of this project

  • Better overall security for our students, staff and visitors, something that is important to all of us
  • Better scheduling and management of all work and rehearsal spaces to avoid scheduling collisions and room conflicts
  • Elimination of an old antiquated key system, which grows more expensive to maintain and is harder to control
  • Ability to track room usage by renters and to minimize the number of times that renters find their way into your teaching space

What this will mean to you

  • Each and every one of you will have an electronic key card that will enable you to enter and exit your classroom and any other rooms you have been assigned or requested.
  • You will be able to gain access to whichever rooms you are scheduled to be teaching in at the times you are scheduled to teach.
  • When you leave your assigned teaching or practicing spaces, the door will automatically lock.
  • The Front Desk will also have the ability to open doors remotely in the event that you lock your key inside the room.
  • Your photo will be on your electronic key. This is an additional level of security for the building and will make any required identity checks much easier, and much more routine.
  • You will be responsible for your key card should it get damaged, lost or stolen. 

As the school year approaches, and we start implementing the system we do want to hear from you about how it’s working.  Your feedback will be extremely helpful as we implement and revise the system.  You can contact Toby or your supervisor with comments. To help everyone, we will be publishing online and posting in the faculty lounge the questions we are being asked, the observations of staff, faculty, students and parents and our responses in order to maximize the benefits of the system, and help everyone make the transition as comfortably as possible. We will work together through any unanticipated situations.

FAQs

Is it going to be more complicated to find available rooms?
At first it may seem so, but we are working to make it as simple as possible while maintaining security and sanity at the same time. We’re simply asking that when you need space that is unscheduled at the time you need it, you call or go down to the Front Desk where an available room can be found, and your card coded to gain access to it.

What if my session runs late?
We’re going to ask as a matter of courtesy that you notify the Front Desk and see if your space is scheduled immediately following your use. If it could be available for a little longer, you will receive authorization to remain for a limited amount of time. If your space is booked at a given time, we will be asking everyone to honor the master schedule so that the vast number of people coming to class can remain on their own schedule.

What if I show up early for my session?
There will be a 10-minute grace period at the start of your session in case you show up early and the room is not being used.  If you arrive earlier than that, you should contact the Front Desk and they can give you access if the room is available.

What happens if I leave the room without my card and I cannot get back in?
You will call the Front Desk from one of the red courtesy phones located in the hallway on every floor and they will unlock the room remotely.

What happens if I lose my card?
The cards are expensive to replace, and you will be asked to pay the replacement cost (approximately $5) if it is damaged, lost or stolen.

What happens when a student gets up to go to the bathroom during a class?  How do they get back in the room?
For private lessons, it will be the responsibility of the teacher to open the door for students when they return from the bathroom.  For larger classrooms, we plan to leave the rooms unlocked during class times to allow for students to come and go without disrupting the rest of the class.

How will I get in my room if the building loses power or the card reader malfunctions? 
Every door will have a manual key override.  In the event that the card reader does not work, you will contact the Front Desk and they will find someone from maintenance to let you in.

Why is there a sudden concern about security when I haven’t heard a whole lot about this up until this announcement?
Security, especially with children present is always our highest concern because of the extraordinary responsibility we have for the safety of those in our facilities. The  current key system is antiquated and the cost curve for maintaining it is getting steeper and steeper every year. Funding from the Booth Ferris Foundation allows us to address these issues of safety and cost, which have long been priorities. We appreciate your flexibility as we move towards a change that will ultimately benefit our faculty, staff, and the thousands of constituents we serve.

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