Department of Health Sciences: Lost and Found Policy

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure a consistent, secure, and accountable process for handling Lost and Found Items within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“University”) School of Medicine’s (SOM) Department of Health Sciences (“Department”) Chair and Student Services Suite (“Suite”). This Policy establishes expectations for intake, documentation, storage, Special Handling, claiming, retention, and disposition of Lost and Found Items.

Unit Policy

Title

Department of Health Sciences: Lost and Found Policy

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure a consistent, secure, and accountable process for handling Lost and Found Items within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ("University") School of Medicine's (SOM) Department of Health Sciences ("Department") Chair and Student Services Suite ("Suite"). This Policy establishes expectations for intake, documentation, storage, Special Handling, claiming, retention, and disposition of Lost and Found Items.

Scope

This Policy applies to all faculty, staff, students, and visitors who turn in, handle, store, or claim Lost and Found Items to, from or within the Suite.

Policy

Policy Statement

The Department is committed to ensuring items which are lost or found are returned to their rightful owners in an orderly fashion and will maintain an organized process to ensure that Lost and Found Items are handled securely, documented accurately, stored appropriately, and returned to their rightful owners whenever possible.

Roles and Responsibilities

Staff Receiving Items

A Suite staff member who receives a Lost and Found Item is responsible for the intake, documentation, and storage of the Lost and Found Item.

Staff Assisting Claimants

A Suite staff member who assists a Claimant is responsible for verifying the Claimant's ownership of the Item, completing required documentation, and releasing the item to the Claimant as appropriate.

Suite Leadership / Designee

Suite Leadership, or their designee, is responsible for oversight of compliance with this Policy, resolution of exceptions, and coordination of donation of unclaimed items.

Intake of Lost and Found Items

When an item is turned in, the staff member who is receiving the item must:

1. Accept the item, if it does not fall into the category of "Nonacceptable", and confirm it does not require Special Handling.
2. Complete an Intake Form, documenting:
   • A detailed description of the item;
   • The date and time the item was found;
   • The Location where the item was found; and
   • The first and last name of the individual who found or turned in the item.
3. Place the completed Intake Form in, and update, the Intake Log.
4. Secure the item in the designated Lost and Found storage area, under the Suite's mail cabinet ("Lost and Found Storage").

Storage and Recordkeeping

All Lost and Found Items must remain in the Lost and Found Storage until claimed or disposed of. Intake and Claim forms must be retained for tracking and audit purposes. Staff should ensure items remain organized to prevent loss of or confusion over Lost and Found Items.

Items Requiring Immediate Action

Suite staff members must handle Special Items and Nonacceptable Items as follows:

Special Items

1. SOM ID badges must be given to the SOM Planning Office by the end of the business day that they are turned into the Suite. The Planning Office is located at 60 MacNider Hall.
2. A prescription medication that is turned into the Suite may be temporarily secured in the Lost and Found Storage while reasonable efforts are made to contact the individual identified on the prescription's label. Prescription medications must be claimed in accordance with the Claiming Lost and Found Items section below. If the prescription medication is not claimed or the individual identified on the prescription medication's label cannot be reached within four (4) business days, the medication must be given to Campus Police at the Public Safety Building. Prescription medications that cannot be readily associated with an identifiable owner must be immediately given to Campus Police by contacting Campus Police at 919‑962‑8100.

Nonacceptable Items

Any item determined to be unreasonable or inappropriate for Departmental storage may be immediately transferred to Campus Police, Security, Environmental Health and Safety, or another appropriate authority, or otherwise handled in accordance with applicable laws and institutional policies. This designation is made at the discretion of Department staff to ensure safety, security, and appropriate use of limited storage space.

Special Items must not be stored in the Lost and Found Storage except as otherwise provided in this Policy. Suite staff must document the transfer of Special Items on an Intake Form, noting the date, time, and receiving office.

