Lost and Found

Anyone who finds an item on Student Center property must promptly turn it in to the Student Center Office (Room 150) or to a Student Center staff member who will deliver it to Room 150.

• Do not attempt to open mail or search through the contents of bags; turn in the item as found.
• If an item appears hazardous, soiled, or unsafe (e.g., biological material, broken glass, suspicious packages), do not touch it. Please notify Student Center staff or University Police immediately.

• Log the item in the Lost & Found inventory with: date/time found, description, location found, finder’s name (if provided), and staff member accepting the item.
• Assign a shelf date (the date the items was added to the Lost and Found Inventory)
• For high-value items (electronics, wallets, jewelry), note brand/model/serial numbers where possible.
• Identifiable items such as Jag Cards or licenses are stored separately in a secure space behind the Jag Card Office front desk. Staff will attempt to identify the owner using ID information or internal lookup tools and will notify the owner by email if contact information can be found. If the item appears to belong to someone from off-campus, staff will follow University Police guidance on returning IDs.
• All items turned into Student Center Services will be documented, stored, and provided a shelf-life date.
• Items that present a potential sanitary risk may be discarded immediately at staff discretion, in accordance with campus public safety guidance.

• If owner contact information is available (from an ID, Jag Card lookup, or other record), Student Center staff will notify the owner by email and hold the item for claim.
• To claim an item in person, the claimant must present valid photo identification and provide a specific description of the item sufficient to verify ownership. Items will not be released to any person without appropriate identification

• Unclaimed items that have reached the six-month retention threshold after the assigned shelf life date and are appropriate for resale will be offered for sale at the Student Center’s annual Lost & Found Sale. Items not suitable for sale may be donated directly to campus-approved charities or otherwise disposed.
• All funds raised through the Student Center’s annual sale will be donated to the University of South Alabama’s Food Pantry. 

• The Lost & Found log will be retained for audit purposes for at least two years and will record disposition action (claimed, sold, donated, disposed), dates, and staff initials.
• The Student Center Director (or designated staff member) is responsible for oversight of the Lost & Found program and for authorizing final disposition of items.

• Items suspected to be stolen, illegal, or related to a crime will be turned over to University Police and documented accordingly.
• Items required by University policy to be handled by another office (e.g., parking permits, university property, asset-tagged equipment) will be routed to the appropriate office.