Claiming Lost and Found Items

Suite Staff members must complete the following when an individual claims a Lost and Found Item:

1. Ask the claimant to describe the item before it is shown to them.
2. Verify that the description reasonably matches the stored item.
3. Require the Claimant to verify their identity by providing their SOM Badge, Onecard, Driver's License, or Passport.
4. Have the Claimant complete and sign a Lost and Found Claim Form. The completed form must include:
   • The Claimant's name, phone number, and email address (University email for University students and/or employees) and contact information;
   • The date and time the item is returned; and
   • The Claimant's signature acknowledging receipt of the item as-is.
5. Update the Intake Log to reflect that the item has been claimed.
6. Release the item to the Claimant.

Retention and Disposal of Unclaimed Items

Lost and Found Items will be retained in the Lost or Found Storage for one hundred twenty (120) calendar days. At the end of each semester, Department leadership, or their designee, must review the Intake Log to identify any unclaimed items. Unclaimed items are to be donated to local charities (preferably within the town of Chapel Hill). Donation activity should be documented (date and location).

Exceptions to this retention and disposition requirement may be granted on a case-by-case basis provided there has been direct communication with a Lost and Found Item's owner regarding a pick-up date for the item. Such items will be marked as "Reserved" on the Intake Log and will be held in the Lost and Found Storage until the agreed upon pick-up date.

Definitions

Lost and Found Item: Any item, the owner of which is not immediately identifiable, found within and turned into the Chair and Student Services Suite by Suite staff, faculty, or visitors.

Suite Leadership: Refers to the Executive Assistant to the Chair or Administrative Director of Student Affairs.

Nonacceptable Items: Items that, due to legal, safety, security, storage, or liability concerns, are not to be accepted, stored, or maintained by the department as part of the Lost and Found process. These items include, but are not limited to:

• Weapons of any kind, including firearms, ammunition, knives, or other objects that may be used as weapons.

• Illegal substances, controlled drugs, drug paraphernalia, contraband, or any item whose possession may violate federal, state, or local laws or University policies.

• Cash, checks, gift cards, cryptocurrency devices, or other forms of currency or negotiable instruments.

• Wallets, purses, handbags, and similar personal items containing money, financial information, identification, or sensitive personal information.

• High-value items such as jewelry, precious metals, collectible items, luxury goods, or other items whose value creates significant liability concerns.

• Items of a sexual, obscene, or explicit nature.

• Hazardous, dangerous, perishable, biohazardous, or unsanitary materials.

• Oversized items that cannot be reasonably or safely stored within available office storage space, including large equipment, furniture, or bulky personal property.

Special Handling: Refers to the handling described in this Policy required for Nonacceptable Items and Special Items.

Special Item: A Lost and Found Item requiring immediate transfer to another University authority due to security, access, or privacy concerns (e.g., phones, keys, SOM identification badges).

Claimant: An individual asserting ownership of a Lost and Found Item and providing sufficient description to verify that claim.

Intake Form: The official record used to document details of a Lost and Found Item at the time it is turned in.

Intake Log: Refers to both the (i) Suite’s spreadsheet that contains record of all Lost and Found Items that have been turned into the Suite and (ii) the Suite’s collection of scanned Intake Forms kept on its Microsoft Teams site.

Claim Form: The document completed and signed by a claimant acknowledging receipt of a Lost and Found Item as-is.

Retention Period: The length of time, defined as one hundred twenty (120) calendar days , a Lost and Found Item is held before it is marked for donation. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Reserved Item: A Lost and Found Item for which an exception has been made for the item to be kept beyond the Retention Period.

Related Requirements

External Regulations

 

• UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Police – Lost & Found and Property Control
• UNC Police General Order 09-01R4 – Property and Evidence Control

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Office of Student Services 

Bondurant Hall, School of Medicine 

Campus Box # 7120 

321 S Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 

Phone: 919-843-4495 

Email: ahs_studentservices@med.unc.edu